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Two interesting posts by Larry Hurtado on Acts

5 October 2014 by Steve Walton
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Professor Larry Hurtado has an excellent blog on New Testament Studies, and he’s always fun and stimulating to read. He’s recently put up two very helpful and useful posts on key issues in recent scholarship in Acts, and they are rich in valuable bibliographical resources, not least on the text of Acts. They are here and here. Highly recommended.

Classic New Testament Studies articles for the 60th anniversary

11 September 2014 by Steve Walton
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I am grateful to Larry Hurtado for drawing my attention to the excellent page of ‘classic’ articles from the journal New Testament Studies which have been made freely available until 31 December to celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of the journal. The articles have been chosen by the present editor, Professor Francis Watson, and he’s chosen well. NTS is one of the top journals in the field, and has published some very important articles over the years. There are some crackers here, too, not least—for those of us Continue reading →

A fun book! Peter Rodgers’ The Sign of the Dolphin

20 August 2014 by Steve Walton
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Peter Rodgers kindly gave me free access to the Kindle version of his second novel about people involved in copying New Testament manuscripts in the second century AD. This is textual criticism made wonderfully accessible in narrative form, and a great read. Peter Rodgers is Vicar (Pastor) of St Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Antelope, California, and teaches New Testament and Preaching at Fuller Theological Seminary. He’s a delightful man, and has much to answer for in having taught me Greek during my theological studies in Cambridge many Continue reading →

Reading Tom Wright’s Paul and the Faithfulness of God (4)

14 August 2014 by Steve Walton
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Here the fourth of my series of posts as I read through Tom Wright’s Paul and the Faithfulness of God. The earlier posts are here, here, and here. This post focuses on chapter 4, ‘A Cock for Asclepius: “Religion” and “Culture” in Paul’s World’. The chapter title echoes Socrates’ final words to his friend Crito after Socrates had taken hemlock to commit suicide—he instructed Crito to offer a cock to the god of healing, Asclepius, probably as a thanksgiving for the ease of his death. Wright’s point Continue reading →

Reading Tom Wright’s Paul and the Faithfulness of God (3)

10 August 2014 by Steve Walton
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Here’s the third of my series of posts as I read through Tom Wright’s Paul and the Faithfulness of God (= PFG). The earlier posts are here and here. I am enjoying reading it, I must say: as always, Wright writes in an engaging and readable style which makes material accessible and clear. Chapter 3 is the second of four chapters looking at Paul’s context in the first century: chapter 2 looked at Judaism, this chapter focuses on Greek thought, and the next two focus (respectively) on religion Continue reading →