Academics as Global Missions

Posted on 9 May 2014 by Benj

Last year in the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Keith Campell issued a challenge to the North American evangelical academy (see “The American Evangelical Academy and the World: A Challenge to Practice More Globally,” in PDF below). If we really care about global missions and believe in the power of biblical education to transform lives, he argues, why don’t we make it easier for those who wish to teach at academic institutions overseas (Christian and secular) to do so?

Campbell wants seminaries and denominations to develop more of a global mindset and begin training their talented pupils with overseas teaching in mind. Given the excessive supply and waning demand for biblical educators in North America (a trend I’ve highlighed here, with links), these institutions should be thinking globally:

To meet this global need, I suggest that those entering (and some who are already in) American evangelical scholarship reassess their vocational goals. As implied above, the traditional vocational track for most aspiring American scholars is Bachelors—Masters—Ph.D.—teaching position in the U.S. A more theologically consistent vocational track, based on the missional heartbeat of Jesus in the Great Commission and based on the global need just discussed, is Bachelors—Masters—Ph.D.—teaching position in a strategically global location. Theologians have long argued for believers to practice their vocations missionally. Those who serve in the disciplines of evangelical academic life, wherein a thorough understanding of biblical missions is assumed, should be first to practice their disciplines globally. (342)

Obviously, going overseas doesn’t happen overnight. It can take years of training, support-raising, and lifestyle adjustments:

More practically…in order to practice their disciplines more globally budding evangelical scholars should plan early by structuring their lives and education towards these ends. Moving and living abroad rarely occurs quickly, easily, or without significant sacrifice; often, mountains of obstacles stand in the path. To navigate this terrain as efficiently as possible we should plan our savings, property ownership, marriage relationships, and debt wisely within a long-term agenda of serving globally….In essence, up and coming scholars who want to contribute to the world’s broader academic communities will be wise to plan earlier rather than later. (349-350)

Financially, Corrie and I have worked diligently over the last eight years (since college) to remove as many obstacles as possible to whatever calling God might have for us.

  • We have also been blessed by gifts and support from family, and with good health. Corrie’s parents committed to paying for her university studies, but Corrie worked very hard to earn substantial scholarships. Her parents have provided innumerable gifts that have benefited us financially: letting us live with them for several months; watching the kids while Corrie teaches lessons; letting us do laundry for free; letting us piggy-back on their cell-phone plan so that our bill is only $30/month; letting us use a spare car; and too many more to list.
  • In decades past, missions organizations would not consider candidates who had any debt, even student debt. Today, most organizations recognize that student debt (unfortunately) accompanies nearly all sorts of academic preparation for ministry. Currently, we have no debt except for $9,000 remaining on seminary loans. We have never paid interest on a credit card bill or a car purchase.
  • We paid for my graduate studies at Stellenbosch–MTh, PhD, four trips to South Africa, including one vacation for just the two of us after my master’s defense–out of pocket (or with credit-card points!).
  • We have never had cable/satellite TV–not only to save money, but also because I would not have finished my thesis and dissertation with sports perpetually available on TV!
  • We don’t own a house. Renting has prevented us from worrying about repairs and other homeowner’s expenses.
  • I have diligently (though sometimes ruefully) resold books that I used in seminary and graduate school, keeping our expenses down and my library relatively small and portable. Living within driving distance of Westminster and Princeton Seminaries has helped with this tremendously.
  • My job in pharma has a generous benefits package that has allowed us to build up retirement savings that are quite decent for a thirty-year-old couple. Family members have contributed very generously to our children’s college savings. So, we can afford to a couple of years without contributing to these important savings plans.

We are grateful to God for His many financial blessings. We feel that it is important for those who sacrifice to support us financially to see that we ourselves have been financially responsible and made sacrifices. We celebrate our “portability” that has allowed us to consider this transition in a relatively short period of time.

We also feel that teaching at LCC is a good “investment” in God’s Kingdom for us and for our supporters. LCC is providing housing and a few other expenses, so our portion is only 60%. LCC is an established ministry, which provides a great deal of continuity–if something were to happen to us, or if our finances collapsed and we had to come home after one or two years, the ministry would go on, and our contribution would “count.”

As many challenges as there are to packing up and moving to a small apartment in Eastern Europe, I compare our situation to those of my friends and acquaintances, and I ask, “If not us, than who?”

Thank you for your prayers and support. Campbell concludes his article:

In paying the price to leave the crowded corridors of evangelical scholarship in the U.S., I think that scholars will satisfyingly resonate with a quote traditionally attributed to John Keith Falconer, nineteenth-century missionary to Yemen: ‘I have but one candle of life to burn, and I would rather burn it out in a land of darkness than in one flooded with lights.’ (353)

—

Article: D. Keith Campbell, “The American Evangelical Academy and the World: A Challenge to Practice More Globally,” JETS 56 (2013): 337-353.

Posted in Giffones in Lithuania | 2 Comments

“Captives of a Scientific-Technological Elite”

Posted on 1 May 2014 by Benj

A lesser-known section from President Eisenhower’s farewell address (January 17, 1961):

Akin to, and largely responsible for the sweeping changes in our industrial-military posture, has been the technological revolution during recent decades.
In this revolution, research has become central, it also becomes more formalized, complex, and costly. A steadily increasing share is conducted for, by, or at the direction of, the Federal government.

Today, the solitary inventor, tinkering in his shop, has been overshadowed by task forces of scientists in laboratories and testing fields. In the same fashion, the free university, historically the fountainhead of free ideas and scientific discovery, has experienced a revolution in the conduct of research. Partly because of the huge costs involved, a government contract becomes virtually a substitute for intellectual curiosity. For every old blackboard there are now hundreds of new electronic computers.

The prospect of domination of the nation’s scholars by Federal employment, project allocations, and the power of money is ever present – and is gravely to be regarded.

Yet, in holding scientific research and discovery in respect, as we should, we must also be alert to the equal and opposite danger that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientific-technological elite.

It is the task of statesmanship to mold, to balance, and to integrate these and other forces, new and old, within the principles of our democratic system – ever aiming toward the supreme goals of our free society.

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Graduation in South Africa

Posted on 24 April 2014 by Benj

Highlights of this South Africa trip:

1. Getting an entire row to myself for the 14-hour flight from NYC to Jo’burg.

2. Being serenaded as we landed in Jo’burg by an acapella group that was traveling in my section of the plane. Come to find out it was the Soweto Gospel Choir, and they’re kind of a big deal–like, Grammys and Oscars big! (http://www.sowetogospelchoir.com/)

3. Staying with my lovely hosts, Pastor Doug and Marike Wannenburgh, and their lively brood of four. Thanks for teaching me some cricket!

4. Presenting in the Stellenbosch OT Seminar on the topic: “The Legacy of Benjamin in Judah’s Bible.” It’s nice to at least make one contribution to the Stellenbosch Faculty of Theology community–better late than never!

5. Springbok for supper with Julia Burét. Leaner and faster than venison…

6. Coffee in Muizenberg on the beach of False Bay with Craig Richardson.

7. Successfully walking across the stage in my long red dress to receive my burgundy cape and diploma at the graduation ceremony. I have no idea what Louis Jonker said summarizing my dissertation topic–I was concentrating on walking at the right time, and not tripping over my dress.

8. Supper with Professor Jonker–his treat. Conversation about the growing overlap of Pentateuch and Chronicles scholarship; ostrich meat with chardonnay (I’m assured that there are no longer any rules about meat and wine pairings); and malva pudding with vanilla ice cream.

What a tremendous trip–a pity it was less than 72 hours…

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April Update

Posted on 17 April 2014 by Benj

Dear Friends and Family:

You are reading our first “missions update!” (I attempted unsuccessfully to embed a fanfare sound effect.) We know that some of you have not heard from us since our initial letter stating that we have decided to follow God’s call to serve at LCC International University in Lithuania. Quite a lot has happened in our lives over the last couple of months. Hopefully, future updates will be somewhat more concise, but we have much to rejoice over, and much that requires prayer.

(Read on: LCC’s ministry to church leaders; Eastern European young people who need Christ; great deals on furniture and technology)

LCC STUDENTS

I presented a paper on the books of Samuel and Chronicles (related to my dissertation) at a regional academic conference back in March. The conference was enjoyable; however, the recurring theme of conversations with graduate students and fellow young PhDs was the abysmal North American job market in Biblical Studies. Those conversations reinforced in my heart and mind the importance of biblical education in regions like Eastern Europe, where need is quite urgent and the supply is desperately low.

Pray for LCC International University in this accreditation year. Pray for Rev. Dr. Tom Boone, interim chair of the Department of Theology (my new boss), as he works with the administration and Lithuanian church leaders to develop a new church-planting program. He writes: “[The program] will involve a one-year Diploma of Christian Studies at LCC followed by a one-year period of mentorship in churches. The training will be in English and Lithuanian, and with full cooperation of church leaders who will themselves identify potential candidates. Rather than costing $120,000 for a student to attend a three-year seminary with the family transplanted, this experience will cost about $7,000 per student and keep young leaders here.” LCC continues to have a tremendous impact on churches in the region; for example, sending speakers to a recent church leadership conference in Latvia, and hosting the annual LCC Congregational Conference [KBUK].

MINISTRY

These few months have been very busy as we continue to finish out our ministry commitments at Lansdale Presbyterian Church. I will continue to serve as director of contemporary worship music until June 15, and I am also teaching a Sunday School class on Isaiah. Corrie continues to serve on the steering team of MOPS, a ministry to young mothers. She also plays and sings with the worship team from time to time, and is directing the church choir for two weeks—Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday!

Pray that God would bless and encourage those whom we leave behind at our church—our sisters and brothers who are how sending us into the field.

Pray that God would give us boldness and strength as we prepare for a ministry of evangelism and discipleship on the LCC campus, where the majority of students do not possess a saving knowledge of Christ. Many of the students have never even opened a Bible before coming to LCC. One of the professors shared with me some of the students’ responses when he asked at the end of a semester, “What have you learned as a result of reading the Old Testament?” Here are just a few:

· “Every time I was reading it I was feeling inner peace. The Bible strengthened my belief in God.”

· “I am discovering a surprising thing. God is sovereign. I had always thought God was not interested in my personal life, but this new lesson challenges me.”

· “This was my very first time reading Old Testament. I can honestly say that it opened my eyes. I feel much closer to my spirituality and God than ever. Firstly, I learned how important it is to have good relationship with God. Secondly, I learned how great and sovereign God is and how sinful is the nature of the human. Furthermore, I started realizing the importance of repentance for sins and the need for restoration.”

· “I used to blame God for the bad in life, but after reading the Bible I no longer blame Him. He is actually wanting me to have a better life, but I can only have this if I am one of His children. How does this happen?”

Pray for the hearts of these students and their families in countries that are darkened by communism, corruption, instability and widespread depression. Lithuania has the world’s second-highest suicide rate.

WORK

As we attempt to raise our financial support, I will probably need to continue to work full-time at ICON Clinical Research through mid-July. Corrie continues to teach private piano and voice lessons through the end of May. We are tremendously grateful for God’s provision through numerous means. Providentially, at just those times when we’ve become disheartened, an unexpected windfall or a generous financial gift has arrived. You’d think I’d have learned by now that God is faithful, having seen His provision for us throughout seminary and graduate school—and having a PhD in the Bible, for goodness’ sake!—but somehow I always need those timely reminders. Part of a tax refund paid off one of my loans from seminary, so our total debt is now under $9,000—all of it student loans.

Pray that we would raise all our financial support. Our first year at LCC (August 2014 through July 2015) is currently about 14% funded through a combination of monthly supporters and one-time gifts. Many of you have given so generously, and we are very grateful. If you or someone you know would like to become part of our monthly support team or give a one-time gift, instructions on how to do so can be found here.

Pray that God would give us strength to finish well at our jobs—not doing the minimum, but with every effort “as unto the Lord.”

PREPARATION

As we prepare to move in with Corrie’s parents sometime in June, we are already considering which of our things we will ship to Lithuania, store in the basement, sell, give away, and throw away. Especially difficult in this process will be deciding about books, clothes, and toys that have sentimental value (more for us than for the children!).

Pray that God would allow us to bless people with these things, even as many others have blessed us with gifts. As we look around our apartment, we see very few furniture items that we were forced to purchase at full price—most of it was given to us or purchased on Craig’s List! We are trusting that God will give us all the things we will need when we get to Lithuania, and again meet all our needs whenever we move back to North America. We are grateful that we have very few large possessions that will be difficult to discharge or store.

We have been blessed by several families in our church and neighborhood that have watched Daniel and Elizabeth while we have worked on support letters or sorting through things. If you have time and are willing, we would be grateful for even more help in this way. We will also need help moving large items in June.

Keep an eye out on Facebook for good deals on furniture and technology items that we’ll be selling!

PEACE AND JOY

As we press on though this very busy season of preparation, the danger is that our busy-ness will crowd out our joy in the mission that awaits us and in the journey

Pray that God would keep our eyes fixed on Jesus in the midst of all these important tasks.

Pray that we would continue to disciple the little hearts in our care: Daniel (3 years) and Elizabeth (9 months), who was baptized just this past Sunday.

___________

Thank you all for your prayers and support. Stay tuned for further updates; be sure to follow us on the web and join (and share) our Facebook group. To receive monthly updates about happenings at LCC, you may wish to sign up for the university’s newsletter, Transformations.

In Christ,

Benj and Corrie Giffone

Posted in Giffones in Lithuania | Leave a comment

Stellenbosch Travelogue V

Posted on 6 April 2014 by Benj

What do you do on the morning of your final exam for 23rd grade?

I awoke around 7am on January 31 in Stellenbosch, showered, and dressed for the defense. My day was complicated by the fact that my scheduled departure from Cape Town was that evening, so I had to check out of my hotel room in the morning or else be charged for another night. The hotel staff graciously allowed me to leave my (obscenely huge) suitcase and other items in the office while I was on campus that day.

After breakfast, I set out on my walk to the Faculty of Theology, which is about a 10-minute walk from where I stayed. January is of course the height of summer in South Africa, but the weather had been relatively mild all week. Not this day–it already felt hotter at 9:30am than it had at 1pm on Wednesday when I was on the bay. I believe it ended up around 37ºC (98ºF for us ‘Merkins) at mid-day that Friday.

I settled into a study carrel in the library. How does one study for a dissertation exam? I took solace in two bits of advice from friends: first, the student’s fate is usually decided before the exam, so I just had to be knowledgeable enough to show that I hadn’t plagiarized the whole thing; and second, no one knows more about this subject than me–that’s the whole point of a dissertation. So I spent the hour enjoying the aircon (AC for us Yanks), hydrating, praying, reading over my brief remarks that I had prepared (about seven minutes’ worth), and glancing through the sections that I had guessed that my particular reviewers would focus in on (my guesses turned out to be wrong).

At 10:45, I powdered my nose, then made my way to Professor Jonker’s office. From there, we went to the same examination room where I had defended my MTh thesis two years earlier. We were greeted by Nico Koopman, dean of the theology faculty, and Hendrik Bosman, the internal examiner. I was quite nervous, as you can imagine, but as the other faculty trickled in, they were all very encouraging and comforting. I recalled to mind that my fate was probably already decided, and I just had to avoid screwing it up.

Technological difficulties gave me something of an advantage. Professor Gerrie Snyman of UNISA Pretoria was on the phone immediately, but the secretary had difficulty reaching Professor Mark Boda (McMaster) in Ontario, where it was 4am. Though the tension built a little while we delayed ten minutes trying to get Professor Boda on the line, Professor Koopman decided to begin, provided I could give a short recap when we made the connection. After prayer by Professor Jonker, I gave my seven-minute introduction, whereupon we were interrupted by the secretary who was prepared to patch Professor Boda into the conference room. I certainly benefited from the ensuing ten-minute break–I cleared my head, joked around a little while the faculty chatted with one another.

Once we got into the Q&A period, it was “Game On!” I discovered that it’s very flattering and satisfying to have a room full of smart people–experts in my field–ask me questions about my work that they had read and appreciated. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it was fun, but it was definitely satisfying–especially when I felt like I had nailed an answer to a challenging question.

Because of the delay, I think the questioning period ended up being shorter than usual, which was just fine–less time for me to say something stupid. Professor Koopman excused me to the adjacent room. A couple of minutes later, Professor Jonker joined me while the faculty deliberated. After about ten minutes, the session ended and Professors Koopman and Bosman came out to congratulate me. We then went over the minor corrections that would be required to the satisfaction of Professor Jonker, not the rest of the faculty (the so-called “B option,” which is what I was hoping for).

And, I was done!

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Announcement: Moving to Lithuania!

Posted on 25 March 2014 by Benj

As some of you know, I have been working toward a PhD in Old Testament for the last few years. On January 31, I successfully defended my doctoral dissertation on the book of Chronicles at Stellenbosch University in the Western Cape, South Africa. This is the culmination of three years of undergraduate studies, three years of seminary, and four years of graduate school—so we are very thankful to be finished!

Just before I departed for South Africa on January 23, I was offered a full-time position in the Department of Theology at LCC International University in Klaipėda, Lithuania. After praying and seeking the wisdom of family, church leaders and friends, Corrie and I decided to accept this offer, effective August 2014.

So, we will be disposing of most of our worldly possessions and moving to Lithuania in August! We are both excited about the prospect of launching into a new ministry and scared silly about taking two young kids to a country we’ve never visited.

You probably have many questions, as do we…

What is LCC International University?

LCC is the only Christian liberal-arts university in the former Soviet Union, founded in 1991. About 650 students attend from dozens of countries in Eastern Europe and Asia. Instruction is in English, and all students are required to take Bible and theology courses. Only about a quarter of the students profess an active relationship with Christ. The other faculty members have spoken to us about the wonderful opportunities to preach the gospel to young people from many nations that are still recovering from the darkness and hopelessness of communism. Some students come from countries where preaching the gospel is illegal, presenting the LCC faculty and staff with unique evangelism opportunities.

You can find out more about the ministry of LCC here: www.lcc.lt/video-portrait.

What will you be doing there?

I will be teaching two or three courses per semester, primarily upper level OT and NT courses to start out. I will also continue my academic research on the Old Testament and the Persian period. We will live in an on-campus apartment, and faculty members often host students in their homes for meals, game nights, and Bible studies. Because a larger percentage of the students are women, female staff and wives of staff play a key role in evangelism and discipleship ministry to the students. Corrie will also have opportunities to play music in chapel services and possibly to teach music lessons.

This is somewhat “out of the blue.” Why did you settle on a ministry overseas?

Even before we became engaged, we discussed the possibility of being missionaries in some capacity. Back in 2010, we nearly entered a training program with the goal of going overseas as Bible translators, but we saw the opportunity to get additional training, and we have since felt God calling me more toward teaching in a university setting. We see this job offer as a confirmation of that call.

I have known for the last ten years that I wanted to teach the Bible, and I hoped and prayed that I would have an opportunity to do so at the college/graduate level. As I’ve had this opportunity to finish off the requisite PhD, we’ve seen so many friends with doctorates in biblical studies (and in the humanities) struggle for years (under the burden of student loan debt) to find those increasingly rare full-time teaching positions in North America. We have also been blessed that I have had a full-time job in pharma for the last eight years, so we could wait to find the right position. But rather than spending years adjuncting here and there while trying to publish papers and search for full-time work, we were open to an alternative path.

Furthermore, there is a great shortage of biblical education outside North America and Western Europe. Here, the supply is high and the demand is waning; elsewhere, the demand is high and the supply is desperately low.

In our discussions over the years, we have often felt that we would be well-suited to ministry in Europe. LCC offers a great opportunity to minister in one of the EU’s most recent member nations, an exciting nexus between Western Europe and Central Asia.

How long do you hope to serve at LCC?

We have tentatively committed to this mission for 3-5 years, with the possibility of longer-term commitment.

Are you crazy, taking two kids to a former Soviet country?

Possibly! But Klaipeda is a modern city, with all the recognizable conveniences and annoyances of city life. We can drink the water. We will have cell phones (which are cheaper than here!), wireless internet, and a washing machine. We have corresponded with several other faculty members with young children, and they assure us that it is as safe as most cities, and there are things for kids to do. Daniel will attend preschool, play with the other faculty kids, and run around in the gym and on the quad. He and Elizabeth will probably learn Lithuanian faster than Corrie and I will, though we will take lessons.

Klaipeda has a rich cultural history, having been at various times under Prussian, Nazi and Soviet control. It is a port city, and Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and several other countries are a ferry-ride away. Faculty members also take recruiting trips to other countries in Eastern Europe. If we can afford it, we hope to travel back to the US for the summer months to see family and friends.

How will you pay for this?

Many of the faculty are supported missionaries from the USA, Canada and UK. LCC receives about a quarter of its revenue from faculty sponsors; all donations are tax-deductible through the charitable foundations in the USA and Canada. Just over 40% of revenue comes from student tuition payments. This funding model enables the school to keep tuition relatively low (about $3,700 per year) and to offer nearly $600,000 in merit scholarships and need-based aid.

LCC will provide on-campus housing, including utilities, and pay our Lithuanian social insurance taxes (roughly $23,000 annually). We need to raise support for our expenses, which will be just under $32,000 per year.

How can I help?

The most important way you can help us is to pray for us. Pray for our transition, pray for our funding, pray for our gospel ministry as we reach out to students and the community. Pray that God would bring us closer to Him through this process.

We are also looking for supporters who can partner with us financially in this endeavor. There are several ways to become part of our monthly support team, or to make a one-time contribution to our outfitting/transition fund.

All donations are tax-deductable in the USA and Canada. The easiest way to give is to visit www.lcc.lt/giving-north-america, where you can contribute with credit/debit card, or set up a recurring deposit from a bank account. You may also mail a check. Detailed instructions for contributions can be found here.

If you decide that you can support us financially, please let us know so that we may plan accordingly and thank you personally.

How can we stay in touch?

In this technological age, the world is smaller than ever! Keep track of us on Skype (you can call our USA phone number–email me if you’d like me to share), Facebook and email (benjamingiffone[at]gmail[dot]com).

We will hopefully travel back to the USA during the summer, spending time in PA/NJ and San Diego. If you would like to continue to receive periodic updates about our ministry, please email us and we will keep you informed. If you would prefer to receive paper mail letters, please send us your mailing address.

Thank you for your prayers, love, and encouragement.

In Christ,

Benj (for Corrie, Daniel and Elizabeth)

Posted in Bible-Theology, Giffones in Lithuania, Travels | 1 Comment

Stellenbosch Travelogue IV

Posted on 15 March 2014 by Benj

It’s been over a month since I returned from Stellenbosch, and I’m just now getting around to finishing my travelogue. The last three days in Stellenbosch were some of the most memorable of my life, so it’s hard to encapsulate the fulfillment of two lifetime (or at least long-time) dreams in a blog post. So, I’ll write about Wednesday and Thursday, January 29-30, and save the story of the defense (Friday) for another time.

I awoke early on Wednesday morning, packed my swim trunks and towel, and drove to Simon’s Town, a small town along the Cape Peninsula. I had arranged to join a trip to Seal Island to go cage-diving with great white sharks.

Now, I’ve been interested in sharks since I was a little boy–maybe all little boys are to some degree. But I memorized all the different species, read books, saved pictures, etc. I remember as a teenager seeing a TV special on these great whites that jump out of the water hunting seals at the Cape (this was before “Shark Week” on the Discovery Channel was so popular), and I resolved that if I ever had the chance, I’d go see those great whites.

On previous trips to Stellenbosch, I’d looked into cage-diving–price, safety, ecological concerns, etc. I had considered not doing it. But given how safe everything seemed to be, I realized that I would always regret not taking this last opportunity–and I pulled the trigger on a last-minute booking. I was glad they had a spot open right at the beginning of the season. Unfortunately, it was too early in the year for the sharks to be jumping, but we did get to see at least four different great whites around Seal Island, and we (five passengers, four crew) swam in the cage. The closest the sharks came was only about 8-10 feet (they were interested in the bait on a rope, not us).

Overall, it was a wonderful experience that I recommend. It was quite exhilarating to see these apex predators in their natural habitat. For all that we know about it, the sea is still so mysterious, romantic and scary–and sharks doubly so. Safety is a concern for some people, but I felt very secure in the cage. I could climb out at any time right into the boat, and the sharks never came close enough to touch (not that I would have reached out!). Sure–it was probably more dangerous than staying at home on the couch. But as I reflected upon the day, I realized I was probably more likely to die in a car accident on the hour-long drive from Stellenbosch, what with South Africa’s absolutely insane driving culture (but that’s a discussion for another time!).

We arrived back at the wharf in Simon’s Town around noon. My friend, Craig, met me there for lunch at a local restaurant. Craig has connections at two local institutions of biblical higher ed, and he wanted to take me to meet the faculty at one of them. BISA is in Kalk Bay, which is a little town further up the Peninsula overlooking False Bay. It was wonderful to meet these folks and to hear of the challenges and joys of training church leaders in southern Africa.

On Thursday, I spent some time studying in the morning. It was difficult to know exactly how to prepare for the defense other than just…know everything. But I took comfort in the thought that I knew more about my specialized subject than any of the examiners, so I tried to focus on method. That turned out to be not as important as I thought it would be–but more on that later.

I took a break mid-day to walk to the campus centre and purchase some university swag. It’s virtually impossible to get any Stellenbosch clothing or souvenirs in the USA, so I always make sure to pick up a shirt or a hat or something when I’m there.

I then had a wonderful time at lunch with the pastor of the local CESA church in Stellenbosch. Pastor Doug was very encouraging, and we discussed again the unique challenges of ministry in Africa. Culture changes, but people are pretty much the same and struggle with the same sin and suffering.

I returned to my room that evening to “rehearse” my seven-minute introduction to my dissertation. I made a couple of videos of myself (pathetic, I know) and rewrote and re-rewrote the outline. After a shower and some three-year-old American TV (mostly what you get on South African broadcast stations), I settled in for a night of fitful sleep, anticipating my final, final exam the next morning.

Posted in Research, Travels | 1 Comment

Paper: “Irregular Warriors”

Posted on 7 March 2014 by Benj

My paper for the Mid-Atlantic/New England Regional meeting of SBL, “‘Irregular’ Warriors: Stereotypes of Benjaminite Soldiers in the Deuteronomistic History and Chronicles,” is now posted.

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Why Ham Is Wrong and Nye Doesn’t Get It

Posted on 13 February 2014 by Benj

I am well aware of my biases, as someone who grew up in a young-earth creationist (YEC) church and family context but has evolved (har-har) after eleven years of undergraduate and graduate study in Old Testament into something resembling an old-earth creationist (OEC) who is agnostic about the extent of God’s use of evolutionary processes in the multiplication of species.

That’s why “debates” (really, duet entertainment) like the one held at the Creation Science Museum between Ken Ham and Bill Nye (“The Science Guy”) last week are so frustrating for me. Please excuse the following rant and scattered thoughts…

1. Contra Ham: I’m so weary of debates about biblical literalism in Genesis. Literalism should mean “taking what the text means as literature,” which, anyone should conclude after study of Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) myths and king lists, cannot mean that Genesis 1-11 means that the world is 6,000 years old. The world may in fact be 6,000 years old, but you can’t credibly argue that the purpose of Genesis 1-11 is primarily to communicate that notion. If you think so, then you need to read this book.

2. Again, contra Ham’s side: as a student and scholar of the Old Testament I’m tired of all the inordinate focus on Genesis. We like Genesis because it contains many of the best-known Bible stories. The more you investigate OT theology, you realize that Deuteronomy is probably the most important book of the Pentateuch, because it forms the covenantal culmination of all that comes before it and the covenantal basis for all the rest of the Hebrew Bible. As a Christian, I note that the NT quotes from and alludes to Deuteronomy more frequently than from Genesis. I taught Pentateuch to 19-year-old evangelicals several times in a university, and most admitted they had never read Deuteronomy all the way through (many had never even heard a sermon on Deuteronomy). I’d even settle for focus on Exodus, because the promises to Israel in the exile (and the promises that are fulfilled in Christ) are based on the salvation from Egyptian captivity. As soon as you start engaging in the wider world of Hebrew Bible scholarship, you realize that it’s very rare to find anyone who takes the book of Exodus as reflecting anything close to historical fact (most scholars think that “Israel” originated in Canaan in what we call the time of the judges). In terms of Old Testament theology, a historical exodus is more crucial than a historical Adam. Let’s pick our battles carefully.

3. Contra Nye: I’m disgusted with the lack of epistemological awareness of many advocates of atheistic evolution. It’s fine to state that scientific laws are universal and unchanging, but you have to recognize that that is a presupposition on which your arguments are based, not evidence itself. It’s also fine to argue that for most scientific endeavors, arguing that “God did it” does not have explanatory value. I agree. But philosophically, you’re still left with the question of the origin of the universe and all matter and energy that currently behaves (and throughout recorded history has always behaved) according to regular principles. If there was a Big Bang, who was the Big Banger?

4. Contra Nye: It is fallacious to argue that creationism is bad because it will cripple America’s scientific output. America has arguably led the world in scientific innovation, despite creationism being a mostly American phenomenon that seems to be quite widely held in our country. As Ham showed, there are people who believe in the regularity of matter, but who believe that matter and the universal laws of science were created supernaturally 6,000 years ago. They might be wrong, but they exist, and they build useful things using science. (Reminds me of the man who, when asked if he believed in infant baptism, answered, “Sure–I’ve seen it done!”) And anyway, whether or not creationism will cripple our scientific output is not relevant to the question of whether it’s true or not.

5. Contra Ham again: I’d like to see Christians recognize that “naturalism” as a presupposition has some heuristic value for understanding humanity and the world around us. When the evolutionary biologist (or psychologist) looks at a particular characteristic in an organism, he says to himself, “OK: I know this trait must have evolved according to natural processes, and it must have been retained by natural selection because it gave this organism’s ancestors a reproductive/survival advantage–but how?” In other words, is a presupposition on which science is based. This rejects the supernatural as a cause, at least for explanatory purposes. But Christians need to be fair: on what other basis could science possibly proceed? It’s a belief that yields fruitful results–even if (see point 3) the scientist is not epistemologically self-aware. It’s just like Christians ask of the Bible: “OK, I know this passage is authoritatively true revelation from God–but how?” Economists ask themselves when they observe irrational behavior: “OK, I know that human beings behave according to their perceived self-interest, so these humans must perceive self-interest–the question is, how?” (Thus, a great deal of economic “science” is trying to discover the reasons why markets fail to produce desirable outcomes in every circumstance, and the reasons why people behave irrationally, etc.) Christians need to recognize that debates over “intelligent design” and “irreducible complexity” will not convince the committed naturalist, because design is precluded by the framework in which science operates. And–just like Nye needs to recognize that creationists can make good stuff (see point 4)–Christians need to recognize that science for practical reasons must proceed according to naturalistic presuppositions.

…

It seems to me that the question is really how “natural” processes actually work in the world. Both Nye and Ham agree that matter currently behaves regularly. Both believe that the world looks like it could be very old (though Ham disputes a great deal of this evidence). They diverge on this point: Nye fails to recognize that his belief that matter has and will always behave regularly is itself a presupposition that he cannot prove, and Ham fails to recognize that his presuppositions about the meaning of scripture lead him to deny that God has worked quite spectacularly in the world over millions of years using “natural” processes–i.e., laws of science that God himself set into motion.

Frankly, I’d rather see two self-aware philosophers of science, a Christian and an atheist, discuss the concept of naturalism. That would have been more fruitful than last week’s spectacle, which only served to confirm each member of the audience in his/her currently view.

Posted in Bible-Theology, Culture-Economics-Society, Research | 1 Comment

Stellenbosch Travelogue III

Posted on 29 January 2014 by Benj

On Monday morning, I made my way up to the university area of town in search of the car rental place. I recalled that on my last trip Corrie and I had wandered quite far trying to find the place. The problem is that in SA numbered addresses do not always show up on the right cross-streets on internet maps or GPS, so it’s always best to confirm the cross-street with the actual person/business before you go. But I had forgotten to email in advance, and I don’t have a phone here, so I wandered quite a ways again on foot before I found it. (One of the things I miss most now that I’m used to having it all the time at home is a cell phone. You don’t realize how much you rely on it for directions and to make up for mistakes or poor planning–until you don’t have it.)

After dropping the car off at the hotel, I met with Professor Jonker at the Faculty of Theology. We discussed the defense, teaching possibilities, and postdocs. More details on those things later, but for now I’ll say that it was very encouraging.

After lunch I drove about a half-hour east to Franschhoek, which is one valley over from Stellenbosch. Franschhoek (lit. “French corner” in Dutch/Afrikaans) was settled by the Huguenots in the seventeenth century. The views are just as stunning as in Stellenbosch–mountains, fields, vineyards.

On Tuesday, I got up early to drive to the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town to see the Two Oceans Aquarium and take a tour of Robben Island, where political prisoners (including Mandela) were held for many years. I got stuck in traffic and missed the 9am trip to the Island, so I decided to hit up the aquarium first. It’s beautiful, with many species only found in South African coastal waters. I recall hearing/reading on one of my previous trips that South Africa is the most biodiverse nation in the world, in terms of number of species of flora and fauna. The oceans’ diversity does not disappoint in this regard. They have several “ragged-tooth sharks,” which we in ‘Merka call “sand tiger sharks,” and a few giant spider crabs, which were fascinating.

I took my time at the aquarium and sampling some local cuisine at the food market on the pier, planning to catch the 1pm ferry to Robben Island. When I arrived at 12:30 to buy a ticket, however, the trips were sold out for the rest of the day! I hadn’t wanted to purchase a ticket online in advance because I wasn’t sure what time I’d get there–but I wish I had. Learn from my failure! The consolation prize was some neat displays at the museum on-shore.

If you don’t know much about Mandela, de Klerk, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and the end of apartheid, you really should learn. The early ’90s in South Africa were a remarkable historical moment, where power was peacefully handed over to a democratic government. Mandela’s passing last year precipitated many fresh retellings of his biography. He was not a perfect person, but he has become a symbol of something far more important than one man. And I don’t think it’s fair to judge a mere man by the standards required of a symbol or an idea.

All I would say is: let’s learn about both “Mandela the man” and “Mandela the symbol,” and not make the mistake of thinking that the quest for freedom is done. On the contrary, history teaches us that if we don’t examine the past carefully and learn from both the good and the bad, we are doomed to make the same mistakes. Personally, I fear that South African politics will continue to be dominated exclusively by a political party surviving only on Mandela’s memory rather than on good public policy in the present. There certainly seem to be parallels to African-Americans’ unswerving support for the Democratic Party since the Civil Rights Era.

Posted in Culture-Economics-Society, Travels | 2 Comments