CCUM Organ Recital

Anyone in Louisville this weekend should mark Dan Stokes' upcoming recital on their calendars. I haven't heard the new organ yet (it was still being tuned when I was in town for the winter holidays), but as you can see it looks stunning:

Secret Mark: A Bibliography

In conjunction with Prof. Judy Kovacs' seminar on the life and thought of Clement of Alexandria, Jack Collins (another fine doctoral student) and I delivered a report on the continuing debate surrounding the Letter to Theodore, which contains the gospel fragments popularly known as "Secret Mark" and which, if Morton Smith is to be believed, was discovered by him at Mar Saba in 1958. As I prepared a selective bibliography on this fascinating topic, I was struck by two principal points:

1) There is remarkably little consensus surrounding the authenticity of the letter, with proponents of both sides (authenticity and forgery) claiming victory in recent years. For example, a number of scholars at Yale (e.g., Harry Attridge and Adela Collins) considered the matter to be virtually, if not completely, closed with the publication of Peter Jeffery's The Secret Gospel of Mark Unveiled in 2007, but two articles appearing in the most recent issue of the Journal of Early Christian Studies make arguments for authenticity.

2) Very few articles have attempted to address the question of the legitimacy of the letter by comparing it to other Clementine writings, particularly his comments on secrecy and concealment of knowledge in the Stromateis. (Prof. Kovacs herself reinforced this point in the course of our discussion.)

For those of you wishing to explore one of the wildest and most bitter debates in the recent history of biblical and patristic studies, check out the bibliography here. It's certainly not comprehensive, but includes a number of thorough introductory treatments as well as many of the key articles and monographs written in recent years. Enjoy!

New Testament Notes: Week 6 (Wednesday)

Notes on the character of the teachings of Jesus:

RELC 122 Notes: 2/18

RBL Highlights: 2/18/09

Highlights from the most recent Review of Biblical Literature (or, check out the blogroll):

Bill T. Arnold and Bryan E. Beyer
Encountering the Old Testament: A Christian Survey
Reviewed by Elmer A. Martens

Gabriele Boccaccini, ed.
Enoch and the Messiah Son of Man: Revisiting the Book of Parables
Reviewed by Thomas J. Kraus

Mark J. Boda, Daniel K. Falk, and Rodney A. Werline, eds.
Seeking the Favor of God, Volume 2: The Development of Penitential Prayer in Second Temple Judaism
Reviewed by Carla Sulzbach

Victor A. Copan
Saint Paul as Spiritual Director: An Analysis of the Concept of the Imitation of Paul with Implications and Applications to the Practice of Spiritual Direction
Reviewed by V. Henry T. Nguyen

Sidnie White Crawford
Rewriting Scripture in Second Temple Times
Reviewed by Stephen A. Reed

Michael Attyah Flower
The Seer in Ancient Greece
Reviewed by John Mason

David G. Horrell
1 Peter
Reviewed by Peter H. Davids

Graham H. Twelftree
In the Name of Jesus: Exorcism among Early Christians
Reviewed by David Frankfurter

Congratulations Dr. Breslin!

Charles Breslin, a beloved friend and mentor to myself and scores of other students and aspiring academics in Louisville and beyond, was recently inducted into the University of Louisville's College of Arts and Sciences Hall of Honor. A brief press release is available here.

To say that this recognition was entirely deserved would be a spectacular understatement. Congratulations!

Arthur Stocker Lecture: Craig on Cicero

A recent announcement from the Classics Department:

New Testament Notes: Week 5 (Monday)

Today's installment (albeit a little belated): an introduction to the Gospel of John.

RELC122 Notes: 2/9