ETS and SBL Part 3

Well, the less said about my ETS paper on "Is there anything distinctive on the 3rd Quest for the Historical Jesus" the better. Sadly, I was competing with Richard Hays and James Dunn in parallel sessions and it seems that I did not have the draw power to attract the masses. When I first started talking there were only two people in the room - me and the moderator! I was just about to abandon the effort when four guys walked in, so I at least had some audience. But doing the last session on the last day, up against big name presenters, is something I don't want to do again!!!

And I have learnt that SBL is big and I mean BIG - we ain't in Brisbane anymore tot.

The Friday night IBR session was really good, with great presentations of OT ethics by Gordon Wenham and Chris Wright. I also got to meet Bob Webb, whom I am indebted to on several fronts and Doug Green.

To be honest, as this is my first ETS/SBL, I have learnt that the papers are probably the boring or mundane part. It is the networking and conversations that are great. So far I've been able to greet the following guys:

Alan Streett (Criswell), Graham Twelftree (Regent), James Dunn (Durham), Richard Longenecker (Toronto), Echard Schnabel (TEDS), Steven Walton (LBC), and David DeSilva (Ashland - who was apologetic that several of his chapters in his NT introduction were upside down). Also, Charles Talbert signed my Romans commentary that I got real real real cheap. Instead of $50 it was $16!

After being in the exhibit hall for ten minutes I met none other than Count Dooku himself (i.e. James Crossley) who was dressed, no surprise, in black. It was good to meet him and James is a great guy if you can understand him beneath that convoluted pommy accent.

I went to a historical Jesus seminar this morning on Robert Miller's Book Jesus at Thirty, which to be frank does not sound like a good book. Anyone who thinks that they can map Jesus' psych profile is just kidding themselves and Miller's take on the origins of the birth narratives was unconvincing.

This afternoon I attended Kloppenborg's assessment of the Jesus traditions in the epistle of James which wasn't bad.

I saw alot of books that Ben Myers of Faith and Theology would like:

- Douglad Groothius, In Defense of Natural Theology (well, Ben might not like it, but he needs to read it).
- Jaroslav Pelikan's Acts Commentary
- Vanhoozer, Wright, Treier, Dictionary for the Theological Interpretation of Scripture (which has been selling like hot cakes around here).

Besides spending $10 on a glass of wine (bad US wine at that), things in Philly are okay. SBL rocks!

Note for Kyle Wells, go to the Mohr-Siebeck stand and buy the book on Paul and Power - someone might have beaten you to the punch!!

Soon I'm going to the session with Wright, Ehrman and Crossan on the authority of Scripture (or perhaps the lack of authority if we follow Ehrman). Note to self: write an article engaging Ehrman since this guy has a socio-pathic hatred of orthodox Christianity.

Haven't seen Jim West (code named 'Bulldog') around, he might be building a shrine to Bultmann next to Prometheus books! Stephen Carlson's book on Secret Mark is selling well as are several of McKnight's books. I started off slightly violating my book buying budget, but now it is more of depriving its liberties and utter mutiny. More tomorrow.