Sunday, July 16, 2006
Fractures
This blog may not be read by many, but to the few that frequent (or
used to frequent) it, here's what happened to me in the past couple of
months or so. As a matter of fact, although I do not usually delve into
personal details in this blog, I believe it is of
some importance to say something about what kept me from
(among several other things) posting anything here lately.
On May 8, 2006 I had a car accident, and I feel lucky and grateful to be here, and able to post again. Since that date I am laying on a bed with a number of broken bones (now reassembled through surgery), and only recently have I been authorized to sit down (still in bed). Although full recovery will likely need several more months, I am feeling better now, and I hope that doctors will soon give me the go-ahead to try and touch down earth again. Enough of this, but first let me thank the many people who have been helping me throughout this period, my wife, daughter, parents and relatives first, and then all friends, coworkers and [para]medic personnel, who have been so close to me and my family. Thanks.
Back to blogging business, then.
It is not clear yet whether I'll be able to post with any frequency, but here's what I am at during these days of more or less unprecedented reading time, so if anything comes, it will probably be on some of these topics. I am reviewing Greek grammar, and have recently bought Wallace's "Beyond the basics" (formidable) and Aland's "Synopsis Quattuor Evangeliorum", a book evoking in me the idea of beauty. The goal is obviously to work more on the NT in the original languages (the UoL exam prompting me to do this being indeed "New Testament with Greek Texts"); I read and liked Mark Goodacre's "The Synoptic Problem", and actually I am now busy coloring my synopses to try and study the various hypotheses. Telford's "Theology of the Gospel of Mark" is a book I am focusing on.
Beyond NT exegesis, I am also reviewing systematic theology. For this, I am using McGrath's "Introduction to Theology", a book I bought in 1999 and that I have been reading with pleasure ever since. It is a book that always prompts me to read and do more. Indeed, a couple of books from Moltmann and a couple from Teilhard de Chardin are on order, and it looks like sooner or later I will have to spend some serious time together with Augustine (De Trinitate being a prime candidate). Here are today's notes:
P.P.S. I just realized that several links to other blogs found in the frame on the left are now outdated. I'll try to correct them as soon as possible.
On May 8, 2006 I had a car accident, and I feel lucky and grateful to be here, and able to post again. Since that date I am laying on a bed with a number of broken bones (now reassembled through surgery), and only recently have I been authorized to sit down (still in bed). Although full recovery will likely need several more months, I am feeling better now, and I hope that doctors will soon give me the go-ahead to try and touch down earth again. Enough of this, but first let me thank the many people who have been helping me throughout this period, my wife, daughter, parents and relatives first, and then all friends, coworkers and [para]medic personnel, who have been so close to me and my family. Thanks.
Back to blogging business, then.
It is not clear yet whether I'll be able to post with any frequency, but here's what I am at during these days of more or less unprecedented reading time, so if anything comes, it will probably be on some of these topics. I am reviewing Greek grammar, and have recently bought Wallace's "Beyond the basics" (formidable) and Aland's "Synopsis Quattuor Evangeliorum", a book evoking in me the idea of beauty. The goal is obviously to work more on the NT in the original languages (the UoL exam prompting me to do this being indeed "New Testament with Greek Texts"); I read and liked Mark Goodacre's "The Synoptic Problem", and actually I am now busy coloring my synopses to try and study the various hypotheses. Telford's "Theology of the Gospel of Mark" is a book I am focusing on.
Beyond NT exegesis, I am also reviewing systematic theology. For this, I am using McGrath's "Introduction to Theology", a book I bought in 1999 and that I have been reading with pleasure ever since. It is a book that always prompts me to read and do more. Indeed, a couple of books from Moltmann and a couple from Teilhard de Chardin are on order, and it looks like sooner or later I will have to spend some serious time together with Augustine (De Trinitate being a prime candidate). Here are today's notes:
- Revelation as doctrine: review Lindberg's "Nature of Doctrine" and his criticism of cognitive-propositional and experiential-expressives theories. What relation is there, if any, between his cultural-linguistic approach and the relativistic ideas I am currently reading in Maria Baghramian's "Relativism"? (see, I just can't read one book at a time, not now at least -- the copious time I currently have for reading calls for changes in topics, or my brain melts.)
- Revelation as presence: "For Brunner, divine revelation is necessarily Christocentric". See Emil Brunner's "Truth as Encounter" and Martin Buber's "I and Thou".
- What can be said about the "theological importance of beauty"? Comment e.g. on Jonathan Edwards' aestethic ecstasy in relation with experiential approaches to revelation. (Feuerbach's criticism etc.)
- Read Cicero's "De Natura Deorum". Calvin and the difference between God the Creator and God the Redeemer. "We find everywhere in this world the traces of a revealed God and of a hidden God; revealed enough to strengthen our faith, concealed enough to try our faith." (from Schaff, vol.8, ch.14, 114)
- Read more on the Barth-Brunner debate. Read how Barth comments e.g. Rom 1:19, διότι τὸ γνωστὸν τοῦ θεοῦ φανερόν ἐστιν ἐν αὐτοῖς· ὁ θεὸς γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἐφανέρωσεν.
- Narrative Theology: cf. Auerbach's "Mimesis: The Representation of Reality in Western Literature". and Robert Alter's "Art of Biblical Narrative". The problem of truth in narrative criticism. (cf. Pannenberg's approach.)
P.P.S. I just realized that several links to other blogs found in the frame on the left are now outdated. I'll try to correct them as soon as possible.
