SBL-Rome was a blast. It's impossible not to have fun bumming around Rome, especially if you know the language and a few of the town's nooks and crannies (I was a student at the Biblicum and the Waldensian School of Theology a few moons ago). It's impossible not to have fun taking skeptics to a "bar" near the Pantheon where they serve the best "granita al caffé" in the world, "con panna." The skeptics eat their words. I especially enjoyed watching Phil Sumpter of Narrative and Ontology as he downed the best ice cream in the world at La Palma and Giolitti. His knees wobbled at the brute force.
Rome is superlative. Its tropical climate transforms it into a first-class sauna in the heat of summer, but this is offset by the best drinking water in the world, which gushes forth into all open mouths from street-side spigots.
Rome is a magnet for people of the most diverse self-presentation. I love parades. Rome is full of peacocks on parade. Perfectly clad Capuchin friars and immaculately dressed sisters of the order of Mother Theresa. Even when a member of a Catholic order dresses in "civilian clothes," their sanctified notion of what civvies consist of gives them away. The way they walk, the way they smile: it has brand-name recognition. In the eyes of this worldly Protestant, one of the most appealing things about the self-presentation of many Catholic biblical scholars is the way their life, faith, and scholarship form a seamless garment.
Rome is a people watchers' paradise of another, more mundane sort. The amount of eye candy that struts its stuff in via del Corso and Piazza di Spagna is simply overwhelming. But I admit I find it even more interesting to observe the steady stream of young people from all over the world who make their way to the incredibly baroque and kitschy little church off of Largo Santa Susanna to stare in awe and wonder at Bernini's fabulous St. Theresa in Ecstasy. The eyes of these pilgrims are not turned on themselves, Narcissus-like, like the eyes of so many of the world's "beautiful people." Their eyes are turned outward. They are on a quest. What are they finding? A question, I think, students of biblical literature need to ask, in some form or fashion.
To be continued.
Rome is a magnet for people of the most diverse self-presentation. I love parades. Rome is full of peacocks on parade. Perfectly clad Capuchin friars and immaculately dressed sisters of the order of Mother Theresa. Even when a member of a Catholic order dresses in "civilian clothes," their sanctified notion of what civvies consist of gives them away. The way they walk, the way they smile: it has brand-name recognition. In the eyes of this worldly Protestant, one of the most appealing things about the self-presentation of many Catholic biblical scholars is the way their life, faith, and scholarship form a seamless garment.
Rome is a people watchers' paradise of another, more mundane sort. The amount of eye candy that struts its stuff in via del Corso and Piazza di Spagna is simply overwhelming. But I admit I find it even more interesting to observe the steady stream of young people from all over the world who make their way to the incredibly baroque and kitschy little church off of Largo Santa Susanna to stare in awe and wonder at Bernini's fabulous St. Theresa in Ecstasy. The eyes of these pilgrims are not turned on themselves, Narcissus-like, like the eyes of so many of the world's "beautiful people." Their eyes are turned outward. They are on a quest. What are they finding? A question, I think, students of biblical literature need to ask, in some form or fashion.
To be continued.
I was able to go to Rome for the first time a couple years ago. It was amazing! Most places I visit I tend to think are nice places to visit, but I think I could just stay and live in Rome.
Posted by: Jared | July 07, 2009 at 12:17 PM
Did you meet or run across any of my Baylor professors: Jim Nogalski or Joel Burnett? Both presented at the meeting. Dr. Nogalski is also a reader on my dissertation.
Posted by: John Anderson | July 07, 2009 at 07:49 PM
I can tell you right now: the young people flocking to Bernini's statue are on the 'Angels & Demons' tour. Sad but true.
Posted by: Aaron Taylor | July 08, 2009 at 01:41 AM
It was nice to meet you there John!
Posted by: tommy wasserman | July 08, 2009 at 04:02 PM
Sorry to have missed you, John. Hadn't realized you were there until reading this :(
Posted by: Mark Goodacre | July 10, 2009 at 07:09 AM
John, you made that conference for me, and it wasn't just the ice-cream! Thanks again and till the next time :)
Posted by: Phil Sumpter | July 10, 2009 at 03:20 PM
Now that I'm back from vacation, I'm hoping to find some time to blog more about SBL Rome.
I made a lot of new friends and reconnected with old ones, but didn't connect with John Anderson's professors, or with countless others.
Aaron,
That's an interesting observation. However, I remember a steady stream of visitors to Bernini's sculpture the very first time I saw it myself, in 1981 or 82.
Posted by: JohnFH | July 17, 2009 at 04:45 PM
John,
What happened to your sidebar links to all the passages you've translated? We used that often.
D&T
Posted by: danielandtonya | July 20, 2009 at 02:47 AM
Hi D & T,
Glad to know you have found them helpful. The links are still there, in the sense that they are found under the link at "Bible Reference Index." But that is a misleading title. Plus, the index is far from complete. I've got a lot of updating to do.
Posted by: JohnFH | July 22, 2009 at 10:27 AM