Well, the results of my recent poll on what readers think I should blog on is nothing if not unambiguous. Theological Exegesis is clearly most the most desired blog topic in the opinions of my readership.
So, true to my word, theological exegesis and biblical theology will be graced with a minimum of 50 posts next year. So now is the time — what specific topics in biblical studies and theological interpretation would people want to see? No promises on this one, but if you are interested in seeing anything that particularly piques my interested, that post might just get bumped to the top of the list.
I’d like to see a discussion of Adam’s prelapsarian “sleep” as it relates to the Christian idea of death.
Relationship between Biblical theology and systematic theology, or historical Jesus research and dogmatic Christology, or how hermeneutics relates to either and all.
Pax Christi,
I want to see a counter in the margin.
Just lots and lots of actual theological exegesis, and a sustained refusal to succomb to the temptation to obsess about method. (Not at all a gloss on your previous blogging, Halden, which doesn’t seem to fall into this. More a remark on the methodological obsession, albeit a partially necessary one, in recent talk of theological exegesis.)
The letters of Peter, the book of proverbs, as it is full of conventional wisdom which is easy to slight as we focus on apocalyptic,
and perhaps some talk on the relationship of weird texts (the Moses, Zipporah, and foreskin incident) and theological exegesis to the question of historicity.
How the Pastorals fit with the theology of Paul of the the rest of the NT.
(1) A comparative exegetical analysis of the pacifist and just war traditions.
(2) An exegetical discussion of the ‘recapitulation’ view of atonement.
Not much out there in the blog world on either one of these, and for some reason, I think you could be the person to do them.
-The preferential option for the poor and weak as it might be articulated within your ecclesiological and theopolitical convictions, and how that relates to the current or potential practices of your particular church community.
I’d like to see more emphasis on that core biblical text: the prayer of Jabez.
Sorry, just kidding: but I love your stuff on the Gospel of John, so I hope you’ll keep writing about that.
By my count that’s 14 posts already….
I’ll just parrot others in desiring to hear your thoughts on the connection between biblical and dogmatic exegesis, with some attention given to questions of historicity.
I would love to see you deal with “the deception” motif in Genesis, and how God seems to approve of that in light of NT texts like Heb 6:18.
Even more broadly, just explorations into the possible “evolution” of God’s character throughout the Scriptures would be fun.
I voted for this category, and am excited to see what you come up with.
Halden, I notice that in your Biblical studies category, posts on the NT outnumber posts on the OT by 4 to 1. Perhaps the following quote by Karl Barth would movitate you to balance that out a little:
“Christians have to see themselves standing as it were between two choirs singing antiphonally—the apostles on one side and the prophets on the other” (CD III/2).
As a systematic theologian I’m guessing you’re wanting to hear the effect of the full choir … :)
Hear, yes. In fact my undergrad work was largely focused in OT. My degree was in Biblical Hebrew and Theology. I used to want to go into OT studies. What I write on though usually takes its bearings from what kind of work I’m being asked to do in service to my church, which then determines a lot of my biblical reading and study.
But, I’m sure there will be some more OT for you in the year to come. Hopefully it will be enough to satisfy you! : )
I second D C Cramer.
I’m interested in worship and liturgy. What elements are essential to the modern church? How much can the liturgy be “modernized”? Thanks to the Internet and Comments, everyone is now use to being interactive rather than just sitting and silently receiving. How much interactivity can we defend theologically in our worship services? Or should we be discouraging such interactivity in the church? What could a modern theologically sound church sound and look like on Sunday morning? Would we lose our connection with our forefathers?
Another vote for the prayer of Jabez.
I would like to see an biblical theology of the “Word of God” motif; from cover to cover. That’s not asking too much, is it ;-)?
Halden,
I’m curious, out of your categories, which one was your preference? I.e. was theological exegesis your number one?
I second the comment about the evolving nature or concerns of God as the story progresses.
I’d like to know just what is “theological exegesis/interpretation.” I’ve spent a good deal of time thinking about it, written and published a dissertation on it, and I still am not completely sure just what it is. I agree that too much energy is spent on the methodological questions and I’d like to see more actual theological exegesis. But, I think it will be important for your readers to know just what you imagine theological exegesis/interpretation to be. What’s distinctive about the “theological” qualifier? How does it differ from other approaches to exegesis and/or interpretation? And how does your conception of theological exegesis/interpretation differ from other approaches using the same term(s)?
D C Cramer, 3rd’ed