Here’s a link to my opening presentation for the Old Testament as Literature course I’m teaching this semester.  It was entitled “The Old Testament All Around you.”  It was supposed to be a fun presentation, just to get across the point that studying the Old Testament in an academic setting at the very least makes us better critics or consumers of modern culture.  It’s made using a presentation program called Prezi, which has both an online and desktop option.  If you want to try it out, creating your presentations online is FREE for anyone who is a teacher.  You just have to provide them with an email address that looks like it’s from an educational institution and click a link in a confirmation email.

The frames were just jumping off points for me to talk about these particular topics.

Btw, I’d recommend scrolling over the word “More” and clicking full screen view.  You move through the presentation by pressing the right arrow on your keyboard and back by using the left arrow (or by clicking the arrows they have on screen if you are not in full screen view).  You zoom in on items (i.e. the videos, pictures, etc.) by clicking them with your mouse.

Tags: Old Testament All Around You, Prezi

Again, no surprises here …

*** Joel Watts ***

is BiblioBlogger of the month …

Just kidding .  It was really …

*** Jim West ***

again.

Not much else to say right now, or really that I can say right now…  Like many of you my teaching just started for the semester …At any rate, check out where you are.

* And, by the way, please make sure before you email me that you are checking your Alexa “ONE MONTH” stats before you comment or email me that you are not ranked where you should be.  Not trying to be ugly, but this happens at least once a month.  The rankings that you see at the bottom of your website are your three month stats.  It may be that the stats are genuinely wrong, though I’m not sure why.  But, please double check them before you email

Tags: Biblioblog Top 50, Biblioblogs

Congratulations to everyone on the list … this essentially means that you are popular.  So, this song goes out to all of you, but especially to

***JIM WEST***

who has done it again.

Sorry Joel.  You are still number 2.

And, now check everyone else out too (Sorry, there’s actually 51 – forgot to add Marc Cortez from last month who debuts at #5. Everybody else push yourself down one):

Tags: Biblioblog Top 50, Biblioblogs

I saw every one doin the I right like thing.  So I though I’d give it a trie.  It toll me I right lick Joel Watts.  I cant figur out why, specially sense hes alwyas makin fun of me.

Tags: Spoof

Well, I took last month off.  I know it was very hard to get on without me, but I’m back to it this month.  You may have noticed how much I have dropped in the rankings.  Because I know that’s why all of you check … “Where is Jeremy at in the rankings this month?”  Don’t worry about me.  I’ll be fine … Joel on the other hand will never be alright … For the third month in a row he is in the #2 spot behind …. imagine drums rolling …

*** Jim West ***

Check out where everyone else is too …

Tags: Biblioblog Top 50, Biblioblogs

So I went in this morning for a television interview for Catholic Life Television in Baton Rouge. It was my first time to be filmed for a tv segment and was a really fun experience. It was a pleasure to meet Dina Martinez who did the interviewing and Chad Babin (I think I remember that correctly though I’m not certain about the spelling) who did the filming. I was a bit nervous going in, but getting to chat with them for a few minutes ahead of time in front of the camera before the taping started really helped.
The interview was for a series on Catholic identity and the topic was how to study scripture. I’ll let you know when the segment runs in case any readers are in a location where you can watch … that is if you want to.

Tags: Jeremy, Me

Original image here

Well, not really … nothing really changed at all.  Jim is still angry.  Joel is still a dufus.  And, all is right with the world … unless you’re Jim, then everyone’s depraved and there’s very little right with the world.

Anyway, I’m hoping to pick my blogging back up a bit and I’m working on another blog project now that I’ll announce shortly.  #1 BiblioBlogger slot here I come … if you’re into that sort of thing.

Tags: End of the World, Jeremy, Jim West, Joel Watts, Me

I recently received the Cornerstone Biblical Commentary 9 (=CBC), Volume 6 on Job, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs in the mail from Adam Sabados (you can follow him and Tyndale house on Twitter).   I will give a brief mention of the authors and talk a bit more about the contents mixed in with a few of my own personal impressions.

The Job section was written by August Konkel and the Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs sections by Tremper Longman III.  For information on Konkel see HERE and for Longman see HERE.  Both authors are well credentialed and qualified to be writing on their respective books, though I should state up front that I found the volume a bit uneven as I thought the sections written by Longman were a bit stronger than the one written by Konkel.  No offense intended though, the Job section was still good.

In terms of the contents, I might offer a comparison.  The CBC reminds me of the Expositor’s Bible Commentary with regard to the extent (i.e. length) of comments, but with a different focus that is reflected in the layout.  The comments are focused on communicating the theological message of sections of the Biblical books rather than on smaller details, though there is some focus on detail in the “notes” sections.  Thus, the commentary does not move through verse by verse in the same way that some others do.  This may appeal to some readers and not to others.

The commentary is decidedly evangelical in outlook.  I think an example of this is found in Konkel’s insistence on making sure that he is not ruling out that Job may have been a real person: “The phrase translated ‘There once was a man’ does not imply that Job is a literary creation, as the English expression ‘Once upon a time’ does” (p. 29).  I didn’t get the feel from the introduction that this was a major issue for Konkel as he talks about the timelessness of the story.  And, I cannot for the life of me understand why anyone would care about matters like that, but I guess it might be an issue for some potential readers.

With that said, I still found the commentary useful as a non-evangelical.  The authors are familiar with critical scholarship and bring it into the discussion when needed.  There are adequate parenthetical notes and good bibliographies for each book.

Particularly helpful are the introductory sections to each of the Biblical books.  In a day when generalists are very difficult to find, good introductions to Biblical books written by people who are experts on those particular books are always helpful.  The introductions in the CBC certainly fall into this category.

As an overall appraisal, I would recommend the volume to pastors and lay people.  I’m not sure that it would make the cut for students, but perhaps that is too much to expect of one volume.  It would be valuable for those who developing sermons or study lessons in a church setting.

Tags: August Konkel, Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, Ecclesiastes, Job, Review, Song of Songs, Tremper Longman

On the eve of my vacation I got some great news.

Looks I will be teaching two courses related to the Old Testament come this fall. Still have to get some transcripts in and forms filled out, but I would be teaching a course through Loyola University in New Orleans and one through the Diocese of Baton Rouge in conjunction with St Joseph’s Abbey and Seminary college. The one through St Joseph’s spans the whole year so it will be like teaching one and a half classes in the fall.

In addition I will be able to start offering some certification courses through my diocese starting this summer. And that may be an ongoing opportunity.

Super excited to be back in the classroom while still being able to serve in my church parish. The best of both worlds.

Tags: Jeremy, Me

There won’t be any, or at least not on time.  I just didn’t want you to panic the day the rankings are supposed to be posted.  I’m going on vacation starting on May 29th and returning on June 6th.

I’m not sure how some of you will survive the time without me.  I suppose you could read someone else’s blog, someone who might blog more than I do anyway.  But, I’m not your psychiatrist.  You’ll have to work through the time without me on your own.

Tags: Biblioblog Top 50, Jeremy, Me