Dunelm Road

In case you were wondering, another good instalment of the Patristics Carnival (no. XXXI) is up over at The Church of Jesus Christ.

I got an email about this and am sorry that I’ll miss it since my thesis reflects this larger movement.

Spring Gathering | March 18 – 19, 2010

Evangelicals and the Early Church: Recovery • Reform • Renewal

Sponsored by The Wheaton Center for Early Christian Studies and The Institute for the Study of American Evangelicals

In recent decades Evangelicalism has witnessed an increased interest in the faith and practices of the early Church.  Yet, many seem to be largely unaware of the influence of the writings of the early Church Fathers on eighteenth- and nineteenth- century evangelicals.

Inspired by the literature of the early church, a growing number of evangelicals have begun to reconfigure their ecclesial practices and pay renewed attention to classical Christian doctrines.

The Spring gathering will explore why some evangelicals in the past have ignored the early church, and attempt to reclaim the rootedness of Evangelicalism suggesting new pathways along which evangelicals may engage the early church in vital partnership.

Keynote Speaker:  Everett Ferguson, “Why Study Early Christian History and Literature?”

Registration Fees: $50 General Admission (Free to students, but advanced registration is required).

For registration, schedule, and further information please visit http://www.wheaton.edu/Theology/WCECS/Gatherings.html

Thursday, Seminar Room B, 4.15 – 5.45

Jan 28, Thomas L. Humphries Jnr (Emory University), ‘Cassian’s Ascetic Pneumatology’

Feb 4, Francis Watson (Durham University), ‘In the Beginning: Irenaeus, Creation, and the Environment’

Feb 11, Andreas Andreopoulos (Lampeter University), ‘Anatomy of a Miracle: the Feast of the Transfiguration’

Feb 18, Steve Bagby (Durham University), ‘Freedom to Roam(ans): Origen’s Defense of the Will in the Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans’

Feb 25, Jonathan Zecher (Durham University), ‘”State of Angels, Progress of Eternity”: The rhetoric of angelic life in The Ladder of Divine Ascent’
and
Jeremy Bergstrom (Durham University), ‘Gentiles, Jews, Christians and Sacraments in Augustine’s De doctrina Christiana’

Mar 4, Thomas Graumann (Cambridge University), ‘Acting, ceremonial, liturgy: Neglected
 aspects of Church Councils?’

Mar 11, Lewis Ayres (Durham University), ‘The Grammarian and the Rise of Christian Exegesis’

Mar 18, Zurab Jashi (Durham University), TBA

We have quite the line-up for the NT Research Seminar this term:

18 January, Prof Francis Watson: “Noncanonical gospels (1): the Egerton Gospel”

25 January, Dr Lutz Doering: “Noncanonical gospels (2): P. Oxyrhynchus 840”

1 February, Prof Philip Esler (University of St Andrews): ‘”Not that We Lord it Over Your Faith”: A Social-Psychological Approach to Paul’s Use of Influence in 2 Corinthians’

8 February, PG Presentations: John Goodrich, “Compelled to Preach: The Meaning and Significance of Paul’s Stewardship Metaphor in 1 Corinthians 9”; Ben Blackwell, “Becoming ‘Gods’? 2 Corinthians 3.18 and Theosis”

15 February, Dr Bill Telford: “Noncanonical gospels (3): the Gospel of Peter”

[16 February, C. K. Barrett Lecture: Prof Morna Hooker, “Sanctification in Paul”, 7.30 pm, C. K. Barrett Lecture Theatre, Calman Learning Centre]

22 February, Dr Angus Paddison (University of Winchester) will lead a discussion based on his book, Scripture: A Very Theological Proposal (2009)

1 March, Dr Peter Oakes (University of Manchester) will lead a discussion based on his book, Reading Romans in Pompeii (2009)

8 March, Dr. Tom Wright (Bishop of Durham): title tbc [Romans 2-4]

15 March, Dr A. K. M. Adam (University of Glasgow), “Learning Not To Know: Paul, Postmodernism, and Biblical Interpretation”

About noon today–the 20th of January–I dropped off the two softbound copies of my thesis to the department, and so, God willing, I’m done working on my thesis! The title I went with is ‘Christosis: Pauline Soteriology in Light of Deification in Irenaeus and Cyril of Alexandria’. It’s taken just about 3.5 years, slightly delayed because of my work with NT Wright, and it’s been a good journey with its trying moments. Thanks to Heather, Elam, and Silas for seeing me through it. I’ll have my viva (pronounced with a long i like eye) around the last week in March, so I can be eligible for that post doc (i.e., post doctoral fellowship) that I’m applying for. Let’s hope that Lewis Ayres and John Riches like my work.

So what to do now? I should hear in a couple of weeks if I made it to the second round for the post doc. If so, the final decisions will be made in May and I would start in October. But, I officially started full-time for NT Wright this month, so I will get to spend my time helping him finish out the Paul book and start on the two commentaries he’s slated to do. For the position, I’m officially a member of the staff at the university in the department of theology, which is cool. I feel very blessed to be able to pick up a full-time gig right off the bat in light of the economy and all, and with +Tom no less. We’re all very excited.

Whether with a post doc, working for Wright, or something else, we plan on being here in Durham for another couple of years or so because 1) we like it and 2) my wife has a commitment to her youth/children’s position. God willing, we’ll get back to TX, AR, CA, OR, and WA for a month-long trip this summer to visit everybody we can. This will be the first trip ‘home’ for me–I’ve only been back for SBLs. The fam got over to visit the fam in OR and WA a couple of years ago so this will be a big trip for all of us.