theLAB

The Logos Academic Blog

BREAKING THROUGH THE LANGUAGE BARRIER IN GLOBAL THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION

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Image source: © Tavis Bohlinger

SCOTT N. CALLAHAM | BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, SINGAPORE

Browsing job boards for the biblical studies and theology fields can be a thoroughly demoralizing experience. The dwindling number of economically viable seminaries, divinity schools, and church-affiliated universities post meager and infrequent openings. Tersely worded clauses often mandate adherence to specific ideological or denominational agendas, discriminate against scholars who fall within certain demographic categories, require an implausible breadth of specialization and depth of experience, or simply list the limitations of contract jobs. Even worse, some “employment” opportunities carry the euphemistic label “self-funded.”

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The Spiritual Discipline of Reading Your Theological Dissidents

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Years ago, The Atlantic had an article entitled, “Study Theology, Even If You Don’t Believe in God.” The author of the article (Tara Isabella Burton) is a Clarendon Scholar at Trinity College, Oxford, where she is working on a doctorate in theology and literature. In this piece, she talks about studying theology as a secularist.

While reading, I was immediately drawn into thinking about my own theological education in various schools in the States and the UK that confessionally are very broad. As well, my pastoral ministry sparked many thoughts reading this, as a member of clergy for over two decades in a theologically minimalist denomination embedded in a complex urban center (Los Angeles, California) that is filled with many traditions, ideas, dogmas and questions. I thought, “If a nonbeliever can study theology, certainly believers should be studying theology with folks of different theologies.”

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The Grassroots Ablaze: An Interview with Mark Ward about His Book, Authorized: The Use and Misuse of the King James Bible

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Image credit: © Tavis Bohlinger

Dr. Mark Ward has written a fantastic book recently addressing numerous issues around the use of the King James Version of the Bible in the church today. Mark’s work is thorough, gracious, and scholarly, and I welcomed the chance to sit down with him recently to talk about Authorized: The Use and Misuse of the King James Bible. As you’ll see, his answers are robust. Check it out, and leave comments below.

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The Origin of the LXX

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The following essay is published in recognition of International LXX Day, celebrated yearly on February 8, and is also a part of our long-form essay series here on theLAB. LXX day was a week ago today, but you can celebrate it today with this essay on its origin, and check out the great list of LXX resources at the end.

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Academic Jobs in Biblical Studies and Theology: Jan 28–Feb 11, 2020

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The past two weeks have seen an influx of new jobs in biblical studies and theology, from Finland to Arizona, Canada to Belgium. Happy hunting.

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A Worldwide Vision for Theological Education

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The prayer guide Operation World has taught me much over the years. By its estimates, only 16.7 percent of Christians lived in Africa, Asia, and Latin America in 1900. That figure rose to 63.2 percent by 2010 and is projected to reach 70 percent in a few years. Some movements have experienced especially remarkable growth. Today, for example, there are more than 600 million evangelicals in these regions—12 times as many as there were in the year of my birth. Some in the media depict “evangelicals” only in terms of particular US subcultures, yet evangelicals in the global South outnumber those in the West many times over! 

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John Gerstner’s Edwardsian Shadow

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Put your ear to the ground in Ascension Presbytery in Western Pennsylvania, and it won’t be long before you hear people talking about the life and influence of Dr. John Gerstner (1914-1996). Gerstner was a longtime seminary professor and Reformed theologian in this area, and deeply affected the lives of very many people. Gerstner was Westminsterian in his doctrine and Edwardsian in his convictions. He mentored an entire generation of pastors to savor the doctrines of grace, with a zeal for revival and denominational renewal. 

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Don’t Be Shy: On Mentoring

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Telemachus and the Nymphs of Calypso, Angelica Kauffman. Image source: Wikipedia

A Beneficial Mentoring Relationship Requires Intentionality

Daniel Scott and Taylor Reimer | Tyndale University College and Seminary

‘‘Not the least shyness, now, Telemakhos,” says the original Mentor in The Odyssey.1 He appears as an old trusted friend of Odysseus, and as his guide is the personification of wisdom. 

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Academic Jobs in Biblical Studies and Theology: Jan 7–27, 2020

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The past few weeks have seen opportunities in OT, NT, Theology and more introduced to the academic job market, including THREE Biblical Studies posts at Emory. Jobs are to be had from Denmark to Wales, Canada to Norway. Happy hunting!

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Teaching on the Internet: A Guide for Beginners

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To Bridge the Technology Gap, Focus on Learning Outcomes and Student Relationships 

Jeannine K. Brown | Bethel Seminary

There are many ways to be successful teaching online. Online pedagogy is almost as varied as the professors who teach in this delivery system. Just as there is no single way to be successful teaching in face-to-face classrooms, there is no single path for good online pedagogy. With that said, I have found a handful of approaches and ideas helpful over the years. 

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