What is the “Wizard of Oz” of Biblical Studies Articles?

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It is a little known fact – at least it was to me – that The Wizard of Oz (1939) is the most quoted and alluded to movie of all time. Think of how many times you hear lines like “Well Toto, we’re not in Kansas any more!”, “There’s no place like home”, “I’ll get you my pretty…” and “I’m melting!”
If we applied the same criteria to articles in the field of biblical studies, which article would be the most cited? Well, my suggestion is this article by Samual Sandmel:Samuel Sandmel, “Parallelomania,” Journal of Biblical Literature 81 (1962): 1-13.Not only have I seen it cited many times but it deserves credit for adding a new word to the English theological dictionary.Sandmel writes:

We might for our purposes define parallelomania as that extravagance among scholars which first overdoes the supposed similarity in passages and then proceeds to describe source and derivation as if implying literary connection flowing in an inevitable or predetermined direction.

Surely the exhortation to avoid the error of parallomania is as valid today as it was in 1962?

Perhaps you have a nomination for the title – I’d love to hear it.

Many thanks the Society of Biblical Literature for their kind permission to reproduce this article.

Breaking News: Jim Packer Suspended by his Bishop

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The breaking news from Vancouver Canada is that Professor James I. Packer and David Short, rector of St John’s, Shaughnessy are facing what is being widely reported as ‘suspension’ from ministry. Please read the full article here. The article refers to several clips of Dr Packer on You Tube, which I have located and posted below. A line has been drawn in the sand tonight.

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New Biblical Studies Journal

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I received this email today and thought that it would be of interest to others:

THE ORTHODOX CENTER FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF BIBLICAL STUDIES (OCABS) is pleased to announce the launching of its new, on-line academic journal, The Journal of the Orthodox Center for the Advancement of Biblical Studies (JOCABS).

The mission of JOCABS is to promote scholarship in biblical studies, homiletics, and religious education among Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Christians around the world.

Although submissions in English are preferred thus ensuring greater accessibility, academic papers in other languages (especially Arabic, Armenian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, and Spanish) will be considered by our multi-lingual editorial board and its international associates.

Articles may be submitted in the following areas:

  • Old Testament and Cognate Studies. Including (but not limited to) critical studies in Hebrew Bible; Septuagint; Pseudepigrapha; Ancient Near Eastern History and Culture; Syro-Palestinian Archaeology.
  • New Testament and Cognate Studies. Including (but not limited to) critical studies in New Testament; Early Christian Literature; Apocryphal Literature and Traditions; Classical Studies; Archaeology of the Hellenistic and Roman periods.
  • The Bible in Homiletics and Christian Education. Including theoretical and methodological studies dedicated to the practical applications of biblical scholarship to both preaching and pedagogy.
  • Book Reviews. Submissions of critical reviews of books related to the field of biblical studies will be accepted and invited.

JOCABS is committed to promoting scholarship among scholars and graduate students and encourages them to submit papers to its peer-reviewed process. The first issue will appear in the Summer of 2008, and semiannually thereafter.

For additional information, please contact Dr. Nicolae Roddy, at [email protected] or Fr. Vahan Hovhanessian, at [email protected].

To submit an article online, please visit http://www.ocabs.org/journal/.