Advice on Choosing a Research Topic for Doctoral Work in New Testament

When I was applying for PhD programs, I felt that I had a decent overall preparation for further studies…except my research proposal.  I felt like I could tick the boxes under language study, exegetical method, and breadth of knowledge.  When it came to formulating a good creative project I was quite weak.  I suspect that behind my rejection letter from Oxford was the question: dare you waste our time with this proposal?! Well, Durham took a chance on me and I hope I have made them proud thus far.  In any case, I have come a long way in two years and I feel very contented with my research and where it is going.  In any case, for those of you who are in the shoes I stood in a couple of years ago (or just thinking ahead), here is some advice.

1. Begin as early as you can to narrow your interest to a book of the NT or at least a small set of books (such as the Petrine letters, or Luke-Acts).  Over-specialization can make one overly myopic, but to be able to go deep in a vast field like NT studies means one has to narrow the scope.  Right now there is a renewed interest in the non-Pauline epistles such as Hebrews, James, and 1-2 Peter.  These are great areas to do research right now.  The field is pretty open.

2. The Magic is in the Method: You probably don’t want to do another thesis on righteousness in Romans.  Its been done.  Every 5th year for the last three three centuries.  It seems that the advances in research are often propelled by the application of approaches from different disciplines such as rhetorical theories, social-sciences, anthropology, etc… Where to begin in exploring such new approaches?  Try, The Open Text: New Directions in Biblical Studies? (ed. F. Watson) with engagements in reader criticism, feminist approaches, sociology, and more.

3. Read Published theses: Not just reviews of them or the introduction.  Take a good JSNTS monograph and read it cover to cover (or WUNT or SNTSMS).   Where to begin?  Try Dan Gurtner’s The Torn Veil (Book of Matthew) or Jerry Sumney’s Servants of Satan (opponents in Paul’s Letters).

4. Go to SBL and sit in on 3-4 groups of sessions of your first topic of interest (such as Gospel of John, or, rhetorical criticism in the NT) and then sit in on 1-3 groups of sessions of topics that just sound interesting but you know relatively little about (like, what the heck is Bhaktian? Oh, sounds interesting; or, semiotics – I’ve heard of it…can I use it in a sentence???).  If you can’t go, read the abstracts on the webpage of a wide range of papers.  You can learn a lot about a subject from abstracts – even if the paper ends up being unnecessarily convoluted.  In fact, many papers fail to live up to the expectation of the abstract.  Sad reality.

5. Read the journal  Currents in Biblical Research (SAGE).

6. Read footnotes in books and articles – there are a lot of good ideas left unexplored in footnotes.

7. Pay careful attention to the final section of a published thesis that should include: ‘areas for further exploration’ – where the conversation should continue to go.  You may find interesting ideas there.

8. Be a critical reader – don’t just read biblical scholarship passively, but engage in what is being said and ask, ‘what are the assumptions in the statements made here?’  ‘From where do these assumptions arise?’  ‘Is there another angle from which one can view the problem at hand?’  For many who were (and are) like me, its not just about sitting and thinking and coming up with a really good idea.  It is simply this: the more you read in the field, the more context you have for the state of academic discussion.  This is necessary preparation.

One quick caution – it is so easy to narrow your interests too far.  Some of the most useful insights into my research have come from reading books outside of my narrow research topic.  I do book reviews to force me to read more widely, so in addition to reading about Pauline theology and his use of metaphors (my main subject area), I also read a lot in the New Testament use of the Old Testament more generally, and I have an interest in 1 Peter.  Also, I like to read introductory books on Paul, and on the NT to keep me reflecting on the ‘basic’ questions.  Where do I find time?  When my wife is getting ready for bed.  When the toddler is napping.  Sometimes if I am eating alone.  You can find time if it is important to you.

Best wishes for those who are wanting to embark on the adventure of NT research – it is a very rewarding experience and a lot of fun.

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