Overheard in Rome

Today I got back from Rome, and early tomorrow morning I head off to Cambridge for the week.  When I get back I plan to do a few posts arising from papers given at SBL, but in the meantime, here is a conversation overheard outside the Pantheon in Rome, involving the young woman in the picture…  I don’t know her name, so refer to her as Athena, the Greek goddess of intelligence:

Companion: [Such and such] occurred in 120BC

Athena: BC????!!!!  [pause]… So how long did BC go for?

Companion: Err… well, you know – forever – up until Jesus was born.

Athena: Oh.   When was Jesus born?

Companion: Well 2009 years ago, because it’s now the year 2009.

Athena [incredulous]: Oh come on!  That’s AD!!

sigh…

Update from Rome SBL

Well I’m currently in Rome for the International SBL meeting.  I’m in an internet cafe so no time for a proper post… But here are some things that have happened during my time in Rome (I have been here since Sunday):

• I have been impressed with Italian coffee
• I have presented a paper on 1 Corinthians
• I have heard some very interesting papers on the Greek language
• I have been unwillingly groped by a sleazy Italian man who said I had a cute butt
• I have toured the Vatican
• I have eaten raw meat
• I have met some great people
• I have taken lots of photos of the Roman Forum – the large ancient site

As soon as I get back from Rome I’ll be off to Cambridge for the Tyndale conference, but after that I’ll aim to post a few highlights, complete with photos…

Excavations of Roman Britain

I’ve just returned from a trip to the north of England, where I saw some of the evidence of Britain’s Roman past…

Here is Hadrian’s wall – built by Hadrian to indicate the border of the Roman empire:

Here is a bath at Vindolanda, where archaeological excavations are still in full swing:

This is a grain-storage building at Housesteads, a major Roman fort along Hadrian’s wall:

And finally, here are the (ancient) public toilets at Housesteads – these are not as good as the ancient toilets at Beth She’an, but they still recall a marvellous time in history when relieving oneself was a communal affair… the soldiers would sit around the edges and engage in intelligent conversation while holding a sponge on a stick, ready to give themselves a well-aimed scrub at the appropriate time…

New Book on Hermeneutics by Anthony Thiselton

I am back from holidays in the Lake District of England, during which time I visited the Roman sites at Housesteads and Vindolanda – I may post some pics soon… good stuff!  Anyway, while I’ve been away I’ve been doing some proof-reading for a new textbook on hermeneutics by Anthony Thiselton, due to be published by Eerdmans.  It’s good stuff, and I recommend it to anyone teaching a biblical hermeneutics course.  Thiselton practises his theory of hermeneutics in the way he presents his material, inviting readers into the “hermeneutical circle” by whetting their tastebuds with a “premilinary understanding” of the most important theorists and practitioners of biblical hermeneutics – introducing us to their historical situations as well as their main works, before offering assessments.  If you do end up getting the book though, please don’t find any typographical errors on pages 166-265!!!

Top 5 books

Finally, after a long wait since the last time I got tagged with a meme, I have been tagged by Tonya with the “top 5 books that have influenced the way you read the Bible” meme…  Now that’s a good meme – here are my thoughts:

1. I suppose I have to say Anthony Thiselton’s commentary on the Greek text of 1 Corinthians as first place, given that since then I’ve read a heck of a lot more 1 Corinthians than anything else
2. In next place is not really one book, but a massive group of writings: The apocrypha/pseudepigrapha/early Jewish writings such as Maccabees, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, Jubilees, Pseudo-Phocylides, Sibylline Oracles, Philo, Josephus, etc etc: These writings have profoundly influenced the way I read the New Testament, as I attempt to be sensitive to some of its settings/influences/backgrounds.  If you are looking for a good introduction to this literature, I recommend the big book by George W.E. Nickelsburg
3. The Resurrection of the Dead, by Karl Barth.  If you’re interested in 1 Corinthians, this is a must-read, even though it will annoy you at points.
4. I still have two to go?  Sheesh… ummm… oh well one popular-level book that has made my think a little more carefully about the letters of the NT is the book about Paul and First-Century Letter Writing by E. Randolph Richards (and a couple of other related titles by other authors).  Worth a read, I reckon.
5. Liddell & Scott – mind you I’m never sure of the number of d’s and l’s and t’s in that name – but I love it – it’s soooo impressive when you slam it down on a desk – that sucker’s gotta weigh a good couple of kilos.  Oh and it’s incredibly helpful too!

I shall have to withdraw from tagging others with this meme, as I’m about to go away for a week of family holidays, so I shan’t be around for a bit…  Hadrian’s Wall, here I come!!

Will I end up in court? The carpark saga…

Late April/Early May:

• Locked out of car in certain car park; walk all the way home with children

Next day:

• RAC comes & opens car for us
• Fine from car park company for being parked there too long
• Situation explained to car park company (via phone, email & in person), & we are assured the fine is waived & dealt with

Mid-May:

• Letter from car park company demanding immediate payment of fine
• Situation explained to car park company (via phone, email & in person), & we are assured the fine is waived & dealt with

Late May:

• Letter from car park company threatening legal action if we don’t pay fine
• Situation explained to car park company (via phone, email & in person), & we are assured the fine is waived & dealt with

Mid-June (today)

• Letter from car park company advising of the beginning of court action due to our non-payment of fine
• Situation explained to car park company (via phone, email & in person), & we are assured the fine is waived & dealt with

sigh…

The Flow of 1 Corinthians

This is the fullest overview of 1 Corinthians I’ve posted – You’ll notice I’ve tried to draw attention to the important links between the beginning and the ending, as well as demonstrate the rhythm of the middle (ethical) section…

Chapters 1-4: The Cross Confronts Divisive Autonomous Boasting in Corinth

• Foundational apostolic proclamation of the gospel: The message of the cross received in Corinth with faith, but in danger of vanity: 1:21-24; 2:1-5; 3:10-11; 4:1-2,15.  (Potential vanity illustrated in squabbling over baptism in relation to apostles: 1:13-17)
• Powers conspire and subject, yet are doomed: 1:18-29; 2:6-9; 3:18-20
• Apostolic cruciformity endured as ordeal: Dishonour, deprivation, labour, death: 2:2-3; 3:5; 4:9-13 (including ‘arena’ image: 4:9)
• Natural or Spiritual: The call for obedience: 2:10-3:4
• Victory longed for: 4:8

Chapters 5-7: The Cross Applied I: Your Body Belongs to the Lord

• A: 5:1-13: Sexual Immorality (the refusal to judge)
  • B: 6:1-11: Greedy exploitation (an apparent inability to judge)
• A1: 6:12-7:40: Sexual Immorality, the body, marriage

Chapters 8-14: The Cross Applied II: Discern the Body

• A: 8:1-13: Meat offered to idols (using rights to endanger weaker brothers & sisters)
  • B: 9:1-27 Paul’s example/defence (foregoing rights for others & self)
• A1: 10:1-11:1: Meat offered to idols (foregoing rights for self and others)
• A: 11:2-16: I praise you for keeping the traditions I passed on (public worship)
  • B: 11:17-22: I do not praise you (in both v17 and v22)
• A1: 11:23-34: I passed on to you what I also received (tradition of Lord’s Supper)
• A: 12:1-31: Gifts within the body (mutual interdependence)
  • B: 12:31-13:13: Love
• A1: 14:1-40: Gifts (for ordered edification of the whole)

Chapter 15: The Resurrection Confronts and Resolves Autonomous Boasting in Corinth

• Foundational apostolic proclamation of the gospel: The message of the death and resurrection received in Corinth with faith, but in danger of vanity: 15:1-11, 12-19.  (Potential vanity illustrated in baptism in relation to ‘dead’ apostles: 15:29-31)
• Powers subdued and punished: 15:20-28
• Apostolic cruciformity endured and vindicated: 15:8-11, 30-32, 58 (including ‘arena’ image: 15:32)
• Natural or Spiritual: The promise of exaltation: 15:42-49
• Victory claimed and its accomplisher acclaimed: 15:54-58

Bibliobloggers @ Rome SBL

Does anyone know if there’s any sort of bibliobloggers’ get together at the International SBL meeting that’s coming up in Rome?  I have a vague recollection that there was talk of this at some point.  I’d be up for it if there is something happening – so long as everyone pretends they attended my paper & found it rivetting…

Men and Weakness

I’ve been asked to speak at a men’s breakfast tomorrow morning (Beeston Free Church), applying my research on 1 Corinthians to the topic of “Men and Weakness”.  Here are my notes:

Roman Corinth

• British Hong Kong, Portuguese Macau, and Roman Corinth
• Factories in Guang Zhou and Empire in Corinth: the desire to fit in
• Roman values: Liberty, Power, Oratory, Wealth, Prestige

The flow of 1 Corinthians

• Chapters 1-4: The cross confronts Roman Corinth
• Chapters 5-7: The cross applied I: Your body belongs to the Lord
  • Sexual Immorality, impurity, greed
• Chapters 8-14: The cross applied II: Discern the body
  • Food and idols
  • Traditions in worship
  • Spiritual gifts and love
• Chapter 15: The need for future resurrection

The message of 1 Corinthians

• Those in Corinth who consider the foolish (4:10), the defrauded (6:7-8), the obligated (7:5), the weak (8:7), the enslaved (9:19), the restricted (10:23), the subject (11:3), the unimpressive (12:15), the restrained (14:28), and the dead (15:12) – that is, the cruciform – to have no portion with God have fundamentally misunderstood the God who raises the dead.

Beeston

• The desire to fit in: Wealth & Power
• The cross confronts Upward Beeston
• “We are weak but he is strong”

Paul, Mortality, and Evolution

A while ago, my Bible study group watched the documentary by Conor Cunningham (who is based at the Theology Dept here at Nottingham) entitled “Did Darwin Kill God?”  There was some vigorous discussion afterwards.  To be honest, this is not an issue that really super interests me – but it did get me thinking afterwards. 

I think Conor was right to point to Augustine as an early Christian interpreter who insists that the “days” of Genesis 1 are not to be taken “literally”… but I don’t think that this is the the most pressing issue that Christian creationists have with evolution: I think the bigger stumbling block is Paul, because of his insistence in Romans & 1 Corinthians that death came into the world due to sin: If death came into the world as God’s response to human sin, how could the creation of the creatures of the world (including humans) have depended upon death and mutation – as would necessarily be the case with evolution?  I think this is the bigger question that Christian readers of the Bible face.

But how true to Paul is this tension?  Here are a few thoughts:

• It is arguable that for Paul, humans were created mortal: It is God alone who is immortal (1 Timothy somewhere)
• God provided the “tree of life” in the Garden of Eden, so that humans would be able to eat of it and so live off his immortality indefinitely.  Sin resulted in removal from this source of life – thus the (eventual) onset of death.  Thus Paul can say “death came through sin” (Romans 5)
• For Paul, humans are still mortal… in fact, this ought to be obvious to us from the fact that we die.  But when Christ appears, those who belong to him will be raised and clothed with his immortality.