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The Logos Academic Blog

What to do with a PhD? Part 2: Pastoring and Church Ministry

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Photo by Stephen Radford on Unsplash

by Charlie Trimm | Talbot School of Theology & Brittany Kim | North Park Theological Seminary

Pastoring and Church Ministry

A frequent path for PhD graduates is to enter church life, as pastoring involves many opportunities for teaching. Some larger churches may even have specialized roles like a campus pastor, teaching pastor, or scholar-in-residence that may be particularly suited to someone with a PhD in biblical or theological studies. Many find church life more fulfilling than academia, as they interact with people more deeply and for a greater length of time. However, far less time is typically available for publishing (unless an agreement is reached with the church when taking the position).

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When Richard Bauckham Rethought the Synoptic Problem

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By Dr Alan Garrow

Long-term readers may remember how, in December 2017, the LAB covered the story of the $1,000 Challenge to Bart Ehrman. Prof Ehrman was challenged to find an error in Alan Garrow’s solution to the Synoptic Problem – in which Matthew used Luke. Since then, further steps have been covered by the LAB (cf. “Everyone (who cares about early Christianity) has a dog in this fight” and “What happened when Mark Goodacre asked ‘Why not Matthew’s use of Luke?'”).

The scene is now set for a further set of exchanges. SBL San Antonio 2021 sees a three-way in-person debate between supporters of the Matthean Posteriority Hypothesis (Alan Garrow and Robert MacEwen), Farrer Hypothesis (Mark Goodacre), and Two Document Hypothesis (Robyn Walsh). Richard Bauckham’s endorsement has helped establish the Matthean Posteriority Hypothesis as one of the three main solutions to the Synoptic Problem.

Here Richard Bauckham answers the question: “What first made you suspect that Matthew used Luke?“

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Conference Announcement: Miskotte’s Biblical ABCs

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Miskotte’s Biblical ABCs

International Theology Conference

8 – 9 November 2021

This online academic conference for theologians and pastors will respond to the new English translation of Biblical ABCs by the Dutch pastor, theologian, and anti-Nazi activist Kornelis H.Miskotte.

Speakers include Philip Ziegler, Rinse Reeling Brouwer, Katherine Sonderegger, Christophe Chalamet, Mirjam Elbers, and Susannah Ticciati.

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Academic Jobs in Biblical Studies and Theology: Aug 26 – Sep 29, 2021

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Dozens of new jobs were posted over the past few weeks, in nearly every subdiscipline of theology and biblical studies, from Texas to Cambridge, Nova Scotia to Seattle. Happy hunting.

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What’s the Point of a PhD in Theology? Part 1: Academic Teaching with Support Raising

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I asked this very question myself even before completing my PhD in 2019: what’s it all for? Considering the slumping academic job market, and fierce (read, ridiculous) competition for the few jobs in my discipline each year, I wondered what the point was of nearly a decade of rigorous intellectual forging through two masters degrees and a doctorate in New Testament.

So I was grateful to find recently a superb resource on the very question. Charlie Trimm and Brittany Kim have compiled numerous testimonies from PhD’s now putting their education to use in various fields including the pastorate, administration, editing and publishing, Bible translation, and more.

We’re going to be publishing these testimonials over the coming weeks as a way to encourage you to consider entering the long, hard road of doctoral studies as a means to serve the church, to serve other people, and to serve our Lord.

Perhaps the high aspiration of many a newly minted PhD, i.e. a tenure-track post at a prestigious institution of higher education, is not the only worthwhile, nor actually the best, reason to earn a doctorate.

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Rethinking Pain and Paradox in 2 Corinthians: Interview with Ben White

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Ben White is an up-and-coming young scholar at The King’s College in New York City who has just published his study of 2 Corinthians with Mohr Siebeck. In the following interview, we talk about the premise of his book, Pain and Paradox in 2 Corinthians: The Transformative Function of Strength in Weakness, and its value for the academy and the church.

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The Logos Back to School Sale is On Now

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The Logos Back-to-School Sale is a great opportunity to pick up essential (and desired) resources for your library. Anybody can take advantage of this sale, whether students, faculty, or otherwise.

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Invite Students to Choose Their Own Adventure: Heutagogy and Teaching Genesis 1–11

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The Creation by Ori Sherman, 1986-88

Dustin Burlet | Peace River Bible Institute

T. Desmond Alexander once stated, with respect to teaching the Old Testament, that it is “difficult to think of any other academic subject that covers such a wide range of fields. How does one do justice to all the various areas that contribute in their distinct way to our understanding and appreciation of the Bible?”1 This assertation resonates deeply with me, as few of my “classroom conundrums” have required more circumspection and pastoral sensitivity than dealing with those matters that concern science, creation, and the Bible (history, literature, and theology), particularly with respect to the first eleven chapters of Genesis.2

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Academic Jobs in Biblical Studies and Theology: July 25–Aug 25, 2021

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The last month has seen numerous jobs come to market in biblical studies and theology, from Oregon to Israel, Texas to South Africa. Happy hunting.

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Are We Outsourcing the Personal?

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Remote Learning and the Challenge of Interpassivity

KENT EILERS | HUNTINGTON UNIVERSITY

It is common for a disinterested student to slouch their way through class, projecting to all, “I’m not into this.” They suck those around them into the black hole of their malaise, draining the classroom of that particular energy we crave from face-to-face teaching. But to me, that student has always been a discomforting magnet. I crave their engagement; I’m an addict for it. They are the one who lingers in my mind after class, and I find myself leaning most toward them. How can I help them connect the journey of this learning community with their life? What are their connection points, and how can I access them? Yes, of course, in the end their most productive learning depends on their own engagement, but I want to find every possible way to get there. 

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