I should be getting hardship pay for having to travel to San Diego for theological meetings (Evangelical Theological Society). Watching the news this past week, one can only wish that these meetings were in Buffalo. This actually might have been helpful. I could not help but notice a number of attendees hanging out under the palms during the indoor presentations. I am sure there were important conversations taking place, ranging from the normative value of contextualized doctrine, to ordo and ecclesial identity, to the sale going on right now at REI (30% off full price items until Sunday).
But for the committed, for the truly faithful, there were papers to be presented and heard. I wish I could have been in every one, especially those that made my annual “Most Irrelevant Awards”. In fairness, because I did not attend these particular presentations, there is an outside chance these were some of the most scintillating, life changing papers of the conference. My guess is that the authors certainly felt that way. I know I do when I present a paper. So…here they are, in no necessary order:
Hang Him upon a Tree-Implement and Bodily Suspension in Egypt, the ANE, and the Hebrew Bible (seems a good read for the post-holiday depression)
What’s It Like to be a Dthat; Kaplanian Themes, Alstonian Bare Particulars and Augustinian (Trinitological) Replies to Euthyphro? (I wonder what it is like, and I am hoping to find out soon)
Creative and Foundational Strategies for Arguing that Christianity is Irrational: A Response (I have every confidence what was shared was rational)
Parchments and Palimpsests: a Taxonomy of Literary Devices in the First and Second Degree as it Relates to Inner-Biblical Allusion (I did not present this year, but if I did, I was thinking of challenging this position)
The Prosodic Characteristics of the Divisions by the Tiberian Accentuating System (I think this would timely, especially with where Village is at)
Theocratic Anthropology & the ‘Significant’ Self: Implications for Therapeutic Relating (my colleague, psychologist Dr. Norm Thiesen will explain this to me Monday)
Extreme Makeover: Human Edition: How Nor Cal and So Cal Problematize the Body (in remarkably different ways) (I hated missing this one. As a former Californian, I believe this paper could explain some of my issues)
Darkness in the Light: The Evangelical Propagation Instability in the Burned-Over District (what?)
How the Mishkan becomes the ‘Ohel Mo’ed: The Literary Function of Leviticus 24:1-9 (I am thinking that Leviticus will be my next series, and this could hold the keys to understanding the book)
On Feeding the “Theologically Dead”–Rethinking Robert Rakestraw on the Vegetative State (?????)
Old Self, New Self, False Self, True Self: The Complexity of the Christian Self (I want to have a long talk about this with Heather)
Other notables worthy of the consolation round:
The ‘Weeping Prophet’ and the ‘Pouting Prophet’ in Dialogue: Intertextual Connections Between Jeremiah and Jonah
A Paleographical Analysis of the Ordekburnu Inscription
The Bad Ending of Ezra-Nehemiah
Pro-Homosexual Arguments Regarding Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia, Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome and Homosexuality as an Immutable Trait: A Brief Christian Ethical Analysis (this one will be helpful as our church updates our position on same sex issues)
I can hardly wait for Atlanta 2015. In the meantime, I am considering weekly readings of these and other papers around the fireplace at Village. We are a community in pursuit of truth, and I am guessing it will be standing room only.
sewcreative
You make me laugh! Yes it is tough living here in San Diego….I so wish that I could have enjoyed those intellectual papers that you described above, but alas, your wife, mom and I had to suffer through going to Old Town, Julian and various other places to console ourselves for missing out on the fun you were having. Maybe next time. NOT!