Today I received my copy of A Bird's Eye-View of Paul and it looks swish. My thanks to IVP for doing a cracking good job of getting it out. I owe this book to James Crossley since it was written while waiting for him to finish revisions on another book we're doing together - so here's to you James! I sincerely hope this blesses whoever reads it and their faith in God and vision of God's kingdom is refocused and re-energized as a result. This is one book where my humour goes kinda rampant so be warned! A new book always feels like (well kinda sorta) a child going off to college: you send them out into the big bad world and hope they'll handle the reviews that come their way. I shall be celebrating tonight with some of Livy's Lives and a bottle of Wolf Blass Yellow Label Cab-Sav! Other books coming out in the next twelve to fifteen months include:
1. How did Christianity Begin? A Believer and Non-believer Examine the Evidence (with James Crossley). London: SPCK, Sept 2008. This is now at copy editing stage. James Crossley has been great to work with (despite his incessant "you're distorting what I'm saying"). Rebecca Mullhearn is a great editor with good ideas and even when she sent us back to formulae she was a great encouragment the whole way. Maurice Casey gives me a bit of slap down in the end, but the highlight of the book IMHO is Scot McKnight giving James Crossley six of the best trousers down! Might be out in time for BNTC, but probably not!
2. Crossing Over Sea and Land: Jewish Proselytizing Activity in the Second-Temple Period. Tuebingen: Mohr/Siebeck, 2008. I'm currently finishing this off right now. It is a prequel to my Ph.D thesis. I'm trying to build on the work of Scot McKnight and Martin Goodman and say some original stuff about Jewish missionary activity in Colossae and how Paul's Judeo-Christian opponents relate to Jewish proselytizing efforts.
3. The Faith of Jesus Christ: Exegetical, Biblical, and Theological Studies (with Preston Srpinkle) . Milton Keynes: Paternoster, Jan/Feb 2009. I just got the last essay for this today and it will be at proof and copy editing stage in the next couple of weeks. If you are into Pauline studies this will be THE book of 2009 as we have a cast of all-stars going head-to-head and mano-e-mano. The Pistis Christou debate will never be the same.
4. Are You the One Who is to Come? The Historical Jesus and the Messianic Question. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2009. This is at proof reading stage before it goes to Baker. Alas, I must sadly part company with Father Fitzmyer and Jimmy Dunn on this one and throw in my lot with Hengel, Evans, and Wright as I believe that the historical Jesus' career was "performatively messianic". This book is the attempt to prove so!
5. Colossians: A New Covenant Commentary. Oregon: Cascade, July 2009. This will be my summer project (along with writing a course on "Reformed interpretation of Romans from Calvin to Cranfield"). I'm longing to write a commentary on my favourite epistle of the New Testament and dive into Markus Barth's own commentary as well as recent commentaries by M.M. Thompson, Ben Witherington, and Doug Moo too. It is part of a new commentary series edited by myself and Craig Keener with a line-up of great scholars from around the world (I mean Asia, Africa, America, Australia). I'll blog more on that in the future.
As J.S. Bach wrote after all of his works: SDG!
14 comments:
Sounds very exciting, Mike (and quite a prolific output, I might add). By the way, I believe it was J.S. Bach who appended SDG to his compositions.
I look forward to the Paul book, even if i still think that is not the best title.
But more than that, when is the paperback of "Origin of Gentile Mission" coming out. Can't read the sequel until I read the first, but only at a reasonable price.
take care, mike.
Brian: My mistake, you are right, it was Bach!
Josh: Glad to say that this book will be affordable, however, I have no idea if "Origins of Gentile Mission" is coming out in paper book any time soon (or ever). That's up to the good folk at Continuum. All I can say is either buy one at SBL with the big discounts available or else borrow one from a library.
'I owe this book to James Crossley since it was written while waiting for him to finish revisions on another book we're doing together - so here's to you James!'
Yeah, you haven't disorted this one. I just can't keep up!
So in a way, I'm responsible for this Bird's Eye book?
'I sincerely hope this blesses whoever reads it and their faith in God and vision of God's kingdom is refocused and re-energized as a result.'
We'll see if that happens to me!
'...despite his incessant "you're distorting what I'm saying").'
I never claim to be a nice person so hey.
'Scot McKnight giving James Crossley six of the best trousers'
Hmmmmmmm. We'll agree to disagree here.
Mike:
Your productivity is both amazing and inspiring.
If you keep this up you will certainly be the Ben Witherington of our generation.
Now back to my snail's pace.
Crossley, at least you aren't responsible for the title!
And congrats on ManUtd essentially taking the title (Mike always appreciates it when I bring up soccer/football on his blog).
Mr. Bird,
Since I have absolutely no patience (though I will buy the book on the issue), where do you stand with Mark Seifrid's interpretation of "the faith of Christ" as a genitive of origin? Thanks!
Joseph
Phew, I feel exhausted just thinking about all that writing...
Anyway, keep up the good work!
"Maurice Casey gives me a bit of a slapdown.." - a bit of an understatement:)
"Geoff",
Thus far you have found shelter in the harbour of my patience, but the harbour is now closed for the winter. Your weird, bizaar, eccentric views, and now rude comments are no longer welcomed on this blog. Please find another avenue to express your thoughts. I will delete all of your subsequent comments.
Mike, congratulations! I will put your book on the recommended texts for my Intro to New Testament 2 class on Paul in Jan 2009. Though I haven't read it yet, I am sure it will be good.
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