Claude Mariottini
Emeritus Professor
of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
The preparation of the May 2015 Biblical Studies Carnival was an opportunity to visit the blog site of people who write on biblical issues. As I prepared the selections for the May 2015 Carnival, I visited all the sites listed on the Complete List of Biblioblogs. What I discovered was not very encouraging.
I discovered that many people who write academic blogs have stopped writing or have posted very infrequently to their blogs. I have to confess that I could include myself in this last category of bloggers. Some bloggers who are prolific in posting to their blogs, post items that are only indirectly related to biblical studies. These bloggers may post items of interest to some people, but these posts do not provide an in-depth study of the biblical text.
There are several reasons bibliobloggers have stopped posting or have published only sporadically. One of the main reasons is that many bibliobloggers are professors who are heavily involved in teaching and researching. Academic life places heavy demands on professors. When the workload is heavy, something must go, and that something is blogging.
Another reason is that writing thought-provoking posts requires much reading and the kind of research that is needed to develop and write posts that are informative. That also requires time, the kind of time that academics lack.
All of us who blog and seek to inform and teach through our blogs are grateful to readers who read and react to our posts. Those who subscribe to our blogs encourage us to continue disseminating knowledge and information through our blogs.
The posts listed in the May 2015 Biblical Studies Carnival are a sample of the work of bibliobloggers. Visit their blogs and leave a comment expressing your appreciation for their work.
Now, the May 2015 Biblical Studies Carnival:
OLD TESTAMENT
Peter Enns has a review of Zondervan’s volume of the “Counterpoints” series: “7 problems with a recent evangelical defense of the historicity of Genesis 1-11.” The post is a criticism of James Hoffmeier’s defense of the historicity of Genesis 1-11.
Bob MacDonald has a series of studies on Deuteronomy 28: Deuteronomy 28:46-57, Deuteronomy 28:58-69, and Is concordance useful or necessary?
George Athas asks whether there was a covenant at creation.
Neil Godfrey at Vridar has a series of articles on Moses and the Exodus: Moses as an Egyptian Priest, Moses as founder of an alternative Egyptian religion, and Moses and Exodus according to the Roman historian Tacitus.
Carpe Scriptura is going through the Old Testament, chapter by chapter. Here are the last studies on 2 Kings: 2 Kings 14-15, 2 Kings 16, and 2 Kings 17.
Deane Galbraith at Remnant of Giants discusses Malcolm Gladwell’s TED lecture on David and Goliath.
I have followed my tradition on writing about biblical mothers on Mother’s Day. Here is my study on Bathsheba: A Mother With Determination. I have also written a series of studies on Jesus’ genealogy in Matthew. My latest study was on The Genealogy of Jesus According to His Great-Grandmothers.
NEW TESTAMENT
Wayne Coppins has a post dealing with the different ways that Jens Schröter and Francis Watson deal with the sayings tradition and its development with special reference to the place they assign to the Gospel of Thomas.
Scot McKnight discusses his new book A Fellowship of Differents in which he says that according to Paul, the church was designed by God to be a fellowship of difference. In two posts he speaks about holiness and the four elements of love.
David Fitch has a study on Lazarus and the poor in which he discusses how the church as a community is to practice being with the poor as part of our everyday life.
Biblical Studies Online has two good videos that are worth watching. One is by Daniel Boyarin in which he discusses two Pharisees: Josephus and Paul. The other video is by Amy-Jill Levine in which she delivers a lecture titled “Who Did They Say He Was? Jesus in Text and Context.”
Peter Kirby deals with the authenticity of the reference to John the Baptist in Josephus’ text.
James McGrath asks why the Christian movement relocated to being centered in Jerusalem: From Jesus of Nazareth to Church of Jerusalem.
Marg Mowczko asks whether Ephesians 5:33 deals with fear or respect in Christian marriage.
James D. Tabor writes about the coming Messiah: Waiting for the Messiahs–One, Two, or Three?
Larry Hurtado discusses whether Philippians 2:6-11 and Colossians 1:15-20 are Christ-Hymns.
Isaac W. Oliver asks: Do Christians Have to Keep the Torah? The Cases of Matthew and Luke-Acts.
Andrew Perriman asks why did Jesus instruct his disciples not to preach the kingdom of God to Gentiles and Samaritans.
Kevin Brown at Diglotting deals with Revelation 19:11-21 and Christ as the Eschatological Divine Warrior. Part I, Part II, and Part III.
THEOLOGY
Roger E. Olson asks: Is God Also Our Mother? His answer: God the Mother is the Holy Spirit.
BOOK REVIEW
Phillip J. Long has published three book reviews:
Mark A. Seifrid, The Second Letter to the Corinthians, Oren R. Martin, Bound for the Promised Land, and Gary M. Burge, A Week in the Life of a Roman Centurion.
Craig Benno has a review of “The Grand Design – New Answers to the Ultimate Questions of Life” by Stephen Hawking.
James Bradford Pate reviews Theology as Retrieval: Receiving the Past, Renewing the Church by W. David Buschart and Kent D. Eilers.
FUTURE CARNIVALS
The next two Carnivals will be hosted by:
June 2015 Biblical Studies Carnival (Post date: July 1, 2015)
William A. Ross, williamross27@gmail.com.
July 2015 Biblical Studies Carnival (Post date: August 1, 2015)
Lindsay Kennedy, lindsay@mydigitalseminary.com.
We need volunteers to host the Biblical Studies Carnival for the remainder of 2015 and all of 2016. Producing the Biblical Studies Carnival each month is a service bibliobloggers offer to their readers. I hope you will offer yourself to host the next Biblical Studies Carnival. Contact Phil Long at plong42@gmail.com and let him know that you want to host the Biblical Study Carnival.
Claude Mariottini
Emeritus Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
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If you are looking for other series of studies on the Old Testament, visit the Archive section and you will find many studies that deal with a variety of topics.
Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament 
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Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging and commented:
Excellent carnival!
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Vincent,
Thank you for reblogging the post on the Biblical Carnival.
Claude Mariottini
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You’re very welcome Dr. Mariottini!
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Thanks for your excellent carnival and “call to arms” for bilbiobloggers. You are certainly correct some of the better blogs have gone cold over the last year – but there are a few new ones, especially from seminary / PhD students.
BY the way, my email is is wrong: If anyone is interested in hosting a carnival, contact me at plong42@gmail.com.
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Phil,
Thank you for the invitation to host the Carnival. I have left a comment on your blog about the new bibliobloggers. I have also updated your email on my post.
Claude Mariottini
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Thank-you Claude for this list resulting from your careful analysis and reading this month. I have wondered what was happening with updating the Biblioblog list. Thanks too for encouraging comments.
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Bob,
Thank you for your nice words. The Biblioblog list needs to be updated. It will take some work, but that is the kind of work that will benefit all of us.
Claude Mariottini
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I recently started following your blog as a way to better engage “like-minded” people. I am not certain what the carnival is all about. I am not even close to belonging on the carnival list above. In my world at the local church in Phoenix I feel like the only crazy person in the crowd that even cares about these subjects. Like you, I see encouragement.
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John,
Thank you for following my blog. The Biblical Studies Carnival is a way of calling attention to posts on blogs dealing with the Bible. One does not have to agree with everything others publish, but at least we can see what others are doing.
You are not crazy in trying to learn more about the Bible. I was a pastor for fifty years and what I discovered is that most church members have little interest in studying the Bible beyond Sunday School. I commend your decision to read and learn more about the Bible.
Beginning next week, I will return to a more regular schedule. Since you subscribe to my blog, you will receive all my posts. I welcome your comments and suggestions.
Claude Mariottini
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I am pleased to receive your response. I sent a blog response to you last week, in response to a comment about Ezra, God and divorce. I mentioned that I believe that Ezra did not consult God before dictating the Canaanite divorce decree and created a problem that was not solved until Paul and justification. Your thoughts?
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John,
Thank you for your comment. I apologize for the delay in answering your email. I have been away from my blog and have not responded to comments left on my blog.
I have responded to your comment and I agree with your views on this issue.
Claude Mariottini
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Hi Claude,
Tim Fall, a family court judge in CA biblioblogs on his website “Tim’s Blog–Just One Train Wreck After Another.” He is a frequent commentor on Her–meneutics (Christianity Today) and sites that argue for biblical equality. I often end up doing sometimes (well, often I guess) long biblical discourses in my comments. Guess I should have a “biblioblog” but have no idea how to go about it and not sure I have the time, as I pour hours into these things due to the standards I set for myself about accuracy and ethics. You may not remember, but you were one of the professors encouraging me to go for my DMin.,seeing something in me obviously that was suited for it. I still remember hearing in seminary that sermon prep takes an hour for every minute you preach and I have found it to be true if one wants a sermon with any substance and depth.
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Carlene,
It was nice hearing from you again. I am not familiar with the blog you mentioned, but I will visit the site and see what Tim has to offer.
I know you write well and what you wrote for my classes was always very good. Blogging is not hard; it just takes time and commitment. I am sure that you would be a great biblioblogger. Maybe you should at least try to blog and see whether this is what you would like to do. If you are interested, come by my office and I will give you some help on how to begin.
Claude Mariottini
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Hi Claude,
I have written a few blogs on the Blog page of my website http://www.newdaypcs.org/blog
The first one was entitled Using the Right Tools. That has a picture of me with the framing nail gun I got as a birthday present to myself. (I love building and rehabbing). Of all the posts on my blog page, that one has gotten more readers than all the other blogs on the page.
I feature some guest bloggers on the site, but am getting ready to publish another one.
I’ll be waiting to see if you publish a blog on Huldah. She is one of my biblical heroines and women to emulate, so I would love to know more about her.
Blessings,
Carlene
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Carlene,
Thank you for letting me know about your blog. Next week I will link your blog to mine. The Biblical Studies Carnival deals with blogs that deal with the biblical text. The post you mentioned, “Using the Right Tools” was written in 2018. The April Carnival only lists posts written in April 2019 that deals with the biblical text. If you write a long post in May dealing with a text from the Bible, I will be willing to recommend your post for the May Carnival.
I have written several posts on Huldah. Next week I will post a list of my posts on Huldah.
Claude Mariottini
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Many thanks for this Claude. I’ve blogged a link on the NRCBR blog – I know I am really late to this months party, but you’ve done a great job and raised some important questions.
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Richard,
Thank you for your nice words. I am planning to visit your web page to see and read your work.
Claude Mariottini
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