Blogs

Since I teach beginning Greek frequently, using BibleWorks 8 to help students learn is important to me. One simple feature that pays a wealth of dividends is the vocabulary module. Memorizing vocabulary is hard, and perhaps a little tedious, but it is absolutely essential if one is going to read the New Testament with any proficiency.

I am a big fan of bible software, and as a PC user I have long enjoyed BibleWorks. (I even moonlight for them as a regional trainer here on campus, teaching training seminars for our students about twice a year.) At the end of 2008 they released version 8. I recently installed it, and really like what I see so far. There has not been any type of facelift to the interface, but there are a lot of modifications both under the hood and on the surface which make it a worthwhile investment

I participated in a faculty forum in chapel this morning at DTS. Four professors discussed current issues in the academy and the church. John Grassmick, the Academic Dean at DTS, moderated the discussion. We each had about five minutes to discuss an issue we thought relevant for both arenas. Here's the run down:

Dr. John Hilber, Associate Professor of Old Testament Studies, discussed how monotheism is in crisis in OT studies. Just as now many people argue for early Christianities (plural), many in OT studies are arguing for multiform monotheisms in Israel.

The first paper I heard at ETS was during the very first session on Wednesday, the very first day. (Might as well hit the ground running!) Dr. Fred Chay, professor at Phoenix Seminary, presented a paper entitled "The Role of First Century Shame and Honor Codes from the Secular through the Sacred Concerning the Pauline Theology of Judgment at the Bema Seat." He argued that Paul used the Bema seat in 2 Cor 5:9-10 within the context of honor and shame to promote proper Christian behavior.

I am presently traveling for the annual meetings of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Society of Biblical Literature in Providence, RI, and Boston, MA, respectively. This is a nice respite from my regular teaching schedule. It is a good chance to see what others in the guild are doing, to get out of my comfort zone by hearing new things, and to see new books on a variety of topics. It is also a great chance to catch up with people I know that I don't see often.

After a year of securing a contract, nine months of producing the manuscript, and 15 months of editing and waiting, the New Reader's Lexicon is finally here. It's been a fun couple of weeks to see it arrive in stages. Last Tuesday I arrived in my office in the morning to find my free author's copies had arrived. This week at ETS the book is being displayed by the publisher to many Greek professors and other New Testament scholars. My daughter even took it to show to her second grade class! If I can get second graders to read Greek, graduate students should be a piece of cake!

I read an interesting op-ed piece in USA Today focusing on the cultural differences between evangelical scientists in the United States versus those in Great Britian. It was an interesting read, in that I consider an evangelical scientist to be the mirror-image of me, a scientific evangelical. It's certainly worthwhile to think about how we evangelicals approach science, and this article provides some good food for thought.

A new semester has begun at DTS, and week one is finished. I have always loved the start of classes. The fresh attitude, the new faces, the syllabi - it never ceases to lighten my heart. I realize that theology may be too lofty for something as mundane as the first week of classes, but my heart is lifted because we always start with a clean slate, and this reminds me of the Lord's forgiveness and graciousness to his erring children.

I just hit the send button on my dissertation. It is going to the editor who originally reviewed it. If the revisions meet with his approval, it will have final acceptance for publication. If not . . . well, let's just hope for a positive outcome!