Sat Oct 26 13:05:38 1996

From owner-tc-list  Sat Oct 26 13:05:38 1996
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Date: Sat, 26 Oct 1996 12:59:23 -0400 (EDT)
From: Maurice Robinson 
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Subject: Re: E. C. Colwell--A Maverick?
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On Fri, 25 Oct 1996, Jim West wrote:

> Since no one has so far come to the side of Aland I feel it incumbent upon
> myself to do so.  

I do not think that it was Aland's massive research which was being
criticized, but the limitations of the UBS apparatus.  Other criticisms of
Aland similarly have not deprecated his massive labor in assembling the
microfilm collection at Muenster, nor the publication of useful
statistical data in the _Text und Textwert_ series, as well as in other
publications (mostly from Water deGruyter in Berlin).  These will indeed
stand the test of time.

Rather, the only other criticism of Aland has been in regard to his
theories of textual transmission and reconstruction ("hypotheses which
still remain to be verified"), which likely will undergo significant
revision by his successors over the coming years.  In this respect --
theory only -- I would postulate that Colwell will remain more highly
regarded than Aland by future generations. 

> To call the work of Kurt Aland egregious is horribly unfair and quite
> untrue.  Thus, in spite of comments to the contrary, Aland's work will in
> the long run prove to be far more valuable than Colwell's.

Keeping it in the context of the near-universal critique of the UBS
edition (and even I still ask why it continues to be published), the
complaint is valid, and I do not think reflects on Aland's other work, for
which we all should be thankful.


_________________________________________________________________________
Maurice A. Robinson, Ph.D.           Professor of Greek and New Testament
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary     Wake Forest, North Carolina
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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