Of course context is "everything". But sometimes there are parts of context that we don't necessarily consider in our interpretation/exegesis. Or, at least, there are parts that I don't necessarily notice or consider right off. But first, a short (and true!) story.

I was happily typing away an email to Amy earlier today. In the course of the email, I suggested that it might be fun to go to Port Townsend on a Saturday. Port Townsend is over on the Olympic Peninsula and, unless you want to drive a whole lot (see route map), it involves a ferry ride from from Keystone (by Fort Casey State Park) to Port Townsend. It's about a half hour ride. If you're interested, you can check the Port Townsend Ferry webcam to see what the traffic is like or if the ferry is at the dock.

There are other things that you just know if you've been to Port Townsend before. You know that the ferry can be crowded, so it is better to park your car at Keystone and pay the passenger rate for the ferry ride. This is known as the "walk on" fare. You know this is no big deal because the Port Townsend ferry dock is right downtown; easily walk-able. You know that if you decide to drive over, you need to get to the ferry landing early because you'll have to wait in line for at least one sailing (especially on a weekend). And you also know that it will be expensive.

So, you've got that? Good. Here's what I typed to Amy that conveyed most of this:

Park on the Whidbey side, walk across on the ferry.

That's it. Right after I wrote this, I realized that there was a lot packed into that little sentence, and that exegetes in later centuries would be mystified when they looked at it. But Amy understood exactly what I was communicating. Crazy, huh?

Here are some ambiguities you run into if you don't consider all of the relevant information listed above:

1. Is 'Park' a noun or a verb? There is a park on the Whidbey side. But there is also a parking lot (or, 'car park' for non-North-American readers).
2. How does one "walk across" on the ferry?

So you have some more context, here's the whole paragraph that the above sentence occurred in, complete with slang and everything!

Whaddya think about going to Port Townsend some Saturday (in September, of course)? Park on the Whidbey side, walk across on the ferry. Browse the shops, have some lunch. Browse some more, then come back? If the ferry schedule is conducive and we play our cards right, we could even invite ourselves over to my folks' house for dinner on the way back home ... **

So you have a little more help. You know now that "Park" is likely a verb, unless you'd deduced that already based on the structure of the sentence:

Park
    on the Whidbey side
Walk across
    on the ferry

But if you had no knowledge of the payment system of the Washington state ferry system or the language that locals use to describe it, would you be able to figure out what it means to "walk across on the ferry"?

One aspect of context is doing the background work and background reading so that you can, first of all, spot stuff like this when it occurs in text you are exegeting or interpreting. This doesn't get talked about much because it requires one to be pro-active. To have read up on these sorts of things before they approach the text, so that the reading can be somewhat informed.

Having some domain-specific knowledge, you also need to have resources — books, web sites, Bible software, or people you know — to determine what is really going on. Sometimes it is pretty simple. Other times, you have to do a lot of work.

I'm still curious as to whether folks generations removed would be able to determine what "walk across on the ferry" means.

** Note to Mom & Dad: Hey, how 'bout Amy and I come over for dinner some Saturday in late September? :)

If you're a programmer (doing web stuff or application-level stuff) and have dreamed about working at Logos ... well, dream no more.

Logos has a few new jobs listed, notably one for a Web Developer (C#/SQL/ASP.NET) and another in our primary Software Development (C++) department.

Check out the Employment Opportunities page.

Reading Marginal Revolution this morning, I ran across this: Integrating blogging and academic publishing.

It points back to this article at Crooked Timber, another econ blog. It discusses arXiv.org, an 'e-Print archive' covering areas of physics. Now, I'm not a physicist and I don't even play one on TV. But from what I can tell, arXiv.org is a pre-press archive of articles destined for physics journals. It has RSS feeds, so scholars/academics/interested amateurs can monitor feeds for papers. And they now have added trackbacks, so that blog posts that discuss a particular article can be listed with the article in question, showing further discussion relating to the article. In other words, arXiv.org is making it easier for bloggers and blog readers to both access content and interact with archived content.

If I understand correctly, arXiv.org receives articles before they are printed (perhaps before they are submitted for print) and disseminates them. A blog called Cosmic Variance (link via Crooked Timber) discusses the basics for us non-physicists. Here's an excerpt:

Over the last fifteen years, the way that physicists communicate research results has been revolutionized by arxiv.org, the preprint server devised by Paul Ginsparg. Any time you write a paper, you send it to the arxiv, where its existence is beamed to the world the next day, and it is stored there in perpetuity. Along with the SPIRES service at SLAC, which keeps track of which papers have cited which other papers, physicists have a free, flexible, and easy-to-use web of literature that is instantly accessible to anyone. Most people these days post to the arxiv before they even send their paper to a journal, and some have stopped submitting to journals altogether. (I wish they all would, it would cut down on that annoying refereeing we all have to do.) And nobody actually reads the journals — they serve exclusively as ways to verify that your work has passed peer review.

So, the questions to discuss:

1. Let's start small: Should RBL have RSS feeds and the ability to trackback from a blog post to a review? Note that human editors at RBL would need to approve these trackbacks to prevent spam.

2. Thinking larger: What are the possibilities for a similar pre-press archive for Biblical Studies? Is the model of the Journal of Greco-Roman Christianity and Judaism applicable (PDFs on the web until the journal is published)? What sorts of synergies would a service like that have with the academic journal publishers, and how could they peacefully co-exist?

Going through some old email, I ran into this gem I wrote back in February. I needed to provide driving directions to a friend so he could come to a study I was doing on a portion of First Timothy.

I had been reading a lot of writings of the Apostolic Fathers (particularly those of Ignatius) and, well, I think it affected me.

No disrespect is meant, and the letter is mostly sincere. But if you read some of these early fathers ... you'll pick up what I'm puttin' down here. Sometimes the degree to which they defend their own motives or attempt to spiritualize ordinary things can be comical. Some information has been changed/obscured to protect the innocent.

Father Rico, a humble servant of the Lord's, seeking to do His will:

To the blessed Monsignior, a giant in the faith, surely teaching and instructing the will of the Lord to those souls the Lord hath entrusted to him:

It is with pleasure in the Lord that I am able to provide you with instructions by which you may proceed to the most reverend Bishop's see.

I beg your forgiveness, however, as my own skill in this area is rather lacking. As we are all well aware, the Lord has blessed me in areas other than skill with geography.

The Bishop's see is quite close to my own small compound (I mention small for its descriptive value, not in any sense of ungratefulness of the generous provision of the Lord for my welfare). I will now attempt step-by-step instructions. I do beg your indulgence; these will be provided in the vernacular as this is truly the most effective way to provide such vital information in a manner that it can be comprehended and applied to one's own travel in this sinful, fallen world in which we live.

1. The street known as [...] proceeds to the traffic signal on the "hill" (allowing for God's provision in establishing a green light, indicating you may proceed according to the laws of the fallen government which we are subject to) go straight through the intersection, and climb the hill.

2. At the 'T' style intersection at the top of the hill, turn right. Beware, for though the turn to the left is the more narrow and windy road, which we as bretheren in Christ are to prefer, we must always remember that the physical, fallen state throws curves at us, attempting to beguile us with snares of the devil. Please do turn right at this intersection.

3. Follow this road — it proceeds for quite a ways — until you arrive at another T-style intersection. You must persevere and withstand all worldly urges to turn on a side road, for these surely run into vanity and destruction. Remain on this road.

4. At the T-style intersection, you are to turn left. The left turn proceedeth up the hill to glory, the right turn will surely lead you to the fleshly, earthly area known as [...].

5. The see of the blessed Bishop is at the top of the hill, on the left.

I trust these instructions will be edifying and will allow for your swift and sure navigation through the challenges and travails this world foists upon the true soul who desireth to proceed to the goal set before him.

Please send my greetings to those there that know me; offer them my blessings in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I am your humble servant,

Father Rico

(If you find it necessary, blessed brother, you may contact me via the abomination known as a 'cell phone' [the communicants in my flock demand I have one that they may contact me with their questions in the Lord]; the number is [...])

In this week's edition of the Religion Bookline from Publishers Weekly, an article notes a new effort from the Templeton Foundation Press: Legacy of Historic Gifford Lectures Presented Online. Here's a blurb:

Back in 1885, when Scottish jurist Adam Lord Gifford bequeathed 80,000 pounds in his will to establish a series of lectures on natural theology, he would never have imagined that more than 100 years later all those lectures would be available to scholars and the general public all over the world with the click of a small device called a mouse.

They soon will be. Templeton Foundation Press launched the online database, www.giffordlectures.org, August 15, during the Edinburgh Book Festival. The new site contains 48 of the 208 volumes that resulted from the 212 lectures (the most famous being William James’s The Varieties of Religious Experience) as well as a third of the summaries of those books, and half of the lecturers’ biographies. The remaining 160 books will be added to the site in the next few years.

I don't know anything about the Gifford Lectures, and I'm not a great fan of "natural theology", but the site has 48 searchable volumes o' data, many of which are probably not easy to find. So I had to mention it, perhaps some folks out there will find it useable.

[Note: I'm posting this using dasBlog 1.8's new scheduled post feature. I'm not quite sure how it works ... so I don't know when this will be posted.]

Well, I figured it was time to work through the online program book for the SBL 2005 Annual Meeting. Others have done it (Jim West, Ed Cook and Brandon Wason) so I figured I'd give 'er a go.

But I ran into a problem. There's too much good stuff going on. I've found sessions during each available time period that I could go to (and some multiples). I don't know if I'll be able to make them all or not -- after all, I'll be there both as an SBL member (yippee!) and due to my role at Logos Bible Software. That means I'll have to spend some portion of each day in the Logos booth (and not in sessions). And I'll also have a few meetings to go to on top of that. And I (of course) want to meet or at least say "Hi" to any of y'all out there who are able to make it to Philadelphia.

Oh well. Last year I found it helpful to make a preliminary schedule so I'd know what things were available in a given time period if I found I had the time to make a session (or part of a session). Here's my preliminary list for the 2005 meeting. This is all subject to change.

November 18

1:00-3:00: S18-51: Biblical Exegetical Software in the Classroom -- Integration 101.

November 19

9:00-11:30: S19-18: New Testament Textual Criticism
Theme: Evaluating the Importance of the Versions.
Notes: These all look good; hopefully copies of papers will be available. As I've been reading on early versions (both Metzger and Vööbus) I'll hopefully be able to follow along relatively well.

9:00-11:30: S19-27: Syriac Lexicography.
Theme: International Syriac Language Project.
I don't know much about Syriac, but the focus on lexicography interests me. Chances are I'll be lost in the concurrently running textual criticism section, though.

1:00-3:30: S19-55: Biblical Lexicography
Theme: Contributions to Hebrew and Greek Lexicography.
Notes: Mmmmmmm ... lexicography. I'd like to at least catch Danker and Taylor, but may not be able to.

1:00-3:30: S19-75: Standardized Assessment in Higher Education: A National Biblical Greek Exam
Notes: Hopefully I'll be able to catch parts of this, the topic sounds pretty interesting.

4:00-6:30: S19-128: Syriac Lexicography
Theme: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Ancient-language Lexicography.

4:00-6:30: S19-130: The Dead Sea Scrolls Electronic Library: Background, Nature and Use.

November 20

9:00-11:00: S20-12: Computer Assisted Research
Theme: The Pleasures, Pains and Prospects for Biblioblogging
Notes: I hear the guy presenting the second paper is pretty cool. If you are attending this session, note that my paper title and abstract have changed. Also, I hope to have copies of the paper available for download prior to the meeting; I'll announce that here and on PastoralEpistles.com. I just noticed that it is a double-room booked, currently. Yikes. Does that mean a lot of people are planning on showing up? Guess I'll have to polish my routine a bit ...

9:00-11:00: Disputed Paulines
Theme: Constructions of Authority
Notes: The second and fourth papers are of interest to me; perhaps the authors will supply copies of the papers since I can't make this one.

9:00-11:00: Syriac Lexicography
Theme: International Syriac Language Project
Notes: What is it with Syriac Lexicography? Seems like this is where all the action is. Too bad my schedule conflicts again.

1:00-3:30: S20-55: Biblical Greek Language and Linguistics.
Theme: General Papers.
Not a must-see, but some stuff sounds cool.

1:30-3:45: S20-60: Disputed Paulines
Notes: There are three papers after the session break that deal with issues in the Pastoral Epistles. I'm particularly interested in Perry Stepp's paper as I've read most of his recent book on Leadership Succession in the Paulines.

4:00-6:00: S20-107: Biblical Lexicography
Theme: Domain Theory in Biblical Lexicography and Text Analysis.
Notes: This looks stinkin' cool!

November 21

9:00-11:00: S21-15: Computer Assisted Research
Theme: General Session.

1:00-3:30: S21-55: Biblical Greek Language and Linguistics
Theme: Linguistic Approaches to the Parable of the Sower
Notes: I know one of the presenters, it would be nice to go hear him if I am able.

4:00-6:30: S21-107: Computer Assisted Research
Theme: Computational Linguistics.
Notes: Some cool stuff going on here too.

4:00-6:30: S21-125: Rhetoric and the New Testament
Theme: Rhetorical Analysis of the Pastoral Epistles: New Avenues for Exploration
Notes: Major bummer; I probably won't be able to make this as I'll be in the CARG session. I'll be contacting presenters to request copies of their papers.

November 22

9:00-11:30: S22-10: Linguistics and Biblical Hebrew
Notes: Hopefully I'll have time to make this one. I suppose that depends on check-out time and flight times.

For reasons I've yet to fathom, I was granted a sneak-peak at a book to be published by Baylor University Press as part of their Fall 2005 offerings. The book is by Bruce W. Longenecker: Rhetoric at the Boundaries: The Art and Theology of the New Testament Chain-Link Transitions. Here's the blurb from the Baylor University Press site:

In Rhetoric at the Boundaries, Bruce W. Longenecker explores the way in which New Testament authors used an ancient rhetorical device to effect smooth transitions, both large and small. His study demonstrates how recognition of this rhetorical technique proves decisive for New Testament interpretation. Longenecker accomplishes this by examining the evidence for chain-link interlocks in a variety of ancient sources, including the Hebrew scriptures, Jewish and Roman authors of the Graeco-Roman world, and the Graeco-Roman rhetoricians. He then applies the results of the survey to fifteen problematic passages of the New Testament. In each case, Longenecker establishes the presence of chain-link interlock and highlights the structural, literary, and theological significance of the rhetorical device for New Testament interpretation.

I'm not through the book yet (nearly, but not quite) but I couldn't hold off writing about it anymore. I've learned a lot I hadn't considered in the past, specifically dealing with transitions between major and minor sections of text. I've only had one year of formal instruction in classical (Attic) Greek, the rest has sort of come along through reading references and trying to read Greek, so I've a lot to learn. Longenecker's book has helped me greatly in thinking about how sections transition from one to another.

I should also say: If you've only had a little bit of Greek and find running Greek text in books a daunting prospect, then the good news is that Longenecker has both Greek text and translation for most of his examples (both NT and other examples).

In the first section of his book, Longenecker actually takes the time to explain some different sorts of transitions that one comes across in Greek text of the New Testament period. He examines excerpts of Quintillian and of Lucian of Samosata, showing that the "chain-link" transition is something that was accepted rhetorical style of this period. He examines other non-canonical sources to establish that this transition style was used in different genres and by different writers.

He then applies his focus to the New Testament, and this is the most interesting part, at least to me. Longenecker identifies and elaborates upon several instances of the chain-link transition in various NT books and shows how they have been mis-identified and (in several instances) mishandled by most previous interpreters. These worked examples (for Romans, Gospel of John, the Apocalypse, and Acts) provide a good basis for understanding this type of structure.

Longenecker only examines a subset of potential links of this type, but he lays the proper foundation for identification and examination of these sorts of things. Looking back, I wish I'd read this before I started Ray Van Neste's Cohesion and Structure in the Pastoral Epistles, because Van Neste spends a lot of time examining transitions (the "boundaries" in Longenecker's title) for cohesion between sections. And there are times where Van Neste identifies chain-link transitions without calling them by that label.

If you're into discourse analysis, rhetoric, studies of textual cohesion, studies having to do with redaction criticism, or just working your way through the Greek text of a particular NT book, then you should consider reading Longenecker's work.

Update (2005-08-24): First off, thanks for the link, Wayne! Secondly, in the comments, John Kendall mentions George Guthrie's The Structure of Hebrews: A Text-Linguistic Analysis. I should say that Longenecker favorably mentions and interacts with this title from Guthrie. Ray Van Neste interacts with Guthrie's work as well. So I'd just recently put Guthrie on my to-buy list. The confirmation from John seals the deal.

Last week, Mark Goodacre posted a link to papers being presented at the British New Testament Conference.

I browsed around the site, and one paper in particular (being presented in the Social World of the NT Seminar) caught my eye:

Peter Head (Tyndale House, Cambridge) Letter Carriers in Personal Letters among the Papyri and Pauline epistolary communication strategy.

The paper is available on the web site (second paper in the second session), so I downloaded it and just finished reading it over my lunch hour. It almost makes me want to hop a plane, fake an accent, and see if I can bluff my way into the session.

Seriously, it'll be interesting to see how Head's research progresses. As Timothy and Titus both were likely carriers of Paul's letters, I'm interested in seeing what sorts of conclusions can be made about the role of trusted letter carriers.