Subject: Re: New TR

From: Jim West <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 07 May 1997 15:56:30 -0500 (EST)

Andrew suggested that TC is indeed a self contained scholarly enterprise.  I
would simply offer the folloiwng dictum from R. Bultmann (whom I believe to
be right in most instances):

Unsere Kirche hat den Laien viel von Kritik und Wissenschaft vorenthalten
und muss das Versaeumte schnell nachholen, wenn sie nicht bitter buessen
will... Aber Hand in Hand mit den Laienkreisen wird auch die Theologie viel
weiter kommen als allein.

Jim

+++++++++++++++++++++++
Jim West, ThD
Pastor, Petros Baptist Church
[email-masked]

 "Si hoc legere scis nimium eruditionis habes!"

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From: ANDREW SMITH <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 7 May 1997 16:40:33 -0400 (EDT)

I agree with Bultmann's view - which is why I think that the Church
shouldn't expend its resources on lots of TC type activities.
Professional scholarship is like bowling or fishing - nice passtimes.
While I'm happy to collect a paycheck for analyzing Goethe's use of the
subjunctive, I'd never confuse it with productive activity.  And I'd never
expect my church to subsidize any such thing.  The has practical business
to attend to: feeding the poor, preaching the Gospel.  Hence I devote my
evenings and weekends to such.  The academic needs of the church center
around the interpretation of text for practical decisions; this is
contrasted with the academic study of text for the sake of studying text.
Many academics would be happy to study any text.

We had a discussion on this list a month or two ago about NT TC and other
kinds of TC. NT TC is more marketable, because there is a reading public
interested in the NT for reasons of faith.  But the TC enterprise itself
is happy to study text for the sake of study.