ETS and SBL Review

Hi everyone!

Well, the Evangelical Theological Society, Institute of Biblical Research, and Society of Biblical Literature conference in San Antonio last week were a HOOT!

My flights from Melbourne to San Antonio were good - I actually slept on the flight which I never do! However, my luggage got lost, so I got stuck wearing the same clothes for three days. I was reduced to going around the book exhibits asking for merch I could wear: socks and t-shirts. I couldn’t go shopping at Buccees for academic attire, so I had to spend an obscene amount of money on some shirts, trousers, and shoes to get me by. Thankfully my luggage did arrive. Here’s the first travel log video!

Ridley PhD students Amber Dillion and Joseph Byamukama did a got job representing at the Luke-Acts session. I was privileged to be able to present at the session reviewing Douglas Moo’s new A Theology of Paul and His Letters. Three of the four reviewers were Aussies so the session should have been called: Douglas Moo’s Pauline Theology - The View from Downunder. In sum, after a few opening jokes, I argued that Moo focuses too much on soteriology and needed more attention to Paul’s doctrine of God and “lived religion.” In other words, Moo’s book needs to be complemented with something like Josh Jipp’s Pauline Theology as a Way of Life.

I made some serious and funny videos with Seminary Now - more anon on that! Also, did some filming with Preston Sprinkle for the Upside Down Kingdom Study Bible, which was great, esp. the line, “Let me be the spicey exegetical salsa in your study Bible taco.”

At IBR, I did a paper on why the Pastoral Epistles can’t be dated to the second century.

Then, it was Saturday, my birth, and that was a wonderful day. Heard a great paper on Greco-Roman mercy vs. Jewish Christian ideas on forgiveness by Thomas Kazen. I had a wonderful lunch with Zach Wagner and some friends. But the main event of my birthday was the off-site event I did with Aimee Byrd, Kristin du Mez, and Beth Allison Barr on “Is There Hope for Evangelicalism?”

This event was not an uber-feminist man-hating-fest. It was a genuine discussion of the intersection of evangelicals, gender, and power, a mixture of critique, lament, and even hope. Terrific stuff from Aimee Byrd, Kristin du Mez, and Beth Allison Barr. I was truly honored to be among these great women. My main point was that there is hope for evangelicalism because there is evangelicalism outside of North America. Also, Jesus will build his church and neither the gets of hell, nor Fox News, nor CNN, nor Trump, nor progressive identitarians shall prevail against it.

Many people gave me m-n-m’s for my birthday including Elijah Dixon a.k.a. “Cody.”

Zondervan did a surprise birthday party for me at their editorial suite with a Lamington cake. I was genuinely touched by that, it was a great party.

Otherwise, lots of walks along the river in San Antonio, so so so many tacos, I had mole for the first time which is a savory chocolate. I heard great papers on things from Hellenization to the Catholic Letters, and caught up with great friends and students too.

I made a few short videos with people available at my you.tube shorts.

Oh, and I picked up oodles of books which I’ll be reviewing on this blog in due time, but some juicy ones coming at you!

This Sunday I’m preaching on Ezekiel 34 at All Saints Church in Waco.

In sum, a great week in terms of academics, relationships, publishing, and trying to advance theological education.