A Bird’s Eye View of Paul: The Man, His Mission, and His Message
(Nottingham: IVP, forthcoming May 2008).
This is not a joke, we're serious! When Phil Duce (IVP) suggested the title to me I nearly fell off my chair in laughter. Several minutes and several hankerchief full of tears of laughter later I began to think that it could actually work. I don't know what reviewers will make of it, but at least the title is catch.
In sum the book is meant as a fresher on Paul for pastors and as an introduction to Paul for lay people and undergraduate students.
6 comments:
Mike,
I like the name of the book. It is a good fit for the subject matter? You coming to the states in Nov for SBL? It is in my home state! Maybe we can get a cup of coffee and chat?
Cliff
I've toyed around with the pun myself back in May when i wrote a blurb review of SROG on amazon(.com). I titled it: "Get a Birds-eye-view on the NP".
To be honest, though, I don't know about the pun thing being a title of the book. Its fun and all, but the book deserves a clean and more learned title.
But darn it, i'm still going to buy it no matter what the cover says!
Mike, I look forward to the book!
Given the target purpose and target audience of the book, I think the title works - pun or no pun. You shouldn't say anything about the pun and see how long it takes clueless guys like me to actually get it.
You could have loads of hilarious endorsements:
"Read this book. Having this Bird in your hand is worth two un-read Pauline tombes on your bookshelf." John Piper
"Is it a Bird? Is it a plane?.. Er no, it's a Bird, a great Pauline book by Bird." Stephen Westerholm
"If only we were all Bird-brained when it came to the apostle Paul" Frank Thielman
I'm an undergraduate student and though not a pastor my training is in that direction and I think that the title is pretty freaking clever. After reading your article on imputation I'd definitely be willing to read a book like that, especially one with a tongue in cheek title.
Just my two dollars.
Geoff
So, I guess you decided not to go with "Theological Bird Droppings"...
:)
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