deconstructing theodicy

David B. Burrell, Deconstructing Theodicy (Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2008).

One nugget that I spotted at SBL Boston is this small examination of Job by Notre Dame philosophy professor, David Burrell.  What especially stood out to me is captured in the subtitle: "Why Job Has Nothing to Say to the Puzzle of Suffering".  Although I would hesitate to use nothing here (it is a vast overstatement, especially from a professional philosopher), this gave me the indication that the perspective here would certainly be on the right path (N.B., Job is about wisdom, for those wanting to play the home version).  It would certainly follow that if Job's suffering was the vehicle for the discussion of wisdom, there most likely is something to be said to the puzzle of suffering . . . let's not count it out just yet.  The book is light by weight (only 125 pages of text), but does contain some heavy thoughts.

The first four chapters provide an overview and brief reading of Job.  I must say that Burrell gets it completely right on this (perhaps some more seasoned scholars will find a few minor divergences), seeing Job appropriately as a narrative meant to carry a discussion of true wisdom in the world.  Burrell is careful to respect the genre here, and allows the storytelling to emerge along with the discussion.  For example, "The prologue has completed its task once Job's palpable affliction has brought this archetypal figure down to earth" (26).

Further, Burrell sees the speeches given by Job's friends for what they are meant to represent - poorly constructed theology packaged in pithy statements designed to give comfort to themselves rather than discuss the pain of Job: "Eliphaz purports to know all about the ways of the Lord, yet axioms distilled from traditional narratives carefully avoid addressing Job's plight" (28).  Going from bad to worse, he captures the words of Eliphaz in ch. 22 with, "Prefacing with, 'Is not your wickedness great?  There is no end to your guilt' (22:5), he goes on to rewrite the life story that God had recounted to Satan to laud Job" (38).  These are all necessary points to understanding the narrative which most readers simply do not understand.  Overall Burrell gets the narrative reading right, though it would have been good to see a bit more emphasis on Job's repentance in ch. 34 than is given here.

As for the rest of the book, you are either interested in the subject matter or you are not.  There is not a whole lot to endear those who do not already have a desire to follow the issues which are presented.  Chapter 5 is an essay presented by A. H. Johns, "A Comparative Glance at Ayyub in the Qur'an".  Though some will find value here, from my perspective as a biblical theologian I did not find much fruit for understanding Job.  Chapter 6 then goes to examine classical commentaries on the book (Saadiah, Maimonides, Aquinas, and Gersonides).  I confess that I do not quite understand why these four alone without other regard for church history.

The final two chapters discuss Job's contribution to theodicy.  Burrell suggests that Job has little to offer in terms of theodicy, speaking now from a biblical-philosophical perspective.  And he means this to be understood in the classical and common way of understanding theodicy.  What he does note, however, is the role of the narrative in exposing such pat answers to suffering as a lack of wisdom and understanding: "For the only ones who attempt to explain Job's plight are his friends-turned-tormentors" (123, emphasis in original).  But what then is the proper theodicy in which to place Job?  Though Burrell does mention, ". . . there is literally no distance at all between creature and creator if the very being of every creature is a 'being-to' its source" (133), he does not present a solid theodicy on its own.  And this is not the main point of the book, I understand, but to simply place Job in proper context.  This decision, though, leaves the reader a bit lacking in the final pages.

For a fuller treatment of the nature of theodicy, see W. Hasker's recent work.

grasshoppers:dreaming:review

This would be a good addition for those looking to teach/preach/explain Job's message, but otherwise holds to a quite limited field of interest for the latter half.

unfrozen caveman biblical theologian

This last week and a half have been a wild ride, courtesy of the weather.  Just a few days before Christmas an ice storm knocked out our electricity, sending us out of our home for a night.  However, twice has the internet tower from which I get my signal been knocked over by strong winds and ice.  Along with the celebrations of Christmas (family and church), this has brought my blogging to a halt.

Not to overspiritualize the situation, while the loss of electric is never welcome the loss of the internet became its own blessing.  Once the initial panic of being 'cut-off' from the outside world wore off (about 20 minutes), it was nice to be able to focus on those things which are right in front of me and to be able to listen a bit more without all the streaming noise which I find online.  And it could not have come at a better time of year.  There was also the added benefit of reading through some of my SBL Boston purchases, some of which I will discuss here - always a good end-of-year-break-in-the-action activity.

So against many Christmas hopes and wishes, I continue on with the blogging.  Until somebody sneezes near the internet tower.  For the Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer . . .

santa claus

:by comedian Daren Streblow

the gospel of ruth

Carolyn Custis James, The Gospel of Ruth (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008).

One of the books which I grabbed at SBL Boston was this one from the Zondervan table. I had seen a brief notice about the title beforehand, but really wasn't planning on this one until I flipped through it for a few seconds on the exhibition floor.  It obviously looked like an interesting read, and it certainly did not disappoint.

Overall this book would do well in either a small group (or Sunday School) setting, or be used for sermon work as it is well grounded in historical data and responsible hermeneutic along with a continuous application of the material to the modern reader.  James works hard to make sure that as we approach Ruth we connect with the realities and emotions which permeate the story.

Of central thesis to understanding "The Gospel of Ruth" is that God is the central character - the main hero - of the story.  This, according to James, is what allows this story to be relegated to the level of the Old Testament's romance novel or a nice vignette about how strong women can survive until the men come along and save them.  James instead wishes the reader to see how each of the main characters lives up to the gospel of God's grace and goodness through their willingness to "break the rules" of culture and convention in the progression of the story.  On this the author introduces the theme of hesed, and rightly so as it is one of the central tenets of Hebrew theology.  James' discussion on hesed is centered upon the actions of the characters, a point of emphasis which comes up repeatedly in her descriptions of "the hesed way of doing things" (e.g. 150).

Another point of success for this reading of Ruth is that it never allows the reader to take the story and find an over-spiritualized rendering which produces shallow faith.  One encounters a real-life drama in these pages - even coming from God's hesed - which reminds us that difficult circumstances still break into our lives and challenge our entire understanding of providence.  Further, James is quick to remind us that lives driven by hesed are not necessarily (and often are not) the easy path.  In a refreshing reading of the threshing room floor which does not get bogged down with what did and did not happen (between two upright characters, mind you), the author instead focuses on the tension which fills the scene and brings us within inches of certain disaster: ". . . Yahweh's people are perpetually confronted with difficult situations and choices" (147).

By the time James reaches the go'el portion of the story, the reader has a new understanding of what the narrative is seeking to accomplish.  Again we are reminded that God is the true hero of the story, and all three characters have an important role in the progression of salvation history.  All have something to lose, something to give up for another, and a world to gain.  All in all I would recommend this book, not only for those who want to read devotionally, but also as a fresh and down-to-earth refresher for the academic community as well (especially those who find themselves teaching Ruth).

brennan manning on god's love

church basement really awesome apocalyptic B movie festival (part three)

MOVIE THREE: Left Behind II: Tribulation Force (2002)

In this can't-wait-not-to-see follow up to the destined-to-be-a-cult-classic Left Behind I: We've Been Left Behind, Rayford, Buck and Chloe head into the wilds of the great tribulation armed with their Daniel & Revelation misreadings and a plot made of swiss-cheese.  Though it feels like an eternity for those who are trying to follow this story, the movie begins one week after the mysterious disappearances of millions around the world.  Clearly, this antichrist is much more organized than were previous attempts to rule the world within the sphere of cbraaBmovies (cf. A Thief in the Night).

SYNOPSIS:

While the antichrist, Nicolae Carpathia (who still should have been better cast, maybe Meatloaf?), has become largely adored and leads without question by most of the world there remains a ragtag band of post-rapture believers who are not swayed by his ability to command audiences by his rhetoric.  [N.B., this plot has absolutely nothing to do with 2008 general election politics.]  The main character, Buck (Kirk Cameron), has sidled up to the antichrist in an attempt to keep an eye on him and secure opportunities for taking pot-shots at the global takeover for this lame 'Tribulation Force" (c'mon, it's not like their the Delta Force or anything. . .maybe if they had signed Chuck Norris they could call themselves a force).  And to help Buck with his anti-antichrist activity, Rayford has been appointed to be the antichrist's personal pilot.

In a rather literal rendering of Revelation 11, the two witnesses who are hanging out around the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem breathe fire on military troops who try to take down a few members of the Tribulation Force while they are on a recruiting assignment.  Evidently they feel that since the antichrist has a Jewish expert in his corner (Chaim), they need a Jewish expert in their corner (Tsion ben Judah, whose name just sounds made up).  This is to fulfill the overstated eschatological premise often found in Scripture that the only chance to win this thing is to have a Jewish expert and/or scientist on your side.

Here is the trailer. . .

REVIEW:

Where to begin?  I only saw this movie once and it clocks in at only 94 minutes, yet it felt longer than the unextended Lord of the Rings saga.  And this means that I might get some of the details wrong, but will still be able to give you an accurate description.  There is, believe it or not, one particular scene which almost lends some credence and credibility to the movie. . .but it can't help but shooting itself in the foot.  Rayford is doing some heavy evangelism while on suicide watch with one of his buddies.  The discussion at this point of the movie is actually alright, until Rayford had to go and utter the phrase: "you need to trade that gun for God."  If you must see it for yourself, it is here.  Perhaps next time he could just share a copy of The Purpose Driven Life or something.

Also, on this idea of a tribulation force. . .not only do they not have Chuck Norris, they don't have any biblical support for the notion that a band of believers is summoned to fight against the powers of the world by using the powers of the world.  In fact, the whole of Scripture (especially Revelation) is the precise opposite of this notion - we are to overcome through our faithfulness to the gospel and our imitation of Christ via sacrificial service.  This is seen in the movie through Chloe's volunteering at the shelter and Bruce's work through the church, but these are seen as minor subplots which are vastly overshadowed by the work of taking down the antichrist (who should have been cast better, perhaps Jean-Claude Van Damme?).

o, final-baum

'Tis the season for final exams, and this whole week is devoted to such weeping and gnashing of teeth around the university where I teach (and that's just the grading process).  Today I administered the first of three, and the only one to be completely essay-based - yes, a blue book exam.  Speaking of blue books, I noticed that our particular brand (the one pictured here) has the slogan "Use Your Imagination" across the top. . .for an examination booklet.  The only other approach would be to study, I guess.

Here are the top three [unedited] comments offered this time around in my class on the Book of Revelation:

3. Date: "Only if you pay and we don't go mini golfing"

2. "Since this paragraph has seven sentences, it is the most complete answer ever written."

1. "On a final note, Revelation is not a word-for-word account of what is to come.  There is no biblical support for the Rapture, and The Office is a great TV show.  Thank you and goodnight, sir."

Believe it or not, all three of these gentlemen received an A for the exam (and the course).

solving the immersion debate

While doing some reading today I ran across an interesting case for immersion baptism as a biblical mandate.  It comes from Jeremias Felbinger (1616-@1687) and his community of Polish Brethren.  In 1661 he published a Christian Handbook (Christliches Hand-Büchlein), over half of which is devoted to the subject of baptism.

He begins with, "To baptize and to immerse are one in the same. . ."  So far nothing new or particularly exciting about this position; his statement reflects typical anabaptist thought for this period.  What strikes me is where he takes his argument, via an exposition of the baptism which John administered and which was endorsed by Jesus himself.  Felbinger concludes that if John was interested in sprinkling a little bit of water on the foreheads of the repentant, he would not have needed to choose a location with so much water!

It won't do much to argue with that kind of logic.  The only questions which really remain are the further spiritual implications of the amount of water at any given baptism.  That is, does more water and a deeper, more prolonged immersion have anything to do with the spiritual connotations or the level of spiritual experience during the ordinance?

And, does it support Tilling's notion?

UPDATE: It seems that I speak too soon, because Chris Tilling is obviously back on the road with a need to convert the lost via large puddles remnant from heavy downpours. . .

required sbl book posting

It seems that everyone who attended SBL and who has a blog is now sharing their book purchases.  I could offer mine, but it is rather long to type in and I figure it doesn't really benefit anyone but me. . .so, no.  I do want to make the annual review comments regarding the exhibition floor (book tables) and identify my take on the winners and losers.

1. The biggest plus for the book floor this year was that it was the place for me to run into people I know as well as interacting with a few other top scholars, some of whom I met for the first time and others who are friends of friends.  Oh, yes, I did meet The Bishop on the sales floor (did I ever mention that?). . .and I think that places me at 4-0 over Tilling, who has strangely been avoiding any attempts from me to contact him.

2. I resisted (again) to rip into the Walter de Gruyter book table for producing volumes which no student can really afford (though many of us buy them anyway), which are riddled with typos and grammatical errors.  Perhaps I will do this when I can accurately chew them out in German, or have Jim West to translate it into some concoction of earthly linguistics reminiscent of Reformation era sanctified mudslinging.

3. Of the five major American publishers I thought that Baker Books had the biggest splash (and accordingly spent the most money there), while IVP left much to be desired this time around.  I know these are quite subjective at the end of the day, but as a former academic bookstore general manager I'm trying to be as fair as possible.  Eerdmans probably had the biggest gap of unfulfilled hope with the delayed publication of a few really good looking volumes, most noticeably Dunn's forthcoming (are they trying to make sure we all buy it at full price?  Conspiracy.).

4. I wanted to buy the three volume set of Goldingay's commentary on the Psalms.  Volume One was sold out while the other two remained.  This led me to buy the latter volumes reluctantly as I fear that perhaps things go downhill drastically after the first volume and I'm the only one who doesn't know about it.

5. Appreciation is also directed somewhat to Continuum/T&T Clark for giving somewhat of a break on their volumes (JSNTS/LNTS), which means I could by two books for the same price as buying 15 at Baker (minor hyperbole).  There was some discount, sure, but the racket still remains and right now too many of us hold these published theses as must-haves - I'm racking up my share of these (should I up my renter's insurance every time I buy three of these?).

6. I went with Accordance.  I know that Logos has something going, but the Accordance guy said they were better so I went with him.  It's a no brainer when the guy outright tells you his product is better than the other guy's.  (For the record: the Logos guy NEVER said his was better than Accordance. . .I never asked either of them directly.)

7. Because my wife works for FedEx I shipped my two big boxes of books home, kept one out for the plane ride, and have already decided that it completely sucks.  One down.  If anyone wants a book on Christian Education and Spiritual Formation that is a complete waste of time (and has my name in the front), just let me know!