24 November 2005
11 November 2005
Dialectics of Suspicion
I'm finally starting to formulate a vocabulary to name the difficulties I have with new historical and other "hermeneutics of suspicion"-style treatments of Christianity. It's not that there's critique simpliciter--theologians and pastors critique parts of Christian thought and practice all the time. It's that critical theorists treat the Bible and Augustine and such entities in manners that would make little or no sense to pastors and theologians.
Of course, as soon as this occurred to me, it became evident that "anti-intellectual" (a misleading designation in most cases) Christian writers treat critical theory in similarly uncharitable manners. I wonder whether some sort of hermeneutic of sympathy might serve as an antithesis for both parties to their hermeneutics of suspicion. I know Kenneson taught us to read this way long before I thought these thoughts, but it's just now occurred to me to look at it in terms of hermeneutics.
At any rate, I might try to theorize about this a bit more and include some of it in my thinking-out-loud when I present on an article on King Lear next week--it exhibits the normal moves of suspicion, and it could present an opportunity to propose different models of reading to the class--I think I've earned enough respect to make this move; I suppose I'll find out with some certainty if I make that move Wednesday.
Of course, as soon as this occurred to me, it became evident that "anti-intellectual" (a misleading designation in most cases) Christian writers treat critical theory in similarly uncharitable manners. I wonder whether some sort of hermeneutic of sympathy might serve as an antithesis for both parties to their hermeneutics of suspicion. I know Kenneson taught us to read this way long before I thought these thoughts, but it's just now occurred to me to look at it in terms of hermeneutics.
At any rate, I might try to theorize about this a bit more and include some of it in my thinking-out-loud when I present on an article on King Lear next week--it exhibits the normal moves of suspicion, and it could present an opportunity to propose different models of reading to the class--I think I've earned enough respect to make this move; I suppose I'll find out with some certainty if I make that move Wednesday.
09 November 2005
07 November 2005
Proposal Approved
And so I'm going to Atlanta in April...
It looks like the three papers for our Merchant of Venice panel have gone through, and I'll be able to add another conference paper to my CV. Now I've got to resolve this next summer to work up a paper for submission to journals.
Oh yeah... and I've got to write a Merchant of Venice paper...
It looks like the three papers for our Merchant of Venice panel have gone through, and I'll be able to add another conference paper to my CV. Now I've got to resolve this next summer to work up a paper for submission to journals.
Oh yeah... and I've got to write a Merchant of Venice paper...
04 November 2005
Abstract Done
Sure I've got more work to do, but my abstract for April's Shakespeare and Pop Culture panel is done, so I'll blog.
Last weekend Mary and Micah and I took a trip back to Johnson City that turned out more bittersweet than I expected. It was good to see folks at ESR and Milligan and West Main and in the area in general, but for the first time, Johnson City did not feel like home. I came to realize that I've become more a part of Georgia than I am a part of Tennessee, and that pill was a bit hard to swallow. On the other hand, I had my first real homecoming to the Athens area Sunday evening.
I've been listening to Clark Pinnock's recent lectures at ESR, and I'm glad I didn't give up after his first two lackluster lectures. Number three showed improvement, and the final lecture was phenomenal. I've never read any of his books, but his history of and vision for the loose coalition called evangelical gives me new energy in my own academic and ecclesial pursuits, and I've got some new thoughts to digest with regards to my own Bible teaching. I might blog about this later.
Mary and I also made a Mr. K's run on this trip, and I've been enjoying Allen Mandelbaum's translation of The Aeneid that I picked up. To think that I've got a favorite translator of Latin texts is amusing; I suppose I'm getting closer and closer to becoming a real live academic.
I hope that this post will signal a pickup in my old blogging habits; reading back on my EC-era blog, I'd like to be able to reproduce some of that energy here. Here's hoping.
Last weekend Mary and Micah and I took a trip back to Johnson City that turned out more bittersweet than I expected. It was good to see folks at ESR and Milligan and West Main and in the area in general, but for the first time, Johnson City did not feel like home. I came to realize that I've become more a part of Georgia than I am a part of Tennessee, and that pill was a bit hard to swallow. On the other hand, I had my first real homecoming to the Athens area Sunday evening.
I've been listening to Clark Pinnock's recent lectures at ESR, and I'm glad I didn't give up after his first two lackluster lectures. Number three showed improvement, and the final lecture was phenomenal. I've never read any of his books, but his history of and vision for the loose coalition called evangelical gives me new energy in my own academic and ecclesial pursuits, and I've got some new thoughts to digest with regards to my own Bible teaching. I might blog about this later.
Mary and I also made a Mr. K's run on this trip, and I've been enjoying Allen Mandelbaum's translation of The Aeneid that I picked up. To think that I've got a favorite translator of Latin texts is amusing; I suppose I'm getting closer and closer to becoming a real live academic.
I hope that this post will signal a pickup in my old blogging habits; reading back on my EC-era blog, I'd like to be able to reproduce some of that energy here. Here's hoping.
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