John M. G. Barclay on “What Makes a good Biblical Scholar or Theologian?”

I would say something different for biblical scholar and theologian (the two are not always the same), but for biblical scholar:

Attention to detail combined with breadth of interest.

~ John M. G. Barclay, Lightfoot Professor of Divinity, The University of Durham

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Tavis Bohlinger

Dr. Tavis Bohlinger is Editor-in-Chief of the Logos Academic Blog and Creative Director at Reformation Heritage Books. He holds a PhD from Durham University and writes across multiple genres, including academia, poetry, and screenwriting. He lives in Grand Rapids with his wife and three children.

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1 comment
  • John is definitely right on both counts about what makes a good biblical scholar: the former without the latter leads only to missing the wood for the trees, and the latter without the former leads to a severe lack of depth and critical acumen. But what then makes a good theologian? It is a question I fear to pose, because I suspect the Orthodox tradition is on to something when it limits the genuine use of the title “theologian” to very few uniquely insightful bearers of the light of truth.

Written by Tavis Bohlinger
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