CBA Contest Winner

The winner of the NOAB NRSV is Joseph Volpe III. His number was selected using an online random number generator. Congrats Joseph! Please send me an email with your address and I will get your prize right out to you. Thanks to all of you who entered.

New Book: "Politicizing the Bible" by Hahn and Wiker

Politicizing the Bible: The Roots of Historical Criticism and the Secularization of Scripture 1300-1700 by Scott Hahn and Benjamin Wiker.

Resisting the typical, dry methods of contemporary scholarship, this powerful examination revisits the biblical days of life-and-death conflict, struggles for power between popes and kings, and secret alliances of intellectuals united by a desire to pit worldly goals against the spiritual priorities of the church. This account looks beyond the pretense of neutrality and objectivity often found in secular study, and brings to light the appropriation of scripture by politically motivated interpreters. Questioning the techniques taken for granted at divinity schools worldwide, their origins are traced to the writings of Machiavelli and Marsilio of Padua, the political projects of Henry VIII, Thomas Hobbes, and John Locke, and the quest for an empire of science on the part of Descartes and Spinoza. Intellectual and inspiring, an argument is made for bringing Christianity back to biblical literacy.

This title will be available any day now, published by The Crossroad Publishing Company.

Death of Walter J. Harrelson (1919-2012)

Walter Harrelson, biblical scholar, translator, and teacher, passed away on September 4th.  Most people who frequent this blog would know him through his work on the NRSV.  He was also the general editor of the well-received The New Interpreters' Study Bible (NRSV).  For more info about the man, you can go here.

A Song of Ascents.

¹

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. 

²

   Lord, hear my voice!

Let your ears be attentive

   to the voice of my supplications! 

³

If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,

   Lord, who could stand? 

⁴

But there is forgiveness with you,

   so that you may be revered. 

⁵

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,

   and in his word I hope; 

⁶

my soul waits for the Lord

   more than those who watch for the morning,

   more than those who watch for the morning. 

⁷

O Israel, hope in the Lord!

   For with the Lord there is steadfast love,

   and with him is great power to redeem. 

⁸

It is he who will redeem Israel

   from all its iniquities. 

                                                                     -Psalm 130 (NRSV)

SBP's Catholic Courses: The Christ

I recently acquired Fr. Alfred McBride's course The Christ from Saint Benedict Press.   As I begin to prepare for my second year as an instructor with the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan, which will focus on the synoptic Gospels, Acts, and Paul's Letters, this course was a nice reminder of some of the more important themes which are found in the four Gospels.  All 8 lectures, which averaged 25 minutes in length, were filled with engaging insights into the mind of each Evangelist.  I definitely recommend this lecture series.  A video introduction to this course can be viewed here.

As the course description points out: "Each of the four Gospels highlights a different aspect of Christ's personality, nature and mission. Father McBride, named one of the top religious educators of the 20th Century, shows how each evangelist presents a unique perspective of Christ, and that only through study of all four Gospels can we arrive at a complete picture of the Lord. Father McBride begins with an examination of Matthew's Gospel, which shows in fascinating detail Jesus' fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy and His inauguration of the Kingdom of God. In Mark, we hear the call to discipleship, the invitation to the narrow road of a Christian life. Luke, writing to a Gentile world, shows us Christ in his humanity, while John reveals his glory and divinity. By considering all four evangelists together, Father McBride shows us Jesus as He was known by his closest disciples and helps us to know Him like never before."

In addition to the course, which can be purchased in audio or video format, a very well put together full-color guidebook is included.  It contains additional information and study questions.

Fr. McBride also has done a study on the Book of Revelation. 

If interested, you can acquire these fine Catholic Courses through the below link:
Catholic Courses - Engage Your Faith Today!

Semi-Regular Weekly Poll

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CBA Contest

I am happy to let you all know that I have been accepted as an associate member of the Catholic Biblical Association.  So, in honor of this news, I am going to offer a spur-of-the-moment contest.  The winner will receive a hardcover edition of the 1991 (1994) New Oxford Annotated Bible w/ Apocrypha (NRSV) edited by Metzger and Murphy.  This volume is in very good shape, with only a slight bit of highlighting found in 1 John.  (I found this at a used bookstore.)  One of the unique components of this edition of the NOAB is the very generous 1 inch margins on each page for personal notes.  Many have remarked that this is perhaps the best edition of the NOAB, along with the RSV edition.  (Unlike the RSV one, this contains a concordance.)

Here are the rules:

All you need to do to enter is simply to put your name in the comment section of this post.  You may enter only once.  No anonymous entries will be considered. The winner will be randomly drawn at the end of the contest, which will be Saturday, September 8th at 11:59PM. This contest is open to anyone in North America. (Sorry again to my loyal readers in the rest of the world.) Also, if you have a blog and would like to advertise this contest, it would be much appreciated. I will announce the winner on Sunday. 

Back to School Sale at Logos

Logos is offering, for a limited time, discounts on collections from two of modernity’s greatest theologians: Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, and Hans Urs von Balthasar. Whether you’re a current student or scholar or you’re simply looking to extend your faith education, this is your chance to save big while learning even bigger.

Use coupon code B2SBXVI to save on the Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI Collection (14 vols.). One of our time’s most revered Catholic scholars, theologians, teachers, and authors, Benedict XVI will have you pulling all-nighters even though there won’t be an exam tomorrow.

The Hans Urs von Balthasar Collection (16 vols.) is a similar treasure trove of Catholic theology, sure to bring you insight, whether you’re wanting to discover new theological ideas or seeking a deeper understanding of Christology, eschatology, Mariology, soteriology, and ontology. And with coupon code B2SHANS, you can get this thought-provoking collection on a student’s budget.