Nijay’s List of Top NT programs (at the request of a commenter)

Someone asked me how I would ‘rank’ NT programs in my ‘first tier’ category (see essay above: ‘Interested in a NT PhD?’)
This is challenging for many reasons: first, should it be internationally or by country?  Also, what kind of NT program – exegetically focused?  Jewish backgrounds?  Greco-Roman Backgrounds?  ‘New’ Methodologies (post-structuralism, Bhaktian influenced heremeneutics; post-colonialism?)?  [...]

Academic Etiquette and email- What do you think?

A few postgrads here were chatting ab0ut the etiquette regarding correspondences with academic professionals.  If, in your doctoral research, you are interested in contacting an expert on a particular issue, is it OK to shoot off an email to this person (you have not met personally) and ask a question?  What has been your experience?  [...]

Durham Alum, Did you know…

This is not (necessarily) an opportunity to toot our university’s horn, but a chance to demonstrate that some pretty excellent scholars have come out of Durham (as either undergrads or postgrads):
Did you know that Durham has produced:
Simon Gathercole
Bruce Longenecker
Stephen Finlan (now at Drew)
Helen Bond
Paul Trebilco
Maurice Casey
Ben Witherington III
Judith Lieu (for her MA)
So far just a [...]

My experience with the HOST UK program

During Freshers week (something like ‘new student’ orientation week) we had the chance to fill in a form to be hosted by a British family for a weekend to help us feel more comfortable in England and experience real family life.  You had the option of the general area of the UK to be hosted [...]

Aberdeen’s Newest Appointments in Divinity

Aberdeen has announced their new staff that will replace PJ Williams and SJ Gathercole at Aberdeen.  The official announcement is posted HERE.

German (and French?) Online Helps

A few of us at Durham were chatting about the challenges of reading German (and French) literature and shared some websites with each other that have been helpful as resources and references.  Now, please let me make this caveat: I do not advocate using online computer translators to replace learning German for your thesis work; [...]

Common Latin Words and Abbreviations

Inevitably we stumble upon Latin words and abbreviations in writings (especially of an older generation).  Often I simply ignore them, but they are becoming more important when I really need to understand what the author is communicating in a footnote.  So, I have compiled a list of Latinisms that you may find in monographs and [...]

Quotes from Philo

Currently in my research I am studying Philo’s understanding of the Jewish cultus and I really enjoy Philo.  Though, of course, one constantly wonder where he is deriving his allegorical meanings from, I think his heart is in the right place!  He wishes to encourage virtue and find significance in every ritual act performed – [...]

Should Blogs Count for Tenure? (and, Nijay adds, PHD and job applicatons?)

Mark Goodacre just posted his thoughts on this at his ntgateway.com/weblog.  He is basically responding to someone who thinks that academic blogging should have little to no affect on tenure decision.  Goodacre thinks it can be a useful factor if the blog is a reasonable service to others and a successful way of getting criticism [...]

New Book on New Testament Theology

I just came across a new title on NT theology, Nature of NT Theology: Essays in Honor of Robert Morgan (ed. by C. Tuckett et al.).
The contributers make up a list of who’s-who in biblical studies: John Barton, A.Y. Collins,  Philip Esler, Morna Hooker, Luke Timothy Johnson, Leander Keck, Ulrich Luz, Margaret MacDonald, John Muddimann, [...]