Lots about suffering this week:
“Not everything happens for a reason: The magic words to say when everything’s going wrong.” The menachem.
North Korea Sentences Canadian Pastor To Life In Prison.
Should Christians Be Encouraged to Arm Themselves? | Desiring God
And, some potpourri:
The Translation as a Bilingual Text: The Curious Case of the Targum | AJS Perspectives.
Everybody loves Star Wars. But here’s why Mormons especially love Star Wars. – The Washington Post
It’s about 11 months later than I had thought it would be, but here are my nominations for the Top Eleven posts of 2014. As 2015 draws to a close, look for the best of this year to be out in the next few weeks.
Stellenbosch Travelogue II. How to write for both the church and the academy?
Why Ham Is Wrong and Nye Doesn’t Get It. Not about kashrut.
Stellenbosch Travelogue IV. Swimming with great white sharks. ‘Nuff said.
Quo Vadimus? What are we all hear to learn, anyway?
Keeping an Open Mind. Faith and criticism, a recurring theme.
Stealing God’s Thunder. If sexual behavior within marriage is acceptable–even pleasing–to YHWH, why couldn’t marital sex (between a priest and his wife, for example) be part of Yahwistic worship?
Bloodlands. A somber book review.
Why Is Plagiarism So Bad? A Comparison to Ancient Literature.
Rethinking Sanctions: Putin’s Peaches. Unintended consequences.
Today is the fifth day of Hanukkah, and now that I finally can come up for air after my Eastern course, I’m re-posting one of my most popular posts from a few years ago, “Hanukkah for Christians.”
Issues, Etc. also had a good segment yesterday connecting Hanukkah with the incarnation.
Enjoy! Nes gadol haya sham.
—
As a Christian with a Jewish father and a “Messianic” upbringing, I have struggled with the rightness of appropriating elements of Jewish culture into my own family. I don’t want to pass myself off as something that I am not. But since Jewishness is reckoned by religion, culture, and/or descent, I have at least two out of three going for me. I believe that Christians can learn quite a bit from Jewish tradition, which has wrestled for two-and-a-half millennia with the Hebrew scriptures–longer than Christians have. Furthermore, the earliest Christians were Jews and conceived of themselves as constituting a true remnant of Israel. There, of course, my Jewish friends would part ways with me–but I can learn from their way of understanding themselves as Israel.
I’m going out a limb to say that Christians can celebrate Hanukkah, too. I know it’s possible, because I do. This evening my wife, my son and I lit candles on our menorah and sang, “Ma`oz Tsur.” We don’t typically exchange gifts, but we read the Hanukkah story from the book of Maccabees and thank God for preserving the Jewish people.
So, what do Christians without ethno-cultural Jewish background need to know about Hanukkah?
—
Working our way backward, it’s important to note that Jesus celebrated Hanukkah:
“At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.'” (John 10:22-24)
Hanukkah is the Hebrew word for “dedication.” This feast is not commanded in the (Written) Torah or mentioned specifically in the Old Testament (Tanak), because its inception is in the 160s BCE, precipitated by the Maccabean Revolt.
After the period of Persian hegemony in the Middle East–including the land of Judea (Yehud)–Alexander the Great swept over the Persian Empire, conquering as far as India. After Alexander’s premature death in 323 BCE, his empire was divided among his four generals. For the next two centuries, the land of Judea was alternately under the control of the Seleucid Greeks from the north (Syria) or the Ptolemaic Greeks from the south (Egypt).
These were very difficult times for the Jews in Palestine, as you can imagine. Some wanted to Hellenize (assimilate to Greek culture), while others wanted to maintain their traditional Jewish identity and religion–a perennial tension within Jewish communities. Under the control of Antiochus III (Seleucid), the Jews enjoyed a degree of self-government and religious freedom. But his son, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, attacked Jerusalem in 167 BCE, banned traditional Jewish worship (sacrifices, Sabbath observance, circumcision), and installed the Zeus cult in the temple.
These events are described in 1 Maccabees 1. 1 Macc 2 describes the uprising of Mattathias the priest and his sons: John, Simeon, Judah, Eleazar and Jonathan. Even after Mattathias’ death, his sons–called the “Maccabees” after Judah’s nickname, “The Hammer”–led a successful guerrilla campaign that drove Antiochus’ generals out of Jerusalem (1 Macc 3:1-4:35).
Because the temple had been desecrated, it had to go through a process of purification. This purification included the destruction of the unclean altar and the erection of a new altar. The consequent celebration each lasted eight days:
“All the people fell on their faces and worshiped and blessed Heaven, who had prospered them. So they celebrated the dedication of the altar for eight days, and joyfully offered burnt offerings; they offered a sacrifice of well-being and a thanksgiving offering….Then Judas and his brothers and all the assembly of Israel determined that every year at that season the days of dedication of the altar should be observed with joy and gladness for eight days, beginning with the twenty-fifth day of the month of Chislev.” (1 Macc 4:55-56, 59)
According to tradition, there was only enough sacred oil to perform the purification rites for a single day, but it miraculously lasted the full eight days required. This is why Hanukkah lasts eight days. Hanukkah menorot (plural of menorah) have nine branches rather than seven (as the temple menorah did): the middle candle is lit each night and then used to light the others. This is why Hanukkah candles come in packs of 44 (2 for the first night, 3 for the second night, 4 for the third, etc.). Small gifts may be exchanged, and foods made with oil are served, particularly latkes, potato pancakes. Children play a game with a special four-sided spinning top called a dreidel.
—
For Jews, Hanukkah is a celebration of God’s salvation for His people–just like Purim and Pesach (from Esther and Exodus). Christians should also thank God at Hanukkah, for at least three reasons.
First, we see how God rescues those who honor him. Mattathias and his sons were inspired by zeal for God, refusing to abandon their faith and the commandments. We read in the New Testament of Jews such as these, notably Simeon who was “righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel” (Lk 2:25).
Second, we see that God is sovereign over world affairs. The book of Daniel makes veiled reference to Antiochus IV and the Maccabean Revolt (8:8-25; 11:29-39). The message is clear and consistent with that of the entire book: rulers who exalt themselves to the place of the God of Israel will be humbled and destroyed–Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius, Antiochus, Caesar, or any other “divine” king.
Finally, we thank God for His preservation of the Jewish people, to whom, Paul says, “belong adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises” (Rom 9:4). Furthermore, the one whom Christians call ‘Christ’, the Messiah Jesus, was born a Jew only a century-and-a-half later. Paul says, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children” (Gal 4:4-5). In God’s Providence, the “fullness of time” had not yet come–had Antiochus succeeded in destroying the Jewish people and religion, we would have no Messiah–and no salvation.
—
There’s a lot more to say on Hanukkah, of course. Two thousand years’ worth of water have passed under the bridge between Jews and Christians–and not always fresh water. But Jews and Christians have much in common, and thankfulness for Hanukkah should be one of them.
So, this holiday season, wish your Jewish friends a sincere “Happy Hanukkah” from the bottom of your heart. Remember God’s salvation of the Jews in 166 BCE–and his Salvation for all in Yeshua, his Son.
Dear ___,
I understand your disappointment with your grade of ‘C’ on the essay question. I hope that you can understand why I can’t re-grade or negotiate grades: I’d have to do it for any student who questions his/her grade, and then it would be open season and I’d constantly be re-grading.
I always try to be fair and empathetic when grading, but I acknowledge that it is ultimately subjective. Having graded 60 essays, I can’t remember yours in particular, but if I wrote “more details,” it was likely because your essay contained the basic elements of the answer that I was hoping for but didn’t say much beyond that. ‘C’ is considered an average grade, and that was the average of the students’ grades on the exam (though I did curve it up a little to give you all a bit of a break).
Over the course of a college career, you will sometimes get a better grade than you probably deserve for this or that assignment, and sometimes you will get a worse grade than you deserve. It will ultimately average out (or even slant slightly toward better grades, since most teachers tend to be empathetic toward their students). I’m not saying that is what has happened in this instance, but you should be prepared for it to happen.
I know that answer may be unsatisfying. But you are doing very well in this course (92%) and I’m confident that you will do just fine on the final assignments and receive a very good final grade.
Dr. Giffone
Dear ____:
I appreciate that technical difficulties prevented you from uploading your assignment when you attempted to do so on Monday night. However, in order to be consistent and fair to all students, I unfortunately can’t give you credit for this assignment.
I know what you’re thinking, because it’s the same thing I thought when I was a student (not that long ago) and one of my professors wouldn’t accept late work (or would heavily penalize it). You’re thinking, “What’s the difference whether it comes in before midnight or after midnight? You’re not going to grade them at 1am, so why can’t I send it in now?” I acknowledge that deadlines are arbitrary. But this is a university course, and deadlines are necessary–for my sake and for yours. If the deadline wasn’t 11:59pm on Monday–let’s just say it was 5pm on Tuesday–then some students would have trouble uploading their papers at 4:45pm and ask for an extension to 6pm, and on and on. We have to draw the line somewhere.
In the syllabus and in my previous emails about online submission of assignments, I tried to emphasize the importance of not waiting until only a few hours are left to submit assignments, just in case something were to go wrong again:
“Because the internet issues persist, I’ve extended the submission deadline to Friday night. However, it is your responsibility to find internet to upload the assignment to the online portal. If that means going home, getting a ride to Starbucks or a public library–whatever–please ensure that the assignment is submitted by Friday night.” (Oct 20)
“Because there have been issues with the online portal, I want to remind you that you are responsible for ensuring that documents upload to the online portal properly. If you are concerned about issues with your computer, your wifi, or the online portal system, then you should make sure to complete the assignment allowing enough time to visit IT (during normal business hours) if there is a problem. I extended the due date two days for this assignment because of an issue, but I can’t offer extensions to individuals. I have to be fair to those who did the work on time and took care to upload the assignment correctly.” (Sept 10)
This is what is written in the syllabus:
“An ability to work with the online portal is a must for this class. We are all new to the system and you will need to take steps to become familiar, either by asking classmates or contacting IT for technical help. I likely won’t be able to answer your questions, as I am learning it too….
“Not knowing how to upload assignments via the online portal is not an acceptable excuse for not handing them in.
“Late assignments will not be accepted and you will receive a zero. I will be happy to discuss with you truly extenuating or emergency situations, but one of the reasons you have a syllabus is to plan ahead and manage your time wisely.”
It gives me no pleasure to do this–believe me, it’s much easier just to give in and say, “Ah well, it’s only a few hours’ difference.” But there are other students who took the time to do the assignment in a timely manner and left enough time to allow for technical difficulties (perhaps even not doing as good a job as they had hoped to do, but doing it on time nonetheless). To accept late work would be to disrespect their efforts.
I hope that all makes sense, even though it’s not pleasant to hear. Feel free to call or email me if you have any questions, or if there were other extenuating circumstances (family emergency, medical issue) that warrant consideration.
Ruefully,
Dr. Giffone
I’ve collected quite a few interesting bits over the last few months, but haven’t had time to put them together into a post. But, here they are–enjoy.
Amazon Bookstore Blends Tech With Brick-and-Mortar Charm – NBC News. Strange to imagine…
We have lost our faith. | Targuman. A good sermon on faith and reason.
Chris Seitz on the Biblical Crisis in the Homosexuality Debates | Alastair’s Adversaria. Insight on hermeneutics and the relationship between the Testaments.
It’s Not Your Imagination, Single Women: There Literally Aren’t Enough Men Out There | VICE | United States. Interesting interview on a sociology topic, but it is at Vice, so beware the ads. Probably play it safe and don’t click on this at work.
‘Do it for Mom’ campaign wants Danes to have even more sex – The Washington Post. Having recently visited Copenhagen for all of five hours, I can tell you what would make Danes have more kids: lower taxes so that people can afford to buy cars rather than bicycles. Imagine trying to have more than two kids in a cold, rainy country if your primary means of transportation was a two-child cart with pedals!
The Case for Open Borders | TIME. The second-most important human-rights issue of our day. (Abortion is the other.)
A Biblical Theology of Suffering | Targuman. More heartfelt brilliance from Chris Brady at Penn State.
University fees: The impossible trinity of higher education | Johan Fourie’s blog. Insight into South Africa’s education problems, from a young Stellenbosch professor (whom I’ve met in person).
A recent statement from the Executive Director of SBL. I hope to comment on this when I have more time. For now, I will say that it is ironic that even though “SBL encourages the respectful expression of opposing viewpoints,” the executive committee of this non-political organization has taken a political position that does not represent the position of many of its members (though probably a minority).
From: John Kutsko
Date: Mon, Nov 30, 2015 at 2:20 PM
Subject: Society statement opposing campus concealed handgun carry legislation
November 30, 2015
Dear Benj
The Society of Biblical Literature joins our colleagues in twenty-eight other scholarly societies in opposing legislation in Texas and other states in the U.S. designed to facilitate the carrying of concealed handguns on college campuses. This statement, found here, can be downloaded and shared.
As a learned society, SBL encourages the respectful expression of opposing viewpoints, which lies at the very heart of the liberal arts, the humanities, and a civil society. SBL is concerned that the legislation introduces serious safety threats to students, staff, and faculty on college campuses and may hinder the free exchange of ideas.
The SBL Council encourages members in any state or nation considering such legislation to bring the perspective of biblical scholars and educators to the debate.
Sincerely,
John F. Kutsko
Executive Director
‘To be sure, our doctrine of Scripture must be shaped by deductive considerations arising from the theological claims of the biblical text (e.g., Jesus’ statement that “Scripture cannot be broken” in John 10:35), but we must also inductively account for the phenomena of Scripture. Deductively, we know that Scripture does not teach error; inductively, we learn the form that that inerrancy takes.’
– Bill Evans, Erskine College
I arrived in Atlanta Monday night, just in time for the annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society. Thanks to my LCC colleagues, Tom and Joy Boone, my friend Ben and I have free lodging and use of a vehicle.
On Tuesday afternoon, I presented my paper, “According to Which ‘Law of Moses’? Cult Centralization in Samuel and Chronicles.” It was rather a short paper for ETS, so there was plenty of time for discussion. I was somewhat apprehensive going into the presentation, unsure of how some of my presuppositions about authorship would play at ETS. But the paper was received graciously, even by a few who I could tell disagree with me. I was particularly pleased to receive positive feedback from one very well-known scholar in Old Testament, who asked for a copy of the paper. (A note to well-known scholars: One of the nicest things you can do for a grad student or a young PhD is to ask for a copy of his/her paper, even if you’re not sure you’ll read it again. You’ll just make that presenters week–maybe month.)
My second paper was given in the first slot on Wednesday morning: “‘Final Authoritative Edition’ versus ‘Original Autographs’: Do Protestants Defend the Masoretic Text with ‘Catholic’ Arguments?” Again, I wasn’t sure how this one would play at ETS. But folks seemed to be really tracking with the argument. I presented a problem for which I didn’t really have a solution, so I was pleased that others suggested some ways forward for either me or someone else to work on. I guess that’s what conferences are for.
I told some friends last night that every time I attend ETS meetings I end up repenting afterward for (arrogantly) pigeonholing the Society and its members in my mind. It’s not easy identifying as an evangelical, let alone an inerrantist, in the wider world of biblical scholarship. I have at times been tempted to leave my ETS membership off of my CV. But ETS is a diverse place with many different views and approaches within a broadly conservative framework. There are niches that are fundamentalist, but there are also research groups and individuals who are doing very creative work that tries to take seriously the best of critical scholarship while also remaining true to the faith once-delivered to the saints. At the end of the day, this is my tribe, and I need to extend to them the grace that they have always extended to me as family.
There’s one more day of ETS, and then IBR tomorrow and SBL Saturday through Monday. Right now, I should be grading my Eastern students’ papers…
My blog posts have been rare over the last couple of months. While no one out there on the web is holding his/her breath waiting for pearls of wisdom from my lips/keyboard, I do aspire to write more frequently in the months to come. If nothing else, writing helps me process things–no offense to any of my faithful readers (luv ya, Mom!).
This semester, I have been teaching a course at Eastern University, “Nature and Meaning of the Old Testament.” I have learned a great deal–not new content from my class preparation, but about teaching. I’m trying to develop thicker skin when it comes to dealing with students, while retaining softness and compassion for them as people. I wish that I could treat each of them as individuals when I’m grading just as I do when I’m speaking with them one-on-one. That is the most difficult part for me: handing out a good grade to a smart student whose work is good but clearly didn’t try hard, while at the same time handing out a par or sub-par grade for a struggling student who is truly learning but did his best. Grrr.
The most time-consuming aspect of teaching at Eastern has been the commute: with the traffic, I drive 90 minutes to St. Davids twice a week, and then backtrack 45 minutes to ICON for a half-day. As much as I have enjoyed teaching, I may not have agreed to do it if I had known that five hours of driving time would be added onto three hours of class time each week (to say nothing of prep and grading).
Between teaching, parenting, husbanding and son-in-law-ing, I have also been able to carve out a little time for writing. Next week I will be traveling to Atlanta for the annual meetings of ETS, IBR and SBL. I will be giving two papers at ETS: one on DtrH and Chronicles that I finished back in the spring, and one on the implications of the LXX for a Protestant understanding of canon and biblical authority. The LXX paper has really been a stretch for me to familiarize myself with a new literature, but I’ve learned a ton. The DtrH/Chr paper was more fun and may turn out to be a springboard into a several-year-long research agenda.
In June, I was offered a contract to publish my dissertation with T&T Clark, and I agreed to deliver the manuscript by January 1. The revisions have been coming along slowly. Before doing all the technical stuff–footnotes, formatting, etc., which I actually enjoy–I am working on paring down the text to make it more concise and less dissertationy. I had set out to integrate into the footnotes every relevant publication that I could find on the Tribe of Benjamin, but I quickly realized that there are too many, so I’m adding primarily anything that’s been published since I finished the research two years ago. There’s a lot written on Saul and a growing literature on Benjamin, which is encouraging–it means that there will be a market for my book (est. October 2016)!
I also received word just this week that my paper, “‘Special Forces’: A Stereotype of Benjaminite Soldiers in the Deuteronomistic History and Chronicles,” will be published in SJOT in the first issue of 2016. This is very welcome news, especially the assessment that only minimal revisions are necessary. If the terms of publication allow me to do so, I will post the article here or on academia.edu once it’s published.
These little victories are God’s way of affirming my calling and reassuring me that he will use me in these ways someday. He’s not obligated to provide these assurances–I should still obey him, anyway–but they are most welcome.
think hard, think well 