Category Archives: Friends

A Walk Down Memory Lane

Good times with good friends- even if some of them are no longer-

The Anniversary of Adrian Schenker’s Birth

Adrian Schenker was born on the 11th of June, 1939, which means that today is the anniversary of his birth.

SchenkerStudents of the text of the Old Testament will know his name as the chief editor of a new edition titled Biblia Hebraica Quinta.  Aside, of course, from that project he has also authored a number of his books, which, if you haven’t read, you should, as they are brilliant.

Happy birthday, Adrian.

Applications for SBL Roomer-Ship

tillingIn the unlikely event that Chris Tilling doesn’t make it to SBL at Baltimore, I’ll be accepting applications for roomie.  Here are the requirements- and they are non-negotiable:

1- You must speak with a British accent.  All these years of rooming with Tilling have made that an essential.

2- You may not be a female.  Sorry, I’m happily married, first of all.  And thirdly, I refuse to be a source of temptation for anyone.  Let’s face facts: old fat men are all the rage.

3- You may not be a grad student.  Grad students are absurdly poor.  Consequently, they tend either to mooch or to sit around looking so pathetic and pitiful that you end up feeling sorry for them and giving them food, thus robbing yourself of book purchases.

4- You must shower at least once a day- while I am not in the room.  I think this one is extremely important.  No one wants the accidental unwanted sight.  No one.

5- You must pay your half for the room up front.  Look, I’m not your parent and I didn’t take you to raise.  The room is already reserved in my name and my card is on file.  I’ve been stiffed for the cost of the room before (curse you Tilling!  Curse you!) and I’m not willing to be stiffed again.

6- You may not, under any circumstances, be a snorer.  No.  Nein.  And if you don’t know if you are, ask your wife.

7- You must not touch the tv.  For any reason.  Even when I’m not in the room.  And I must control the remote.  Always.

8- You must keep your side of the room spotlessly clean.  Messiness is unacceptable and smelliness will result in your expulsion and potentially even your smothering with a pillow.

So, there it is.  If you think you meet the requirements let me know.  I’ll assemble a waiting-list in, again, the unlikely event that Tilling doesn’t go.

A Notable Birth-Anniversary: Peter Opitz

opitz_calvinToday marks the anniversary of the birth of the eminent Zurich historian Peter Opitz.  He has written extensively in the field of Reformation history and his contributions to the field are impressive and important.  His very full bibliography is available here.

Aside from being a good scholar he’s also a collegial one- willing to interact and discuss issues with those similarly interested.  He’s also the very nice person who, years back, served as a reader for my translation of Fritz Schmidt-Clausing’s ‘The Humor of Huldrych Zwingli: The Lighter Side of the Protestant Reformation‘ (originally titled simply Zwinglis Humor) and who wrote a cover blurb:

“Zwingli, with the Bible in one hand and the sword in the other – this caricature from the 19th century is still popular. [This book] presents us with another side of the Swiss reformer: Zwingli the linguistically skilled humanist, the speaker, who is familiar with the language of the common people, the satirist, and a man who is able to laugh at himself . . . This kind of humor is always needed.”

In light of his many books, essays, and articles and because he is well deserving of a wider readership, and because I wanted to wish him a happy birthday publicly, I offer this short congratulatory note on his circumnavigation of the sun once again.

It’s The 20th Anniversary of Thomas L. Thompson’s Arrival in Copenhagen

On the 18th of May, 1993, Thomas Thompson arrived in Copenhagen to assume duties at the University in the Department of Theology, where he remained until his retirement just a while back.  Today is his Arrival Anniversary and so it’s only right that I congratulate him publicly for his long tenure there.

While there, he made, and continues to make, serious and significant contributions to the fields of Biblical Studies and the History of Israel.  He has written numerous books, edited numerous others, and still is doing research and writing.

I met Thomas for the first time at SBL Nashville decades ago and we’ve been friends since.  We don’t always agree on things but that has never interfered with either his cordiality and kindness to me nor mine to him.

When I was in Copenhagen some years back at the invitation of NP Lemche to lecture I also had the privilege of spending time with Tom and his lovely wife Ingrid.  They are, it must be said, two of the nicest people in the world.  The dinner we shared at their home was wondrous and I remember it fondly and clearly, as though it were just yesterday.

When Thomas went to Copenhagen, that University gained a treasure.  And America lost one.  The profound silliness and pettiness of the American academic scene in the early 90′s is a blotch on its history.  But America’s loss was, truly, Denmark’s gain.

I’m looking forward very much to seeing Thomas, and Ingrid, and the rest of the Copenhageners (and a couple of Sheffieldians) again in October at the ‘Changing Perspectives’ Conference.

And now, for your enjoyment, images of life in Denmark (from my last visit there)(and in October I’ll post more from the Conference- doubtless)-

Mark Goodacre, Congratulations!

markMark Goodacre has been promoted to Full Professor at Duke.  Congrats to him and congrats to Duke for having the good sense to do it!  Mark is a very, very fine scholar and a very congenial guy and he certainly deserves this position.   Great news, Mark- very happy for you indeed.

[Now he can admit to adhering to Q and he can't be sacked for it!]

Happy 68th Birthday, Philip Davies!

Philip isn’t just a brilliant scholar who has made more groundbreaking contributions to the field of biblical studies than most, he’s also a friend.  A few years back when I was in  Britain for SOTS I stayed in Sheffield for a couple of days and we spent a very fine afternoon walking and chatting and demythologizing.  Here are some photos:

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Happy birthday Philip!  I hope it’s a brilliant, restful, gift filled day!   See you in November in Baltimore.

Where in the World Is Chris Tilling Now?

He’s insanely taking legal action against some poor priests…

Having just let fly...

Having just let fly…

Romanian British man sues priests for failing to exorcise flatulent demons. With demons allegedly still farting freely in his home, Chris Tilling Madalin Ciculescu is suing the priests who performed his exorcism for religious fraud.

Oh Chris, you’ll never, in all eternity, be cured of your flatulence.  Don’t sue. And stop blaming demons.  He who smelt it, dealt it.

Secrets of the Bibliobloggers Exposed

Following are some very secret hopes and dreams held to by various of the bibliobloggers.  They have been discovered through copious research, thousands of hours of interviews, and years of personal relationships:

1- Joel Watts – wishes to appear on Jerry Spring where he will be fought over by two women from Thailand who, he discovers at the end of the show, are actually men!

2- Chris Tilling – secretly hopes to be invited to live with NT Wright where he will spend his remaining days basking in Wright’s effulgence.

3- Dorothy King – longs to be a super-model with free access to every stilleto ever made by any designer.

4- Bob Cargill – wishes with all his heart to be invited to serve as an adviser to Ken Ham’s latest project- Qumran Land.

5- James Crossley- has, oddly, and I have to say disturbingly, the same hope as Chris Tilling (raising the question- just what is wrong with British people?)

6- Mark Goodacre – desires to abandon his academic career to become a professional Cricket-er.

7- Antonio Lombatti – has a life-dream of hopping aboard a sailing vessel and discovering Atlantis.

8- Chris Rollston – pines to move to Chicago, where he will run a fantastic pizza shop which is daily visited by folk from the Oriental Institute whom he will regale with tales of epigraphy and correct their misreadings.

9- Deane Galbraith – wants to have sexual reassignment surgery.  Not for the reason you think, however. He just wants to be called Diane.

And finally

10- Scott Bailey- wishes with all his heart that he could be an American, move to West Virginia, and be Joel Watt’s next door neighbor.

Shocking, isn’t it?

I Love Bob Cargill But He’s Just Missing the Point

The point, for Christians, isn’t the amassing of ‘scientific’ claims upon which to base their decisions (concerning Gay Marriage or anything else).  The point for Christians is to hear as clearly as possible the testimony of Scripture and to adjust our lives to it rather than it to our lives.

Bob is a great guy and I don’t think anyone who knows either of us doesn’t realize how close we are.  But we have different perspectives PRECISELY because I see life through the lens of Christian faith and he does not.

It is for this reason that our views on several issues differ.  I don’t think Bob a bad person for it, nor do I like him any less.  I simply recognize that, at the end of the day, we approach problems and issues from differing starting points.

Until Bob becomes a Christian or I become a secularist (neither of which are likely) we shall continue to disagree.  But that’s ok.  At least, for me.