Apocalyptic, Revelation, Daniel, and a Crazy Person

We are now approaching the final class of the Fall semester, and that means that we will be discussing the book of Revelation.  So, how should this book be read?  How about its close brother text in the Bible, Daniel?  Are these books decoder rings for the end times?

Take a look at how William Tapley, also known as the third eagle of the apocalypse and the co-prophet of the end times, reads the books of Revelation and Daniel. Oh, and don't forget the prophecy of Pope Leo XIII.



Is this how apocalyptic literature should be read?

Story and Robert McKee

I recently read a book by Donald Miller entitled A Million Miles in a Thousand Years.  It is a book about the importance of story for finding meaning in our lives.  Specifically, it is about finding out what makes stories compelling and then trying to incorporate those things into one's own life.  

In the book, Miller mentions Robert McKee.  McKee is a writer who teaches people to tell stories.  He is probably most familiar to the general public through his portrayal by Brian Cox in the 2002 film Adaptation.  McKee has written books for screen writers and gives seminars on how to write screenplays.  I ran across this quote of his about story and thought I would pass it along. 

"Stories are the creative conversion of life itself into a more powerful, clearer, more meaningful experience. They are the currency of human contact." — Robert McKee

Hyperbolic Rhetoric about the TSA screening procedures.

I have to admit, after listening to all of the hubbub over the new TSA screening procedures in the week leading up to SBL and Thanksgiving, I was concerned about taking the flight last Saturday morning.  I was flying from DFW to Atlanta and was not quite sure what to expect.  Would I have to go through what some are calling a "snoop porn" scanner?  Would I have to undergo "groping" by a frisky TSA agent. 

I must say, the rhetoric I heard the previous week on talk radio and television news programs did not come even close to my experience at the airports.  On Saturday, flying out of DFW they had a body scanner, but I saw no one walk through it.  I saw no one getting a pat down at all, let alone getting "groped."  Security seemed to be pretty much business as usual.  Shoes off, jacket off, pockets empty, laptop out of bag, through the metal detector, and on with my business.  No problem.

Leaving from Atlanta Hartsfield airport was pretty much the same experience.  The only difference was that I saw one guy have to go through the scanner.  And why was that?  Here is the conversation between this mid-forties business man and the TSA agent as best as I can remember it.

TSA Agent: Sir, are your pockets empty?
Man: Yes.
TSA Agent: Sir, I can see something in your back pocket.
Man: Oh, you mean my wallet?  (man takes out wallet)
TSA Agent: Sir, your pockets must be empty.  Please place your wallet in this bin.  Now, are your pockets empty?
Man: Yes.
TSA Agent:  Sir, what is that in your front pocket?
Man: (Takes out something I could not see), Oh, this?
TSA Agent: Sir, you pockets need to be EMPTY.  Sir, please step into the body scanner.

That was the only person I saw getting either scanned or patted down, and that was because he was being an uncooperative doofball.  So, in all, the rhetoric leading up to my two flights was incredibly inflated and hyperbolic to the extreme. 

I do not know about all of the issues concerning these new TSA screening procedures.  I am sure there are legitimate concerns on both sides.  But one thing is sure: in order to have a civil and productive conversation about this topic, the hyperbolic rhetoric must be dialed down.  As long as one side is merely yelling "pervert" at the TSA agents, constructive conversation will never be the result.  So, lets put a damper on the inflated rhetoric and start having a real conversation.  I mean really, do you think the TSA agents are getting a kick out of patting down sensitive areas.  Do you really think the TSA agent who looks at numerous metalic-looking naked images on a computer screen is really using these images fodder for sexual perversion?  No, these are just hard working Americans trying to do the best job they can to keep passengers and planes safe.  Are the scans and pat downs the best solution to our security problems?  I don't know, but I know that inflamed rhetoric that distorts the truth will not help the situation.

Home

It has been a long week of travel for me.  Last Friday night in Dallas, then an early Saturday morning flight to Atlanta for SBL.  Two nights in Atlanta and a late flight in on Monday night back home.  Then, a long drive to South Texas for Thanksgiving on Tuesday.  Three nights in the Valley, and then another long drive home Friday night. 

While I love traveling, there is nothing quite like home.  Last night was the first night I was able to fully enjoy how much I love being home.  I love the ratty old couch with a Keith shaped indention in it.  I love cuddling up to my wife and watching a good program on Netflix instant streaming.  I love our 20 pound lap kitty ransom firmly ensconced on my tummy.  I love watching the other kitties with their own idiosyncratic behavior.  I love sitting on the porch and enjoying a brisk Fall evening.  I love sitting at my antique roll top desk and hammering out a blog post.  I love being home.

E-Publishing and Biblioblogging

My favorite two sessions that I attended at this past weekend's SBL conference were entitled "E-Publish or Perish" and "The Past, Present, and Future of Blogging and Online Publication."  There was some overlap to the two sessions, but here are a couple of thoughts on the presentations.

First, a very good moral issue was raised by Ehud Ben Zvi of the University of Alberta with regard to where scholars choose to publish.  If one chooses to publish via traditional print (e.g., a $150 Brill volume), that publication will have limited access.  It will be limited to those with great personal resources or with access to rich libraries.  Both of these situations limit the access of scholarship to the privileged West.  On the other hand, publishing online with open access (i.e., free), opens this resource up to everyone with a computer and internet access.  Thus, non-western and scholars in lower GDP countries can now access these materials.  It is not as if money were the issue.  For these types of publications the author does not make significant profits.  Nor does the publisher.  Instead, the $150 per volume goes into the publishing costs for such a book with a low print run and limited audience.  I thought that this moral question was intriguing.

The second issue that was raised in both sessions by Christian Brady of Penn State was the concern that online publication, especially non-traditional online publication (e.g., an iPhone/Droid app, like an interactive textbook), might not be sufficient for promotion and tenure at universities.  To this end, Brady is proposing the formation of a review committee through the SBL that could serve as a peer review committee for such digital and online publications.  A tenure committee might have no expertise to review a professors work, be it a traditional publication or a digital or online publication; they must rely on professional peer review outside of their institution.  With traditional publication, the tenure committee relies on the specific academic press or journal to provide such peer review.  Brady is proposing a review committee through the SBL which would serve the same purpose of peer review for digital/online publications. 

The third fascinating issue was whether blogs should be considered scholarship.  The general consensus was that blogs in themselves are not (usually) scholarship because they lack peer review and anyone can publish in this format.  Yet, there was also consensus that blogs play a key role in scholarship as a sort of pre-scholarship. That is, blogs serve the creative process of data collection and analysis, collaboration, organization and so on. Blogs serve as testing centers for ideas and allow for academic conversation about ideas that can in many cases become the basis for later peer reviews scholarship and publication. Michael Barber of John Paul the Great Catholic University demonstrated how his blog was essential in his research and collaboration with other scholars as he completed his dissertation.

In all, the future of online publication holds tremendous promise, but as it is still in its infancy, there are still many kinks to work out and many pitfalls to avoid.  It looks like an exciting future.

SBL Bibliobloggers Dinner

The highlight of my weekend at SBL was certainly my chance to meet some of my favorite bibliobloggers at the Bibliobloggers dinner and the Bibliobloggers section. I got to eat dinner and have a conversation with James McGrath of Exploring Our Matrix. I got to shake hands and exchange a few words with J.R. Daniel Kirk of Storied Theology. Unfortunately I missed meeting Steve from Undeception. I heard he was at the bibliobloggers dinner but when I looked for him I could not find him.

I was too timid to talk to Mark Goodacre of NTBlog, not because I was a afraid to meet him, but I was pretty sure that if I started to talk with him I would annoyingly bombard him with questions on the Case against Q and its relation to my own current research. I thought it best to leave him be for the time.

I also met several other bloggers, including Darrel Pursiful at Dr. Platypus, Daniel and Tonya (sorry, forgot the last name), the husband and wife team at Hebrew and Greek Reader, and Paul Flesher at Religion Today.  It was great to talk with some of these fellow bloggers and pick their brains on why they blog, what platform they prefer, and what their areas of research are.

Baylor Football Recap

So, it is tempting to be discouraged after the last three games of Baylor football. We lost the last three, two of them by large margins. But, before I pull out the sackcloth and ashes, i think it would be good to put this season in perspective.

As a means of doing this, I would like to point to a preseason prediction by former Baylor Law School prof Mark Osler.

Let's see what he had to say.

"It takes a REAL optimist to think Baylor football is going to make a bowl game, and that's my prediction. Robert Griffin is back. The offensive line looks decent."

On those predictions he was right. We are going to a bowl, RGIII gkooked great, and our offensive line finally gave us a running game.

And more from Osler:

"As I figure it, there is a real chance at Baylor being 7-1 going into the Texas game. That 5-game stretch to end the season is a bear, but... up until then, the TCU game is the only one I see us most likely losing. Even if they start out 6-2, they still would have a chance to beat A & M at home to end up 7-5. Sic 'em!

Of course, the game to see this year in the Big 12 would be Texas/ Nebraska..."

Here Osler was right and wrong. We were 6-2 going into the Texas game and we finished 7-5. Where Osler really missed the mark was in predicting that UT would be s power this year. Instead they are in the conference Basement and A&M is the power. As for the game to see this year, it looks like the Oklahoma Oklahoma State game is the big one.

So, disappointment in this year, heck no. Ugh, what if... What if we had won the Tech game? What if we had shown up in the second half of the A&M game? But, no use crying over those losses. For the first time in a long time, we actually have a decent team, and we are going to a bowL, and Brooke and I will be there.