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Archive for the ‘Justin A. Mihoc’ Category


John Barclay, “Paul and the Gift”

In Durham, Eerdmans, Galatians, John BARCLAY, Justin A. Mihoc, Paul, Romans on November 11, 2011 at 12:49 am

This is a report on a book preview by Prof John Barclay, Professor of New Testament Studies at Durham University, at the New Testament Research Seminar, Department of Theology and Religion, Durham University, 07th of November 2011.

The list of forthcoming papers in the NT Research Seminars at Durham University can be found here.

At the last assembly of the weekly New Testament research seminar, a new type of presentation was inaugurated. Prof Francis Watson, this session’s chair, introduced the format of book previews, a new and different one from the seminars we were used to so far. In these new sessions, the chair will get involved much more as a moderator, in a questions and answers format. For the first half of the session, the moderator will ask a set of questions which will enable the author and respondent to draw the general structure and themes of his book. In the second half, the open discussion, to which all participants are invited, would complete the already composed picture and further focus on the participants’ interests in the previously presented book.

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“Academic Development Seminar: How to manage conferences”

In Durham, Francis B. WATSON, Justin A. Mihoc, Lewis AYRES on November 9, 2011 at 7:09 pm

This term’s Academic Development Seminar, organised by the Department of Theology and Religion of Durham University, aimed to answer some of the most important questions relating to conferences and conference presentations. The seminar, which followed a Questions and Answers-type format, was chaired and moderated by Dr Alec Ryrie. The respondents were Prof Francis Watson (Professor of New Testament) and Prof Lewis Ayres (Bede Chair in Catholic Theology).

It was agreed from the beginning that conferences come in many shapes and forms and that preparing and presenting a paper is very important in the academic life of researchers. However, the importance of conferences is generally misinterpreted and misunderstood. First of all, finding a job at conferences should not be the purpose for attending it, however inside knowledge about prospective academic jobs within different universities might be acquired at such meetings. Therefore, there is only an indirect link between attending conferences and getting a job. Read the rest of this entry »


Simon Gathercole, “The Religious Outlook of the Gospel of Thomas”

In Durham, Gospel of Thomas, Justin A. Mihoc, Second century, Simon GATHERCOLE on November 2, 2011 at 8:39 am

This is a report on a paper presented by Dr Simon Gathercole, Senior Lecturer in New Testament Studies in the Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge, at the New Testament Research Seminar, Department of Theology and Religion, Durham University, 31 October 2011.

The list of forthcoming papers in the NT Research Seminars at Durham University can be found here. RBECS is also on facebook, here.

Dr Gathercole insightfully tackled a very puzzling Christian writing of the second century, namely the Gospel of Thomas (to be subsequently referred to as Thomas), focusing on its theology. His presentation is drawn from a larger project on the composition of Thomas, which he prepares for publication in the SNTS Monograph Series.

In the opening of his presentation, Dr Gathercole briefly introduced some general information on this writing. In antiquity, especially in the Church Fathers, there are a lot of allusions to Thomas (beginning with Ps.-Hippolytus, Cyril of Jerusalem and Origen), and wrongly attributed to Manichees. Read the rest of this entry »


René Bloch, “Who was Philo of Alexandria? Tracing Autobiographic Passages in Philo”

In Durham, Judaism, Justin A. Mihoc, Philo, René BLOCH, SEMINAR REPORTS on October 28, 2011 at 6:04 pm

This is a report on a paper presented by Professor René Bloch, Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Bern, at the New Testament Research Seminar, Department of Theology and Religion, Durham University, 24th of October 2011.

The list of forthcoming papers in the NT Research Seminars at Durham University can be found here. You can find RBECS on facebook, here.

Prof Bloch presented a very interesting and engaging paper on a difficult topic, the identity of Philo, an important author for Philosophy, New Testament, Classical and Jewish studies. Following Gregory Sterling, Bloch proposed a study of ‘Philo for Philo’. He commenced his analysis by providing some general information on Philo and his oeuvre. Philo of Alexandria, the most prolific Jewish-Hellenistic writer and the first Jewish philosopher sufficiently known to us through his works, left us a number of 40 extant tractates written in Greek and translations in other languages. Many of Philo’s works were preserved in the writings of the Church Fathers. Read the rest of this entry »


Ascension Theology

In Ascension, Bloomsbury, Douglas FARROW, Justin A. Mihoc, Luke-Acts, NT reception history, NT Theology, Patristics, Reception history on October 23, 2011 at 9:53 am

2011.10.08 | Douglas Farrow, Ascension Theology, London: T&T Clark, 2011. Pp. xiv + 177. ISBN: 9780567353573 (Paperback), £ 16.99.

Reviewed by Justin A. Mihoc, Durham University.

RBECS would like to thank T&T Clark and Continuum Publishing for kindly providing us with a review copy. You can find RBECS on facebook, here.

Those interested in the interpretation of the Ascension of Jesus will certainly be acquainted with Prof Douglas Farrow’s Ascension and Ecclesia, a substantial monograph that attempted to offer an overview of the meaning and implications of the Ascension event and doctrine. Read the rest of this entry »


The Cambridge Dictionary of Christianity

In Cambridge University Press, Daniel PATTE, Justin A. Mihoc on October 19, 2011 at 8:24 pm

2011.10.07 | Daniel Patte (ed.), The Cambridge Dictionary of Christianity, Cambridge: CUP, 2010. Pp. lxvii + 1343. ISBN: 9780521820967 (Hardback), £ 95.00 (US$ 150.00); ISBN: 9780521527859 (Paperback), £ 25.00 (US$ 39.99).

Reviewed by Justin A. Mihoc, Durham University.

RBECS would like to thank Cambridge University Press for kindly providing us with a review copy. You may want to visit us on facebook too.

The aim of the editors was to provide students, scholars and general readers with a one-volume comprehensive, yet accessible, reference guide of Christianity, covering its history from the beginning to the present times. It proves to be an invaluable reference tool for the study and reflection on the main question that the authors intend to answer: ‘What is Christianity?’. Read the rest of this entry »


John Moles, “The Lukan Preface”

In Durham, Greek Prologue, John MOLES, Justin A. Mihoc, Luke-Acts, New Testament, SEMINAR REPORTS on May 10, 2011 at 12:27 pm

This is a report on a paper presented by Professor John Moles, Professor of Latin in the School of Historical Studies, Newcastle University, at the New Testament Research Seminar at the Department of Theology and Religion, Durham University, 9th of May 2011.

The list of forthcoming papers in the NT Research Seminars at Durham University can be found here.

In a very engaging and interesting presentation, Prof Moles assessed the highly problematic and complex preface of Luke’s Gospel and its homologous secondary preface in Acts. The Lukan preface is relevant not only in the attempt to identify the genre of the work, but also to discover the author’s intention and objectives. The Lukan preface shows a unified piece of text, showing unity of theme and treatment at the same time, and it is detached from the diegesis. Read the rest of this entry »


Fr. Andrew Louth, “The Reception of the Fathers in Byzantium 650 – 1080”

In Andrew LOUTH, Durham, Justin A. Mihoc, Patristics, SEMINAR REPORTS on February 25, 2011 at 1:14 am

This is a report on a paper presented by Fr Prof Andrew Louth, member of the British Academy of Sciences, formerly Professor of Patristic and Byzantine Studies in the Department of Theology and Religion at Durham University, and currently Professor at the Free University, Amsterdam, at the Patristics Research Seminar at the Department of Theology and Religion, Durham University, 24th of February 2011.

The list of forthcoming papers in the Patristics Research Seminars at Durham University can be found here.

In his characteristic clear and concise way, Prof Louth presented a very interesting paper covering more than four centuries of Eastern Christian thought and theology. A revised form of this paper is to be published shortly as a separate chapter in a collective monograph. Read the rest of this entry »


Lutz Doering, “Paul and Ancient Jewish Letter Writing”

In DSS, Durham, Justin A. Mihoc, Lutz DOERING, New Testament, Paul, SEMINAR REPORTS on February 12, 2011 at 12:30 pm

This is a report on a paper presented by Dr Lutz Doering, Reader in New Testament and Ancient Judaism in the Department of Theology and Religion at Durham University, at the New Testament Research Seminar at the Department of Theology and Religion, Durham University, 29th of November 2010.

The list of forthcoming papers in the NT Research Seminars at Durham University can be found here.

Dr Doering presented in this paper some very interesting ideas which are to be included and developed in his forthcoming monograph on Jewish and early Christian letter writing. Whilst trying to define the characteristics of Paul’s epistles, he gradually analysed the stylisation of the author, co-senders and addressees of the letters and their use within early Christian communities and, also, epistolary formulae such as the Proem and the structure of the Prescript. Read the rest of this entry »


Judith Lieu, “Heresy and Scripture”

In Durham, Heresy, Judith LIEU, Justin A. Mihoc, Scripture, Second century, SEMINAR REPORTS on December 27, 2010 at 5:30 am

This is a report on a paper presented by Professor Judith Lieu, Lady Margaret’s Professor of Divinity at the University of Cambridge, at the New Testament Research Seminar at the Department of Theology and Religion, Durham University, 13th of December 2010.

The list of forthcoming papers in the NT Research Seminars at Durham University will be found here.

In her paper, Prof Lieu examined the ideas of ‘heresy’ and ‘Scripture’ as reflected in the writings of the 2nd century Christian theologians Justin Martyr, Irenaeus and Tertullian. The discussion on heresy is centered on the figure of Marcion and his ‘Gospel’ as a ‘falsification’ of Scripture.

The idea of (Christian) ‘Scripture’, and therefore canon, was coined surprisingly late, beginning with Athanasius of Alexandria (c. 293-373) who mentions a list of books in his 39th Festal Letter. Read the rest of this entry »