The General Synod of the Reformed Church in America (RCA) approved its first official statement o... more The General Synod of the Reformed Church in America (RCA) approved its first official statement on same-sex relationships in 1978. This study, along with other follow-up reports adopted by subsequent synods, is the RCA’s official position on the subject, although nothing explicit has been written into its constitutional documents. In recent years, the level of dissent and debate over this issue has risen dramatically in the RCA, reaching almost the same level of intensity as in other mainline denominations. In 2005, the fissures in the RCA were exposed by the trial and conviction of the Rev. Dr. Norman Kansfield, then president of New Brunswick Theological Seminary, for officiating in Massachusetts at the marriage ceremony of his daughter Ann to Jennifer Aull. This trial was painful in the church, and its aftermath has likely made the task of keeping to an orderly approach to this problem more difficult; one is reminded of the legal maxim, “Hard cases make bad law.”
John had been struggling with Alzheimer's disease for several years: first the forgetfulness,... more John had been struggling with Alzheimer's disease for several years: first the forgetfulness, then the confusion, and now complete dementia accompanied by seizures of increasing intensity. As we sat together in his room in the Benedictine Hospital in Kingston, New York, while the end of his life approached, he was oblivious to his surroundings and even to himself. His body, once strong from years of farming, was wasting away, but he still raged violently against his constraints. It took all my concentration to read aloud one of his favorite psalms and pray for him as his frenzy filled the air and almost drowned out my words. When I left his room to meet his family coming in to visit him, I realized anew that the difficulty I felt as his pastor paled in comparison with what they were going through. Alzheimer's disease plagues America as the fourth leading cause of death among adults. Families of patients tell moving stories of gradually losing their loved ones to it, and the ...
Among the many challenges to parish ministry today, one of the most important is an uncertainty a... more Among the many challenges to parish ministry today, one of the most important is an uncertainty about ministerial roles. Is the minister a servant or a leader, a prophet or a pastor, a preacher or a counselor, a spiritual director or a financial advisor, an evangelist or an enabler, a scholar or an executive? Or is the minister all these things at once, and more besides? Almost every pastor in North America has probably experienced some difficulty, either continual or occasional, in fulfilling the diverse and often impossible expectations that come from these many roles. "Being all things to all people," to paraphrase the Apostle Paul, is for most ministers a formula for frustration. Moreover, many pastors perceive that lay people are often dissatisfied over ministerial role definition and performance. Church leaders and theological scholars have noticed the problem of pastoral role conflict, and it is gathering a growing body of literature. This article will discuss the n...
Handbook for the Study of the Historical Jesus (4 vols), 2011
This essay examines the historical value of references to Jesus in seven classical authors of the... more This essay examines the historical value of references to Jesus in seven classical authors of the early Common Era: Thallos, Pliny the Younger, Suetonius, Tacitus, Mara bar Serapion, Lucian of Samosata, and Celsus. It examines Jesus traditions in Jewish writings, particularly Josephus and the rabbinical literature. Finally, it gives conclusions on classical and Jewish traditions on Jesus. The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus makes a short statement about Jesus: He [Ananus the high priest] assembled the Sanhedrin of the judges, and brought before it the brother of Jesus called [toc Xeyo^evou] Christ, whose name was James, and some others. The treatment that is seen in the chapter runs from a few words (Suetonius) to a little over one sentence (Tacitus, Mara), but rarely more (Celsus). Keywords:Celsus; Jesus tradition; Jewish writings; Lucian of Samosata; Mara bar Serapion; Pliny the Younger; Sanhedrin; Suetonius; Tacitus; Thallos
The centrality of the death of Jesus for the Christian faith can hardly be overstated, and intere... more The centrality of the death of Jesus for the Christian faith can hardly be overstated, and interest in the subject is "red hot." As each generation of Christians comes to terms with its historical claims, and its theological import, it is only natural that its implications merit reexamination. Taking a studied look at the death of Jesus" from the Old Testament's perspective to that of the Gospels and Hebrews to that of extra-canonical accounts" Carroll and Green put us in their debt for their comprehensive survey of the effects and implications of a central tenet of Christianity."John Carroll and Joel Green have harvested bountiful scholarship on a central issue in Christian thought, offering us a volume as impressive in its range as in its depth, as satisfying in its parts as in its cohesiveness. Thoroughly conversant with current research, their study remains, to its great credit, concentrated on the primary texts. The end product is historically grounded, literarily perceptive, and theologically astute. Well-balanced and admirably clear, "The Death of Jesus in Early Christianity" belongs off the shelf and on the desk of scholar and pastor alike."" C. Clifton Black, Associate Professor of New Testament, Perkins School of Theology"Carroll and Green have written the perfect book for those interested in exploring the meaning and significance of Jesus' death. Well-organized, carefully documented, it can serve as a text for theological students as well as a source book for exegetes and systematicians."Frank J. Matera, Professor of New Testament, The Catholic University of America"This is the most comprehensive treatment of the NT material on this subject now available. Itis not simply an analysis of key passages, but sets them in the context of the different writings, showing full awareness of narrative nuance as well as of theological crux. It tackles historical questions and the sensitive issue of anti-Judaism in the passion narratives with equal flair. It is concerned with the meaning of atonement then but also its significance now. And all this in highly competent and often incisive dialogue with the most recent literature on the subject. If you can afford only one volume on your shelves on this subject, this is it." James D.G. Dunn, Lightfoot Professor of Divinity, University of Durham
The Pseudo-Clementines constitute an ancient Christian novel, consisting of a series of writings ... more The Pseudo-Clementines constitute an ancient Christian novel, consisting of a series of writings that recount incidents in the life of Clement of Rome who lived in the late first century C.E. They relate Clement's conversion to Christianity, his introduction to Peter, his instruction by him and travels with him as a fellow worker on his missions. It ends with the reunion of Clement's long-lost family members. The novel is preserved in two main versions, the Recognitions and the Homilies. According to the author, both are fourth-century renditions of a third-century Greek original now lost. This study examines a section of the Recognitions 1.27-71 in the extant Latin and Syriac versions that is considered to contain very primitive Syrian JewishChristian material. It concludes that the section was authored by a Jewish Christian, perhaps a bishop or presbyter, about 200 C.E. He viewed Christianity as true Judaism and was concerned with its inheritance of the land of Israel. The work provides a comprehensive study of Recognitions 1.27—71, and the first complete modern translation of the Syriac version. It is intended for scholars of early Jewish Christianity, not the general public.
(ProQuest: ... denotes non-US-ASCII text omitted.) Why is there no thanksgiving period in Galatia... more (ProQuest: ... denotes non-US-ASCII text omitted.) Why is there no thanksgiving period in Galatians? Interpreters have long dealt with this question, affirming that the absence of a thanksgiving in Galatians is exegetically significant.1 To give a fresh examination of this question, I will first survey the exegetical literature to document the various explanations offered for why Paul did not include a thanksgiving, a survey that will show that reading these explanations from 1:6-10 is so prevalent as to be an exegetical commonplace. Second, I will demonstrate that, contrary to most exegetical opinion surveyed, the Galatians would probably not have expected a thanksgiving period or noted its absence, because they did not know Paul's usual practice of including one in his letters and because it was not a common epistolary convention of the time. Finally, I will show that Paul's omission of a thanksgiving in Galatians is to be explained not primarily from his astonished rebuke in 1:6-10 but by the astonishing form and content of his prescript in 1:1-5. I. AN EXEGETICAL COMMONPLACE A review of research on Galatians 1 shows that locating the reason for Paul's omission of an epistolary thanksgiving period2 in 1:6-10 has become an exegetical commonplace. Here is Gal 1:1-10 in the NRSV: 1 Paul an apostle-sent neither by human commission nor from human authorities, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead- 2and all the members of God's family who are with me, to the churches of Galatia: 3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4who gave himself for our sins to set us free from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. 6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel- 7not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed! 9As we have said before, so now I repeat, if anyone proclaims to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let that one be accursed! 10 Am I now seeking human approval, or God's approval? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ.3 Early in the twentieth century,4 Theodor Zahn wrote about Paul, "[D]ie Regel bei ihm ist, des Danks in bezug auf die Zustande der Briefempfanger, den Brief selbst zu beginnen. Auch hiedurch [1:6] zeigt er, das er an den gal. Gemeinden zur Zeit keine Freude hat, die ihn zum Dank stimmen konnte."5 Ernest DeWitt Burton asserted that Paul's rebuke of the Galatians' behavior in 1:6-10 replaces a thanksgiving. 6 George Duncan commented on 1:6, "In Paul's letters (as indeed in ordinary correspondence) the opening salutation is often followed by a word of thanksgiving." With the Galatians, "grace is being spurned. Hence, instead of a word of praise, the Epistle opens with an abrupt and passionate outburst."7 Referring to v. 6, Heinrich Schlier wrote, "Dieser weist ebenfalls eine im Vergleich zu anderen paulinischen Briefen, die sich der antiken Sitte, der Adressaten an dieser Stelle dankend oder furbittend zu gedenken, in christlich modifizierten Sinn anschliessen, grosse Schroffheit auf."8 Herman N. Ridderbos argued that in Galatians Paul had no occasion to express gratitude; at 1:6, "[t]he painful and dangerous alienation between the apostle and the churches must be discussed forthwith and headon."9 Donald Guthrie wrote, "[I]n place of the usual thanksgiving the apostle gives vent to an unrestrained expression of amazement, which draws attention to a matter over which he clearly felt deeply."10Werner Georg Kummel commented, "After the prescript, there follows no giving of thanks for those addressed, contrary to epistolary custom, but Paul begins immediately his references to the situation in the community. …
No part of the Bible has been as neglected in the mainline church as the apocalyptic literature. ... more No part of the Bible has been as neglected in the mainline church as the apocalyptic literature. Biblical interpreters from the second century until the twentieth have paid too little attention to it. Systematic theologians traditionally relegated eschatology to the end of their treatment, and ignored apocalyptic. The clergy of the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and mainline Protestant churches have slighted apocalyptic as well, often deliberately. Many people in both the pulpit and the pew today are wary of apocalyptic, even frightened by it.
This special issue of Religions focuses on seven of the most important formal methods used to int... more This special issue of Religions focuses on seven of the most important formal methods used to interpret the New Testament today. Several of the articles also touch on Old Testament/Hebrew Bible interpretation. In line with the multiplicity of methods for interpretation of texts in the humanities in general, biblical study has never before seen so many different methods. This situation poses both opportunities and challenges for scholars and students alike. This issue contains contributions by a mix of established scholars and younger scholars who have recently demonstrated their expertise in a certain method. Some articles will be easily accessible only to biblical scholars, but most will be accessible and instructive for beginning-and intermediate-level students of the Bible. I hope that the free-access essays offered here will become required reading in many universities and seminaries. The readership statistics displayed with each article, with information about how they have been read since their online publication here, show that they already have a wide appeal. I want to thank these authors for their contribution to this issue and for working so well with me and indirectly with the anonymous peer reviewers. Here, adapted from their abstracts, are brief introductions to their articles. Michele A. Connolly's article, "Antipodean and Biblical Encounter: Postcolonial Vernacular Hermeneutics in Novel Form," gives a post-secular exploration of what the Bible offers to modern-day Australia. She maintains that Australian culture, despite its secularity, has a capacity for spiritual awareness in ways that resonate with the Bible. Connolly employs R. S. Sugirtharajah's concept of "vernacular hermeneutics" to show that a contemporary Australian novel, The Shepherd's Hut by Tim Winton, expresses an Australian spirituality saturated with the images and values of the New Testament, but in a non-religious literary form that needs interpretation for a secular audience. Connolly's creative and fascinating article speaks not only to the Australian context but can serve as a model for the intersection of postcolonial biblical criticism and contemporary literature from many parts of the post-Christian world. "A Deep-Language Mathematical Analysis of Gospels, Acts and Revelation," by Emilio Matricciani and Liberato De Caro, offers a different kind of statistical analysis of the New Testament than scholars may be familiar with. It uses mathematical methods developed for studying what the authors call deep-language parameters of literary texts, for example, the number of words per sentence, the number of characters per word, the number of words between interpunctions (punctuation within sentences), and the number of interpunctions per sentence. Matricciani and De Caro consider, in concert with generally-accepted conclusions of New Testament scholarship, the full texts of the canonical Gospels, Acts and Revelation, then the Gospel passages attributable to the triple tradition (Matthew, Mark and Luke), to the double tradition (Matthew and Luke), to the single tradition in Matthew and Luke, and to the Q source. The results confirm and reinforce some common conclusions about the Gospels, Acts, Revelation, and Q source, but the authors show that they cast some new light on the capacity of the short-term memory of the readers/listeners of these texts. The authors posit that these New Testament writings fit very well in the larger Greek literature of the time. For readers unaccustomed to using
The General Synod of the Reformed Church in America (RCA) approved its first official statement o... more The General Synod of the Reformed Church in America (RCA) approved its first official statement on same-sex relationships in 1978. This study, along with other follow-up reports adopted by subsequent synods, is the RCA’s official position on the subject, although nothing explicit has been written into its constitutional documents. In recent years, the level of dissent and debate over this issue has risen dramatically in the RCA, reaching almost the same level of intensity as in other mainline denominations. In 2005, the fissures in the RCA were exposed by the trial and conviction of the Rev. Dr. Norman Kansfield, then president of New Brunswick Theological Seminary, for officiating in Massachusetts at the marriage ceremony of his daughter Ann to Jennifer Aull. This trial was painful in the church, and its aftermath has likely made the task of keeping to an orderly approach to this problem more difficult; one is reminded of the legal maxim, “Hard cases make bad law.”
John had been struggling with Alzheimer's disease for several years: first the forgetfulness,... more John had been struggling with Alzheimer's disease for several years: first the forgetfulness, then the confusion, and now complete dementia accompanied by seizures of increasing intensity. As we sat together in his room in the Benedictine Hospital in Kingston, New York, while the end of his life approached, he was oblivious to his surroundings and even to himself. His body, once strong from years of farming, was wasting away, but he still raged violently against his constraints. It took all my concentration to read aloud one of his favorite psalms and pray for him as his frenzy filled the air and almost drowned out my words. When I left his room to meet his family coming in to visit him, I realized anew that the difficulty I felt as his pastor paled in comparison with what they were going through. Alzheimer's disease plagues America as the fourth leading cause of death among adults. Families of patients tell moving stories of gradually losing their loved ones to it, and the ...
Among the many challenges to parish ministry today, one of the most important is an uncertainty a... more Among the many challenges to parish ministry today, one of the most important is an uncertainty about ministerial roles. Is the minister a servant or a leader, a prophet or a pastor, a preacher or a counselor, a spiritual director or a financial advisor, an evangelist or an enabler, a scholar or an executive? Or is the minister all these things at once, and more besides? Almost every pastor in North America has probably experienced some difficulty, either continual or occasional, in fulfilling the diverse and often impossible expectations that come from these many roles. "Being all things to all people," to paraphrase the Apostle Paul, is for most ministers a formula for frustration. Moreover, many pastors perceive that lay people are often dissatisfied over ministerial role definition and performance. Church leaders and theological scholars have noticed the problem of pastoral role conflict, and it is gathering a growing body of literature. This article will discuss the n...
Handbook for the Study of the Historical Jesus (4 vols), 2011
This essay examines the historical value of references to Jesus in seven classical authors of the... more This essay examines the historical value of references to Jesus in seven classical authors of the early Common Era: Thallos, Pliny the Younger, Suetonius, Tacitus, Mara bar Serapion, Lucian of Samosata, and Celsus. It examines Jesus traditions in Jewish writings, particularly Josephus and the rabbinical literature. Finally, it gives conclusions on classical and Jewish traditions on Jesus. The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus makes a short statement about Jesus: He [Ananus the high priest] assembled the Sanhedrin of the judges, and brought before it the brother of Jesus called [toc Xeyo^evou] Christ, whose name was James, and some others. The treatment that is seen in the chapter runs from a few words (Suetonius) to a little over one sentence (Tacitus, Mara), but rarely more (Celsus). Keywords:Celsus; Jesus tradition; Jewish writings; Lucian of Samosata; Mara bar Serapion; Pliny the Younger; Sanhedrin; Suetonius; Tacitus; Thallos
The centrality of the death of Jesus for the Christian faith can hardly be overstated, and intere... more The centrality of the death of Jesus for the Christian faith can hardly be overstated, and interest in the subject is "red hot." As each generation of Christians comes to terms with its historical claims, and its theological import, it is only natural that its implications merit reexamination. Taking a studied look at the death of Jesus" from the Old Testament's perspective to that of the Gospels and Hebrews to that of extra-canonical accounts" Carroll and Green put us in their debt for their comprehensive survey of the effects and implications of a central tenet of Christianity."John Carroll and Joel Green have harvested bountiful scholarship on a central issue in Christian thought, offering us a volume as impressive in its range as in its depth, as satisfying in its parts as in its cohesiveness. Thoroughly conversant with current research, their study remains, to its great credit, concentrated on the primary texts. The end product is historically grounded, literarily perceptive, and theologically astute. Well-balanced and admirably clear, "The Death of Jesus in Early Christianity" belongs off the shelf and on the desk of scholar and pastor alike."" C. Clifton Black, Associate Professor of New Testament, Perkins School of Theology"Carroll and Green have written the perfect book for those interested in exploring the meaning and significance of Jesus' death. Well-organized, carefully documented, it can serve as a text for theological students as well as a source book for exegetes and systematicians."Frank J. Matera, Professor of New Testament, The Catholic University of America"This is the most comprehensive treatment of the NT material on this subject now available. Itis not simply an analysis of key passages, but sets them in the context of the different writings, showing full awareness of narrative nuance as well as of theological crux. It tackles historical questions and the sensitive issue of anti-Judaism in the passion narratives with equal flair. It is concerned with the meaning of atonement then but also its significance now. And all this in highly competent and often incisive dialogue with the most recent literature on the subject. If you can afford only one volume on your shelves on this subject, this is it." James D.G. Dunn, Lightfoot Professor of Divinity, University of Durham
The Pseudo-Clementines constitute an ancient Christian novel, consisting of a series of writings ... more The Pseudo-Clementines constitute an ancient Christian novel, consisting of a series of writings that recount incidents in the life of Clement of Rome who lived in the late first century C.E. They relate Clement's conversion to Christianity, his introduction to Peter, his instruction by him and travels with him as a fellow worker on his missions. It ends with the reunion of Clement's long-lost family members. The novel is preserved in two main versions, the Recognitions and the Homilies. According to the author, both are fourth-century renditions of a third-century Greek original now lost. This study examines a section of the Recognitions 1.27-71 in the extant Latin and Syriac versions that is considered to contain very primitive Syrian JewishChristian material. It concludes that the section was authored by a Jewish Christian, perhaps a bishop or presbyter, about 200 C.E. He viewed Christianity as true Judaism and was concerned with its inheritance of the land of Israel. The work provides a comprehensive study of Recognitions 1.27—71, and the first complete modern translation of the Syriac version. It is intended for scholars of early Jewish Christianity, not the general public.
(ProQuest: ... denotes non-US-ASCII text omitted.) Why is there no thanksgiving period in Galatia... more (ProQuest: ... denotes non-US-ASCII text omitted.) Why is there no thanksgiving period in Galatians? Interpreters have long dealt with this question, affirming that the absence of a thanksgiving in Galatians is exegetically significant.1 To give a fresh examination of this question, I will first survey the exegetical literature to document the various explanations offered for why Paul did not include a thanksgiving, a survey that will show that reading these explanations from 1:6-10 is so prevalent as to be an exegetical commonplace. Second, I will demonstrate that, contrary to most exegetical opinion surveyed, the Galatians would probably not have expected a thanksgiving period or noted its absence, because they did not know Paul's usual practice of including one in his letters and because it was not a common epistolary convention of the time. Finally, I will show that Paul's omission of a thanksgiving in Galatians is to be explained not primarily from his astonished rebuke in 1:6-10 but by the astonishing form and content of his prescript in 1:1-5. I. AN EXEGETICAL COMMONPLACE A review of research on Galatians 1 shows that locating the reason for Paul's omission of an epistolary thanksgiving period2 in 1:6-10 has become an exegetical commonplace. Here is Gal 1:1-10 in the NRSV: 1 Paul an apostle-sent neither by human commission nor from human authorities, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead- 2and all the members of God's family who are with me, to the churches of Galatia: 3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4who gave himself for our sins to set us free from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. 6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel- 7not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed! 9As we have said before, so now I repeat, if anyone proclaims to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let that one be accursed! 10 Am I now seeking human approval, or God's approval? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ.3 Early in the twentieth century,4 Theodor Zahn wrote about Paul, "[D]ie Regel bei ihm ist, des Danks in bezug auf die Zustande der Briefempfanger, den Brief selbst zu beginnen. Auch hiedurch [1:6] zeigt er, das er an den gal. Gemeinden zur Zeit keine Freude hat, die ihn zum Dank stimmen konnte."5 Ernest DeWitt Burton asserted that Paul's rebuke of the Galatians' behavior in 1:6-10 replaces a thanksgiving. 6 George Duncan commented on 1:6, "In Paul's letters (as indeed in ordinary correspondence) the opening salutation is often followed by a word of thanksgiving." With the Galatians, "grace is being spurned. Hence, instead of a word of praise, the Epistle opens with an abrupt and passionate outburst."7 Referring to v. 6, Heinrich Schlier wrote, "Dieser weist ebenfalls eine im Vergleich zu anderen paulinischen Briefen, die sich der antiken Sitte, der Adressaten an dieser Stelle dankend oder furbittend zu gedenken, in christlich modifizierten Sinn anschliessen, grosse Schroffheit auf."8 Herman N. Ridderbos argued that in Galatians Paul had no occasion to express gratitude; at 1:6, "[t]he painful and dangerous alienation between the apostle and the churches must be discussed forthwith and headon."9 Donald Guthrie wrote, "[I]n place of the usual thanksgiving the apostle gives vent to an unrestrained expression of amazement, which draws attention to a matter over which he clearly felt deeply."10Werner Georg Kummel commented, "After the prescript, there follows no giving of thanks for those addressed, contrary to epistolary custom, but Paul begins immediately his references to the situation in the community. …
No part of the Bible has been as neglected in the mainline church as the apocalyptic literature. ... more No part of the Bible has been as neglected in the mainline church as the apocalyptic literature. Biblical interpreters from the second century until the twentieth have paid too little attention to it. Systematic theologians traditionally relegated eschatology to the end of their treatment, and ignored apocalyptic. The clergy of the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and mainline Protestant churches have slighted apocalyptic as well, often deliberately. Many people in both the pulpit and the pew today are wary of apocalyptic, even frightened by it.
This special issue of Religions focuses on seven of the most important formal methods used to int... more This special issue of Religions focuses on seven of the most important formal methods used to interpret the New Testament today. Several of the articles also touch on Old Testament/Hebrew Bible interpretation. In line with the multiplicity of methods for interpretation of texts in the humanities in general, biblical study has never before seen so many different methods. This situation poses both opportunities and challenges for scholars and students alike. This issue contains contributions by a mix of established scholars and younger scholars who have recently demonstrated their expertise in a certain method. Some articles will be easily accessible only to biblical scholars, but most will be accessible and instructive for beginning-and intermediate-level students of the Bible. I hope that the free-access essays offered here will become required reading in many universities and seminaries. The readership statistics displayed with each article, with information about how they have been read since their online publication here, show that they already have a wide appeal. I want to thank these authors for their contribution to this issue and for working so well with me and indirectly with the anonymous peer reviewers. Here, adapted from their abstracts, are brief introductions to their articles. Michele A. Connolly's article, "Antipodean and Biblical Encounter: Postcolonial Vernacular Hermeneutics in Novel Form," gives a post-secular exploration of what the Bible offers to modern-day Australia. She maintains that Australian culture, despite its secularity, has a capacity for spiritual awareness in ways that resonate with the Bible. Connolly employs R. S. Sugirtharajah's concept of "vernacular hermeneutics" to show that a contemporary Australian novel, The Shepherd's Hut by Tim Winton, expresses an Australian spirituality saturated with the images and values of the New Testament, but in a non-religious literary form that needs interpretation for a secular audience. Connolly's creative and fascinating article speaks not only to the Australian context but can serve as a model for the intersection of postcolonial biblical criticism and contemporary literature from many parts of the post-Christian world. "A Deep-Language Mathematical Analysis of Gospels, Acts and Revelation," by Emilio Matricciani and Liberato De Caro, offers a different kind of statistical analysis of the New Testament than scholars may be familiar with. It uses mathematical methods developed for studying what the authors call deep-language parameters of literary texts, for example, the number of words per sentence, the number of characters per word, the number of words between interpunctions (punctuation within sentences), and the number of interpunctions per sentence. Matricciani and De Caro consider, in concert with generally-accepted conclusions of New Testament scholarship, the full texts of the canonical Gospels, Acts and Revelation, then the Gospel passages attributable to the triple tradition (Matthew, Mark and Luke), to the double tradition (Matthew and Luke), to the single tradition in Matthew and Luke, and to the Q source. The results confirm and reinforce some common conclusions about the Gospels, Acts, Revelation, and Q source, but the authors show that they cast some new light on the capacity of the short-term memory of the readers/listeners of these texts. The authors posit that these New Testament writings fit very well in the larger Greek literature of the time. For readers unaccustomed to using
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