that we need to recover the sense in which the Gospels are testimony.
This does not mean that they are testimony rather than history.
It means that the kind of historiography they are is testimony. An
irreducible feature of testimony as a form of human utterance is that it
asks to be trusted. This does not mean that it asks to be trusted
uncritically, but it does mean that testimony should not be treated as
credible only to the extent that it can be independently verified. There
can be good reasons for trusting or distrusting a witness, but these are
precisely reasons for trusting or distrusting. Trusting
testimony is not an irrational act of faith that leaves critical
rationality aside; it is, on the contrary, the rationally appropriate
way of responding to authentic testimony. . . . It is true that a
powerful trend in the modern development of critical historical
philosophy and method finds trusting testimony a stumbling-block in the
way of the historianâs autonomous access to truth that she or he can
verify independently. But it is also a rather neglected fact that all
history, like all knowledge, relies on testimony. ( 5; italics original)
...
Review of Biblical Literature Newsletter (March 16, 2013)
If you canât make it to ETS, however, there is now a next-best
option. We are sponsoring live webcasts of all plenary speakers,
including E. Calvin Beisner, Russell Moore, Richard Bauckham, and
Douglas Moo. Visit www.LiveStream.com/ZondervanAcademic
to RSVP and get reminders.
Particulars about the plenary sessions, including scheduling, can be
found by searching for âplenary sessionâ in the âsession information and
indexesâ program section PDF available via the ETS website.
The Bible and Christian tradition have, at best, offered an ambiguous
word in response to Earthâs environmental difficulties. At worst, a
complex, often one-sided history of interpretation has left the Bibleâs
voice silent. Aiming to bridge these gaps, Richard Bauckham mines
scripture and theology, discovering a firm command for Christians to
care for all of Godâs creation and then discusses the generations of
theologians who have sought to live out this biblical mandate. Going
beyond Old Testament human dominion, Living with Other Creatures
consults scripture in its entirety and includes Jesusâ perspectives on
creation, novel approaches to reading the gospels, and some of the most
well-known âecologistsâ throughout Christian history. The result is an
innovative and enriching treatise that reminds readers of Gods whole
creationâand humanityâs place within it.