Your worst nightmare: the Freddy Krueger of Bible Blogdom

David Ker, based on this post, regards me as the Freddy Krueger of biblical bloggers. I’m the blog behind the graphic with a guy who has a chainsaw ready to cut you to pieces.

Of course, I realize that this is the Ker’s way of thanking me for my blogging. I am one of the few bloggers that does not bore him to death. Rest assured, I plan to keep it that way.

A few issues tend to get people very worked up. My take on the issues means I get caught in the crossfire of the culture wars they instantiate. Examples include:

(1) The maximalist – minimalist debate. I’m in the middle, but I find it more entertaining to take on the minimalists. They like to make their mini-skirt as short as possible, in the hope of drawing attention to their curvaceous agenda. It’s fun to show how often they are really ostriches with their heads down a hole of their own making.

(2) The complementarian – egalitarian debate. Here I think respectful dialogue is the need of the hour. It’s hard to find. Posters obsessed with the evils of feminism as they understand them, or with  the evils of those who do not toe a particular feminist line (evangelical complementarians, the Catholic Church, orthodox versions of Judaism that encourage and support traditional gender roles) dominate many blogs and forums. I have dedicated numerous posts to the debate, and incurred the wrath of one or two very vocal people in the process. Here and here, a discussion of David Stein’s groundbreaking research. Here is a series on Sarah and Jim Sumner’s approach, one I find helpful from many points of view. A follow-up here and here. A wonderful voice in this debate: Mary Stewart van Leeuwen. Two excellent complementarian authors I discovered thanks to on-line friends: Gary Thomas and Emerson Eggerichs (discussion here, here, here, and here). In Hebrew Bible / Old Testament, the work of Carol Myers deserves the notice I gave it. Her research shows – but don’t tell anyone – that patriarchy is a misleading label to apply to antique cultures. Conversely, I point out, egalitarian is a misleading label to apply to modern cultures impacted by feminism. Here is a starter bibliography of two New Testament scholars I appreciate: Carolyn Osiek and Bonnie Thurston. They are examples of committed egal scholars who nonetheless refrain from twisting the biblical text to conform to their points of view.

(3) The Bible translation wars. I think it’s wonderful that we have so many translations, and so many kinds of translation theory that stand behind them. I favor reading the Bible in the original languages. Intelligent lay people and ministers are without excuse, so far as I’m concerned, insofar as they continue to kiss the bride through a heavy blanket. Find a teacher. Learn Hebrew. Learn Greek. Still, I know the languages fairly well, and continue to learn from the following English translations on an almost daily basis: NJPSV, NRSV, REB, NAB, and NJB; KJV, ESV, HSCB, (T)NIV, ISV, and NLT. All of these translations have strong points and recurrent, structural weaknesses. I am happy to come at anyone with a chainsaw should they pretend otherwise.

Comments

[Pastor Bob]

Much as I like this post, and agree with what you've said I have to say you get your horror flicks mixed. Freddy uses long steel fingernails to slash people. The chainsaw is from other films :)

[Justin Richter]

Actually the pic is an amalgam of three different horror films. You have Jason's mask, Freddy's shirt and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre guy's, well that's self explanatory. I guess your scary three times over.

I'm glad you found Father Stephen's blog. I have found the Eastern Church to be so rich in many ways,especially in their liturgy,eschatology, and high fashion. I just wish they were more missional.

[JohnFH]

Pastor Bob and Justin,

Thanks for the exegesis of David Ker's image. I had no idea.