The T & T Clark Blog

Out now: New Testament Theology in a Secular World

New Testament Theology in a Secular World: A Constructivist Work in Philosophical Epistemology and Christian Apologetics by Peter Lampe is out now!

New Testament Theology in a Secular World is an important and original new work in Christian apologetics. It is the first book to apply constructivist theory to Biblical Studies.

Biblical Studies scholar Peter Lampe tackles head on such questions as: What do we understand by “reality”? How does this relate to what Theology calls the “reality of God” or the “reality of resurrection”? How can we account for the concept of "revelation"? Lampe argues that in talking about “reality” theologians must make an effort to engage with the concept of “reality” as it is discussed in the fields of philosophical epistemology and sociology of knowledge. However, as Lampe shows, Theology has so far hardly or only reluctantly participated in this dialogue.

In Theologische Literaturzeitung, Dr Christian Strecker calls this work ‘Convincing, profound, innovative and, in its interdisciplinary character, courageous. The study casts new light on the New Testament as a foundation document of the Christian concept of reality.’

New to the LNTS Series!

The LNTS list is bringing you many exciting new titles over the coming weeks. Two books are coming out in February, starting with the enlightening ‘What Does the Scripture Say?’ Studies in the Function of Scripture in Early Judaism and Christianity. This two-volume work focuses on the function of Scripture in the New Testament Gospels and the letters of the apostle Paul. These essays explore new methods and overlooked traditions that shed light on how the founders of the Christian movement understood the older sacred tradition and sought new and creative ways to let it speak to their own times.

February will also see the publication of Christology, Hermeneutics, and Hebrew, a radical consideration of the theological impact of the Letter to the Hebrews. The history of the interpretation of Hebrews over the last two millennia is discussed and assessed. Beginning with the Patristic period, the book goes on to examine the responses of Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, John Calvin, as well as more recent figures such as Karl Barth. This radical academic project moves the study of Hebrews away from perennial arguments about its authorship and provenance and engages instead with it from a theological perspective; the issue of the Christological message in the Letter to the Hebrews is at the forefront and is considered both in terms of the interpreter's context and historical setting.

The beginning of March brings us another wonderful book. Jeffrey E. Brickle’s Aural Design and Coherence in the Prologue of First John is also set to appear on 01.03.12! It is the first sustained investigation of the oral patterning of 1 John 1:1–4, examining underlying design and organisation. Unlike literature in the modern western world, ancient documents were typically crafted for the ear rather than the eye. Brickle examines, describes, and depicts graphically the patterns of sound that emerge as the text is read aloud. He uses the approaches to Greek pronunciation and orality advocated in recent New Testament research to determine the impact on the Prologue’s soundscape, followed by an analysis employing the principles for beautiful and effective composition elucidated by the ancient teacher of rhetoric, Dionysius of Halicarnassus, in his treatise, On Literary Composition.

Don’t miss these fantastic and diverse new titles!

'The Big Questions'

Newly minted professor (and T&T Clark author) Francesca Stavrakopoulou was on the BBC's 'The Big Questions', broadcast yesterday. Iplayer link here for those in the UK. The programme debated the existence of God. I haven't watched all of it, because my internet is a bit slow for such things at work (and, errr, because I'm at work). But the bit I did watch disappointed me a little because the theist arguments I heard seemed very simple, and to come from a wholly uneducated perspective. This was particularly the case when they were talking about an uncaused cause, or an unmoved mover, which even Nicky Campbell seemed to know something about - God (if he exists - I don't know cos I didn't watch the whole show) bless wikipedia. People clearly hadn't really grasped their Aquinas, and had I been there I'd have recommended that they consult several T&T Clark publications for help... notably our Aquinas Reader's Guide.

It was whilst some chap with the poetically significant name Adam, described as a 'Muslim Thinker', was getting himself tangled up that Francesca chipped in with the point that looking at creation as a single event doesn't entirely fit with the biblical account... which suggests an ongoing process of creation. One might even say 'Creation, Un-creation, Re-creation' (as Joe Blenkinsopp eloquently outlines in his book by this title). Of course, the biblical account does suggest an ongoing process of creation, a process of constant creation... (in addition of course to a 'beginning point') in which humanity has a part to play. This notion is present throughout the biblical text, and certainly in Christian theology. Sadly no-one on the theist front bench in 'The Big Questions' (at least not in the bit I watched) seemed to know this and some of them might need to read this, whereas certainly all of them could have done with a copy of this. They were all far more concerned with saying that the big bang doesn't disprove God. Of course, the Big Bang doesn't... so I'm not sure why they were all so preoccupied with it, but it seemed set to remain the battle ground de choix.

I gave up, as did my internet connection... when the old altruism debate (sometimes people are lovely for no apparent reason = God) was wheeled out in the most basic of terms. Of course there is rich fruit here and it is within this line of enquiry that I find my own belief, but sadly it wasn't put across well by the theist front bench.

Anyway, it was all good fun... and nice to have these debates on the telly I suppose. The best thing of all, however, is the way the programme is desribed on iplayer:

'Nicky Campbell debates evidence for the existence of God in Warrington'

I've never been to Warrington, so I wouldn't know.

New Professorships!

We at T&T Clark would like to use this platform to congratulate two of our wonderful authors on the fantastic news of their professorships!

Francesca Stavrakopoulou joined the University of Exeter's Department of Theology and Religion in 2005. She is a co-editor of Religious Diversity in Ancient Israel and Judah and Ecological Hermeneutics and author of Land of our Fathers all published by T&T Clark in 2010. She has been called the BBC’s ‘face of religion’ after she presented Bible’s Buried Secrets, last March. The three-part BBC2 documentary series was the BBC’s most successful religion series of the past decade and allowed Francesca to bring her influential research in this field to a new audience.

James G. Crossley has been appointed to a Chair in the Biblical Studies Department at the University of Sheffield and is to be congratulated on this new position as the Professor of Bible, Culture and Politics. He is the author of The Date of Mark’s Gospel (published in 2004 by T&T Clark) and The New Testament and Jewish Law: A Guide for the Perplexed (published by T&T Clark in 2010).

We wish both writers all the best with their research in 2012!

Jesus, Criteria and the Demise of Authenticity

 

It's great to see a post about our forthcoming volume, 'Jesus, Criteria and the Demise of Authenticity' over on Mark Goodacre's blog. We're really excited about this volume as it looks to be an utterly timely collection, which should generate a lot of debate and really take Historical Jesus studies forward.

The contributors are top notch (Goodacre, McKnight, Stuckenbruck, Schroter, Hooker etc), and though it's a scholarly volume I can see it being required reading on some courses, and certainly supplementary reading on many others.

As a New Year gift, and to whet your appetite, here is the foreword by Morna D. Hooker ( Download Foreword_Hooker), who kicked off the authenticity debate some years ago.

The book will be out later this year.