Hebrews at the 2012 International Meeting of the SBL

Unfortunately, I am unable to attend the International Meeting of the SBL which will be meeting in Amsterdam, July 22–26.  It looks like they will have a couple of good sessions on Hebrews: 




Epistle to the Hebrews 
7/23/2012
9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Room: Room TBD - Hotel TBD

Theme: Key Issues in the Interpretation of Hebrews 1-2

Eric F. Mason, Judson University, Presiding (5 min)

David M. Moffitt, Campbell University
Hebrews 1-2 in Contemporary Conversation: New Insights on Old Questions (35 min)

Silviu Bunta, University of Dayton
Use and Misuse of “Scripture” in Hebrews 1-2 (35 min)

Break (30 min)

Georg Gäbel, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster
Preposterous Grace? Making sense of Christ’s suffering, or, the interplay of exegesis and textual history in Heb 2:9 (35 min)

Scott D. Mackie, Independent Scholar
Heavenly Sanctuary Mysticism in the Epistle to the Hebrews (35 min)

Discussion (5 min)

Epistle to the Hebrews
7/23/2012
3:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Room: Room TBD - Hotel TBD

David Moffitt, Campbell University, Presiding

Amy L. B. Peeler, Indiana Wesleyan University
The Son and The Sons of God: Jesus' Relational Distinction from the Angels (25 min)

Jaroslav Broz, Charles University of Prague
Christ and the Angels in Hebrews 1-2 as Background of Priestly Christology (25 min)

Dana M. Harris, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
The Inheritance Motif in Hebrews (25 min)

Break (30 min)

Eric F. Mason, Judson University
“Through the Eternal Spirit”: Sacrifice, New Covenant, and the Spirit of Heb 9:14 (25 min)

Frank Ueberschaer, Universität Zürich
“History” in Good Faith and Exemplary Wisdom: a Comparison of Hebrews 11 and Sirach 44–45 (25 min)

Discussion (25 min)

Biblical Characters in the Three Traditions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam)
7/26/2012
9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Room: Room TBD - Hotel TBD
Theme: The Biblical Matriarch (Women)

Felix Cortez, Universidad de Montemorelos
By Faith Rahab: The Prostitute among the Examplars of Faith in Heb. 11 (25 min)


Two papers seems to peripherally touch upon Hebrews:

Comparative Studies of Literature from the Persian and Hellenistic Periods
Joint Session With: Comparative Studies of Literature from the Persian and Hellenistic Periods, Wisdom Literature
7/23/2012
9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Room: Room TBD - Hotel TBD
Theme: Comparison between Historiographical and Wisdom Literature

Samuel L. Adams, Union Presbyterian Seminary
The Hortatory Value of Ben Sira’s Praise of the Fathers in Light of Parallel Evidence (30 min)

Working with Biblical Manuscripts (Textual Criticism)
7/25/2012
3:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Room: Room TBD - Hotel TBD
Theme: Textual witnesses to the New Testament

Benjamin Laird, University of Aberdeen
Paul in Many Languages: Evidence for the Formation of the Pauline Corpus in the Ancient Versions of the New Testament (35 min)

New Mackie Article

Scott Mackie's new article is now available online:

Mackie, Scott D. "Early Christian Eschatological Experience in the Warnings and Exhortations of the Epistle to the Hebrews." Tyndale Bulletin 63.1 (2012): 93–114.

Affirmation & Critique Articles

The Journal Affirmation & Critique has a number of articles on Hebrews.  The two most recent articles only link to the first page.  The full articles will be posted one year after the publication date.

Kangas, Ron. “The Heavenly Christ in the Epistle to the Hebrews.” Affirmation & Critique 3.4 (1998): 5–16.

Batten, Jim. “The Two Trees in Hebrews 1–2.” Affirmation & Critique 11.1 (2006): 73–77.

Batten, Jim. “Hebrews 3 through 6.” Affirmation & Critique 11.2 (2006): 92–97.

Batten, Jim. “The Purpose of God in Hebrews 7 through 12.” Affirmation & Critique 12.1 (2001): 84–89.

Campbell, John. “The Warnings in the Book of Hebrews.” Affirmation & Critique 15.1 (2010): 74–90.

Pester, John. “The Promise, Authoring, and Corporate Inheritance of Salvation as Deification in the Epistle to the Hebrews.” Affirmation & Critique 15.2 (2010): 49–62.

Pester, John, "The Exhortation to Participate in the Fulfillment of the Eternal Will of God in the Epistle to the Hebrews." Affirmation & Critique 16.1 (2011): 33ff.

Pester, John. "The Scope, Content, Judgment, and Goal of the Gospel in the Epistle to the Hebrews." Affirmation & Critique 16.2 (2011): 49ff.

Two Foundations Articles Added

The following articles have been added:

Plant, Michael. “Exegesis 15: Falling Away.” Foundations 30 (Spring 1993): 11–19.

Plant, Michael. “Preaching from Hebrews.” Foundations 40 (Spring 1998): 31–37.

Various and Sundry Items

I have a number of items to mention in this post.  I have added the following articles:

Houwelingen, Rob van. “Riddles around the Letter to the Hebrews.” Fides Reformata 16.2 (2011): 151–62.

Mackie, Scott D. "Confession of the Son of God in Hebrews." New Testament Studies 53 (2007): 114–29.

Mackie, Scott D. "Confession of the Son of God in the Exordium of Hebrews." Journal for the Study of the New Testament 30.4 (2008): 437–53.

Mackie, Scott D. "Encouraged by a Word of Exhortation: An Appraisal of Hebrews' Hortatory Materials in James W. Thompson's Hebrews Commentary." Paper presented at the Christian Scholars' Conference, June 2011, Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA.

Scott also has the following article coming out:

“Early Christian Eschatological Experience in the Warnings and Exhortations of the Epistle to the Hebrews,” Tyndale Bulletin 62 (2012).

I have become aware of the following essays on Hebrews:

Gabriella Gelardini, "Rhetorical Criticism in Hebrews Scholarship: Avenues and Aporias." Pages 213–36 in Method and Meaning: Essays on New Testament Interpretation in Honor of Harold W. Attridge. Edited by Andrew B. McGowan and Kent Harold Richards. Resources for Biblical Study 67. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2011.

Philip F. Esler, "Judean Ethic Identity and the Purpose of Hebrews." Pages 469–90 in Method and Meaning: Essays on New Testament Interpretation in Honor of Harold W. Attridge. Edited by Andrew B. McGowan and Kent Harold Richards. Resources for Biblical Study 67. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2011.

Eric F. Mason. “‘Sit At My Right Hand’: Enthronement and the Heavenly Sanctuary in Hebrews.” Pages 901–916 in A Teacher for All Generations: Essays in Honor of James C. VanderKam: Volume Two. Edited by Eric F. Mason, Kelley Coblentz Bautch, Angela Kim Harkins, and Daniel A. Machiela. Journal for the Study of Judaism Supplements 153.2; Leiden: Brill, 2012.

Thanks to Scott Mackie for helping me stay informed of developments in Hebrews research.  Also thanks to  Rob Bradshaw for his work, which includes occasionally posting new articles on Hebrews.

I have received and am expecting to receive some books on Hebrews to review in the upcoming weeks, so expect to see some reviews on here soon.

Also, I know someone who is selling Kenneth Schenck's monograph, Cosmology and Eschatology in Hebrews, for a really good price.

Abstract of My Dissertation

The Characterization of Jesus in the Book of Hebrews

 

            This dissertation accomplishes three things.  First, it identifies the literary and rhetorical devices that the author of Hebrews uses to construct his characterization of Jesus.  Second, it reconstructs the portrait that emerges from the author’s characterization of Jesus.  Third, it indicates how the author’s characterization of Jesus is important for his overall argument.

            This dissertation lays the methodological groundwork through an examination of characterization in both modern literary and ancient rhetorical theory and practice.  The analysis reveals that characterization in ancient rhetoric demonstrates many affinities with modern literary theory and practice.

            The author of Hebrews employs a variety of techniques to construct his characterization of Jesus.  First, the author uses encomiastic topics, which are categories by which the attributes of persons were conceived in the ancient world.  Second, the author utilizes a variety of devices such as amplification, synkrisis, vivid description, attributed speech, and literary tropes to develop his portrait of Jesus.  Finally, the author appeals to divine testimony to give authoritative support to his portrayal of Jesus’ character.  The author depicts Jesus as a person of exemplary character who exhibits the highest of human virtues but also divine attributes as well.  These traits reveal both Jesus’ greatness and moral excellence.

            The author’s characterization of Jesus is significant for his overall argument.  First, Jesus’ character produces many benefits for his followers.  Believers in some sense share in the same status and privileges that Jesus possesses.  Jesus’ exemplary character also produces many soteriological benefits for his followers.  Second, his character entails certain obligations from his followers.  Jesus’ exemplary character is a model of imitation for his followers.  The author frequently urges his audience to exemplify virtues that are also characteristic of Jesus.  Jesus’ character also serves as a warning for his followers to avoid disobedience and unbelief.  Finally, Jesus’ character serves as encouragement for his followers to persevere and mature in their faith, and to approach God boldly in worship.

Hebrews Carnival March 2012

Dirk Jongkind points out the problem generated by scriptio continua in Codex Sinaiticus at Hebrews 9:26.

Cliff Kvidahl tells about his efforts to get Ceslas Spicq’s L’Épitre aux Hébreux translated into English.

William Mounce discusses the meaning of "as a father disciplines his son" in Hebrews 12:5.

Tim Gombis quotes James Thompson's contention about Reading the Hebrews Warning Passages in Context, but he questions his take that the warning passages are only hypothetical.  He also discusses Hebrews' Threatening Christology and the Quasi-Platonic Cosmology of Hebrews.  He argues that Jewish & Christian Identities are Not Incompatible, but that Hebrews 7–10 was written because a crisis arose that compelled the audience to "choose between their identity as Christians as their identity as Jews."  He also has a post on The Quest for Certainty and Jesus' Humanity.

Contacting Me By Email

As you can probably guess by looking at my previous post, I have now added the ability to contact me by email. I did not want to expose my email address, but I wanted to allow people to contact me without having to contact me via a post. For some reason Blogger does not seem to provide this functionality, so I have had to resort to using an outside source to provide this service. The email link will be placed on the side bar underneath my name and photo.