2017.10.01: Two big presentations

It was a nice day, and I’m very glad to have had the opportunity. It ended up being a small group of 4 people, which actually made for a more conversational discussion time in the response time of the 1 hour 45 minute seminar. I had a powerpoint presentation to go along to provide visuals (especially needed for Hiebert’s centered set paradigm), but also to allow visual learners (I assume most researchers/academics are) to read the direct quotes in order to process some erudite concepts in their second or third language.

Generally, my gut would say that three of the 4 were gracious and even open to engaging meaningfully, while still seeing my approach as quite a bit on the “fringe.”

One, “A”, was not convinced and a bit defensive–though graciously–in his argumentation, for example stating that Sweden requires “scholarship” but not “science” for exegetical theology. I said that is a good clarification, but does Swedish academic authorities see scholarship as engaging “scientific” methodology. One of the others, “B”, supported my understanding of the Swedish expectation of a neutral, objective researcher.

At a later point, I challenged a Western categorization of African biblical studies as pre-critical or “primitive,” and “A” rolled his eyes! I read it (perhaps mistakenly) as almost an “Oops, I got caught!” sense, like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

Fortunately, at a later fika, “A” and I had a nice conversation about teaching Hebrew, and I was open that I don’t think I am very good at it, but with enough capacity to get students through a first year grammar in order to better understand OT texts. So, the fact that I affirmed his expertise as a linguist and one writing a Hebrew grammar in Swedish seemed to help to build a collegial connection.

__________

One of the serendipitous conversations was about Hebrew grammar textbooks. There are 2 old biblical Hebrew grammars for Swedish-medium instruction, but “A” uses an English-medium grammar! I was able to share that with my students (I uses an English-medium, biblical Hebrew grammar text), who I think feel better that even a Swede is using an English-medium Hebrew grammar. (Boy, that took a lot of clarification to describe the issue!)

After the seminar, the PhD student, Elizabeth, offered to give me a tour of the Lund cathedral, where she has been working for several years on the custodial staff. She kept her job there even when becoming a stipended PhD student, because she likes to see tangible results to her work!

This is where Pope Francis came recently, as part of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. So, Elizabeth was part of the stressful preparation, and was the one who held the book for the Lutheran archbishop to read from during the televised service.

 

There is a special clock there.

The clock was built around 1380! However, for many years, it was in storage, and then rebuilt in 1837. Elizabeth took her keys and went behind the railing to figure out on which day of the week I was born–a Sunday. I had been told that, but I didn’t realize I was born on a leap year! The sun, moon, and star movements are represented, and one can figure out the movable church-year holidays.

One curious bit from the day was an old manual Hebrew typewriter on Fredrik’s desk. Now it is for novelty, but he said that when he was preparing his PhD thesis, before the IBM typewriter with the movable type balls, he would leave blanks in his pages and then go to the library to use this typewriter to fill in the Hebrew. Now, with computers, it is so much easier (but still challenging). However, now I know why my biblical Hebrew keyboard has its layout; it matches this one!

On Saturday, I led a Bible study for a young adult conference that is co-sponsored by Johannelund, my church, and the EFS (Swedish Evangelical Mission). There were perhaps 150 people, and I taught from Exodus 34, “the long name of God” (with quite a bit of background for context). It is an amazing passage as well as the climax after the golden calf idolatry crisis. God’s steadfast love and forgiveness is described in 7 different ways. The reconciliation and renewal with God’s promise to create new, astounding wonders demonstrates God’s commitment to the people of Israel, who are the center of the Abrahamic covenant and God’s plan for rescue of humanity and creation.

This colony of mushrooms is thriving by a park bench in the graveyard by the old church.

Tomorrow is the “Exegetical Day,” a conference for all the Old and New Testament scholars in Sweden. I’m thinking about skipping the first session, because it is in Swedish. I can get other things done and hit the English sessions later.

With blessings,

Beth