Category Archives: academia

Mapping Your Academic Career

Posted on by under academia, book reviews, books

mapping your academic careerRecently, I received a review copy of a new title that came out this year, Gary Burge’s Mapping Your Academic Career: Charting the Course of a Professor’s Life. Burge is Professor of New Testament at Wheaton College.

Thanks to IVP for sending the copy!

Now I am keenly aware this won’t be a book to sell many copies in the popular market. But anyone involved in academia, and particularly Christian academic settings, this book can provide some helpful insights for one’s career as a professor. Continue reading →

Games (Some) Theologians Play

Posted on by under academia, blogging, theologians

2boxesRecently, I came across a very interesting article by Roger Olson, Professor of Theology at George W. Truett Theological Seminary of Baylor University. It was entitled, Games (Some) Theologians Play. Olson is basically challenging some of the unfortunate ploys (or games) that he finds amongst some theologians.

I want to, first, quote the 3 games he notes. Then I want to add some of my own thoughts along a similar vein.

Continue reading →

Ten Guidelines for Evangelical Scholarship

Posted on by under academia, critical scholarship

booksYesterday, an article was posted at the Baker Academic blog entitled Ten Guidelines for Evangelical Scholarship. It was written by Donald Hagner, George Eldon Ladd Professor Emeritus of New Testament and Senior Professor of New Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary.

The thrust of the article is this: helping evangelicals engage with critical scholarship. It’s a challenge, at times, to read critical scholarship. No doubt about it! Especially for the one who desires to maintain a robust faith historically connected to the Christian faith of 2000 years, but who also enjoys engaging with such academic scholarship, examining some of the historical, literary and textual challenges with regards to Scripture.

It’s no easy task and I am no expert in this field.

Still, I found these guidelines produced by Hagner as a very helpful summary. I add in a little commentary on each point. Continue reading →

God Accommodating in Scripture

Posted on by under academia, Bible, higher criticism, Scripture, Uncategorized

I continue to plod my way through Kenton Sparks’, God’s Word in Human Words: An Evangelical Appropriation of Critical Biblical Scholarship. Though, by no means do I agree with every statement and nuance put forth by Sparks, I am very much appreciating his overall approach in thoughtfully helping Christians consider the way God has communicated his inspired, God-breathed revelation and truth in Scripture through its actual human authors.

If it weren’t for it’s 400-page length, I would probably recommend the book to many people. But I could start by introducing Pete Enn’s book, Inspiration and Incarnation. 

One important word of discussion in understanding how God ‘breathed out’ Scripture as he utilised the human writers is the word accommodation. This word is all about how God decide to adapt himself, come down to the writer’s level in communicating his revelatory truth.

You see, Scripture is a team project. Both from God and from humanity. One really cannot deny such. And I don’t see Christians ever denying such. Continue reading →

The Pentateuch as Anthology?

Posted on by under academia, Bible, higher criticism, Old Testament, Pentateuch, Scripture

I am currently reading a book which I am greatly appreciating. It’s entitled God’s Word in Human Words: An Evangelical Appropriation of Critical Biblical Scholarship. The book is a 400-pager given to us by author Kenton Sparks, professor of Biblical Studies at Eastern University.

Maybe the title is not the most drawing of titles for a book. But I have appreciated interacting with the thoughts a well-studied PhD professor who desires both to maintain a belief in the God-breathed and authoritative nature of Scripture while also faithfully engaging in the world of historical-biblical criticism. And I would say this is also my own aspiration, at least to some degree. Would I agree with every approach of Sparks? No. Still, I find it a very solid evangelical work, similarly in the vein of Peter Enns’ Inspiration and Incarnation. Such a combined goal of maintaining a faith-filled focus and scholarly effort is not easy. But, from what I have read thus far, being about half-way through, Sparks has done well. Continue reading →