Tilling announced it, Nijay Gupta did it, Rick Brannan followed suit, and now here I am jumping on the bandwagon. But my list will be shorter than 20, in fact, it’s another or my many top 10 lists, ok, really 5. I like a lot of scholars, but relatively few have been influential to me. So here are the top 5 scholars who have influenced me:
1. Larry Hurtado
His work on early Christian devotion to Jesus is unmatched. To call him erudite is an understatement, as he has exhibited a depth of knowledge and a breadth of research unsurpassed by anyone that I have read. His work also lays a foundation for really delving into my favorite topic, the doctrine of the Trinity. Where to start? I say go with the big book, Lord Jesus Christ: Devotion to Jesus in Earliest Christianity.
2. J.N.D. Kelly
Kelly helped me to realize the vital importance of the Patristic writers. As someone who worships in a ‘low church’ context, I never really even had a sense of my own denomination’s tradition, let alone the tradition of the Church proper. Reading Kelly changed that and he got me interested in the development of Christianity’s core and most distinctive doctrine: the doctrine of the Trinity. Where to start? That’s easy, start with Early Christian Doctrines.
3. Craig Evans
It was Evans who caused me to take a serious look at my belief in inerrancy. Here was a conservative scholar, who affirmed the simple fact that one need not believe the Bible to be inerrant in order to believe it was inspired. That was revolutionary for me. Where to start? Go with my favorite popular level apologetic book of 2 years ago, Fabricating Jesus: How Modern Scholars Distort the Gospels.
4. Michael L. Brown
As someone who has had a lot of contact with orthodox Jews over the last 6 years, Brown’s work on answering Jewish objections to Jesus has been more than helpful. The clarity with which he writes and speaks is amazing, but I’m even more impressed by the spirit in which he presents his material. Out of anyone I have ever heard debate on any given topic, Brown has consistently been the most gracious, the most prepared, and the most wellspoken. Where to start? Pick any of of the four volumes in his Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus series. I’m partial to Volume 3: Messianic Prophecy Objections.
5. Darrell Bock
I’ve always appreciated the way in which Bock can write so effortlessly for the scholar and layman alike. His Studying the Historical Jesus played a large role in my interest in the subject, and his Blasphemy and Exaltation in Judaism helped to solidify my understanding of Jesus’ trial in Mark 14 and support it with scholarly research and arguments. Where to start? That’s a tough one since he’s a prolific writer and writes on so many topics. I particularly enjoy his Jesus According to Scripture so I’d start with that one. It’s a good book to teach an adult Bible study with.
I’d love to include Gordon Fee, James Dunn, F.F. Bruce, and Bart Ehrman. I love all of these scholars and I have benefited greatly from what I’ve read of them. But I haven’t read as much as I think I would need to in order for me to really be influenced by their work. Out of all of them, Fee has me seriously reconsidering Wisdom Christology, which I once held to unapologetically.
B”H
Where does Evans discuss holding inspiration but not inerrancy? I’m probably a little more evangelical than you here, but I’m sympathetic to those who react against the unbelievable naivete and unrealistic unexpectations many right wing Christians have towards the Bible. I highly recommend the two volumes Carson and Woodbridge edited in the early 80′s on the doctrine of Scripture, though some essays are stronger than others.
Nick questioning Nick? I’m confused!
Nick: I don’t know that this is Evans’ personal view, but it was something he had written for (at least) the sake of argument that really got me thinking. He said:
I had honestly never even questioned the doctrine of inerrancy (i.e., ‘strict’ inerrancy) before reading this simple statement. Also, I know from hearing Evans speak in different interviews that he affirms the inspiration of the Bible, although I’m not sure if he affirms inerrancy. So my remarks in the post might have been misleading. It’s from the book that he basically says, “so what if we do away with inerrancy (and inspiration)?” and from live talks that I know he believes in inspiration.
And thanks for the recommendation. I’ll see if I can’t get my hands on those titles.
Chuck: Weird, huh?
Nick has read so many books on the Trinity that we are now in the process of himself evolving, and he is now having conversations with the second member of the Trini-Nick. ;-)
Or would that be Tri-Nick (that didn’t sound right), what are your suggestions for this phenomenon that we are seeing? ;-)
Robert: I think the appropriate title would be “Tri-Nick-ty” :-P
hahaha!
So far we only have evidence of a Bi-Nick-ty.
Don’t get ahead of the evidence, Robert. :)
Chuck, the third member is silent, behind the scenes, urging us to post, compelling and guiding us to come back and read.
Chuck: I think Robert’s onto something, but it won’t be until a Tri-Nick-tological heresy arises that the need to formally articulate the doctrine of the Tri-Nick-ty will present itself. ;)
Robert: The Church was built by thinkers like you. ;)
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Interesting list although i def would have Gordon Fee on there. There was an interview with Darrell Bock from a couple opf days ago here btw http://www.midbible.ac.uk/content/view/134/
JJ: I’d love to include Fee, but I only started reading him last year. Maybe in a couple of years he’ll make the list. And thanks for the link!
You gotta include Fee!
Anybody who can mingle exegesis, theology, and Textual Criticism! like that deserves to be on a top picks list.
Chuck: Had he actually been influential, then of course I’d include him. I think he’s a great author, in fact, he’s one of my favorites (from what I’ve read), but I haven’t spent enough time with his work yet for it to have had a major influence.
You know I’m surprised I didn’t see Gathercole on your list. I thought he was pretty influential on you (that one book at least) and I also expected to see at least one modern trinitarian theologian.
You know I hope you don’t read Fee because I’m afraid he will be built up too high for you and you will either be like “ehh, he’s ok” or just not like him at all and then turn into a Fee basher and then we wouldn’t be able to be friends anymore! It’s hard enough watching you bash Boyd.
: )
The same with N.T. Wright. I could see you reading one of his less scholarly things and instead something political of his and then writing his Jesus and Pauline stuff off, which is what makes him great, because you didn’t like what he had to say.
Anyway sometimes people just don’t live up to the expectations and its instead better to go into their work not expecting much or not knowing what to expect because then they really blind side you and turn your world upside down.
Bryan
Bryan: Gathercole is a brilliant scholar, and I absolutely loved his book, but I already had a pretty developed understanding of Christ’s preexistence. Gathercole definitely helped to make a solid case from the Synoptics, but it didn’t really influence me.
I suppose I could have added Robert Letham as a modern Trinitarian theologian, but it’s kind of the same situation as with Gathercole. I was already a devout Trinitarian just from my studies of Scripture and the Church Fathers. Letham introduced me to some contemporary theologians that I had never heard of (e.g., Lossky, Bulgakov, Gunton), and suggested a few things that I had never really considered, but he didn’t really play a part in shaping my Trinitarianism.
And I have read Fee. I’ve read a bunch of his commentary on the pastoral epistles in the NIBC series, some of his commentary on 1Corinthians in the NICNT series, his essay in The Trinity: An Interdisciplinary Symposium on the Trinity, and finally, large portions of Pauline Christology. But other than challenging my views on Wisdom Christology, he hasn’t been very influential. Now that might change in a couple of years (it probably will).
I’ve read less of Wright, but I’ve liked what I have read. Don’t know how much he’ll influence me in the long run. It would be interesting to come back in five years and revise this list. I wonder if I’ll be blogging then.
Nick, I hope that Richard Bauckham will make your future list. Jesus and the God of Israel will be out shortly, and I know that you’ll personally be interested in that one!
Ed: You know, Bauckham nearly made the list, but I see him and Hurtado very much in the same category. Of the two, Hurtado definitely had more of an impact. And I’ve been looking forward to Bauckham’s new book since last October, I can’t wait for it to come out!!! Hopefully, I’ll be able to procure a review copy, but so far I haven’t had any success with Eerdmans, so we’ll see what happens.
Is that book anymore than a bunch of previous essays? I wonder why they used the same picture for it that they used for God Crucified.
Bryan
Bryan: It’s going to have the full text of God Crucified as well as a bunch of essays (some previously published, some brand new) that expand upon his original thesis.
Nick: About Fee being influential?
To quote Capt. Picard: “Make it so.”
Chuck: I guess it’s really up to Fee, isn’t it? I’m sure once I get through How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, Pauline Christology, and Lord willing, one day, God’s Empowering Presence, then I’ll be singing a different tune.
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