Tuesday, July 15, 2008

This Quarter

It is amazing how easily little details slip by only to bite you in the butt later. A few small details were missed by people that I thought had my best interests at heart (including me) and now I am paying for it. Oh well. That's how life goes, right? All we can do is our best. We have to roll with the punches, etc., etc.

As for this quarter academically: I am taking a Latin for Reading Knowledge course and finishing a course entitled Jesus and Paul. Latin is going quite well but I would definitely be much more lost than I am had it not been for previous encounters with Spanish, French, German, and (especially) Greek.

My second course is an independent study with Dr. Seyoon Kim. Last quarter I read a bunch on the subject of the (dis)continuity between the historical persons Jesus and Paul. Honestly, I don't know how much can be said on this issue these days with the ever-shrinking amount of historical certainty we are allowed to have about anything. Furthermore, places where there seems to be some promise (Paul quoting Jesus or alluding to Jesus' teachings) are so widely controverted that progress is almost impossible. After many months of searching, however, I have finally decided to write about Jesus fulfilling the Law vs. being the end of the Law. I hope this proves fruitful, at least for me.

So what do you think? How are Jesus and Paul related? How much do they have in common? What are their differences?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Matt,

I was just introduced to your contributions by way of the Dan Mages podcast interview.

I am a grad student in Atlanta studying "psychology and Christian spiritual integration", which is longhand for saying that I'm studying psychotherapy and theology.

My background is not unlike your own, and--probably like yourself--my grad school experience has opened up a world of fascinating and life-changing explorations into what I think theologically and how I approach the Bible (much less apply it to counselees very lives).

All that to say that in a season where some distance is opening between my former and my future, a season which is engendering some intellectual loneliness, I am grateful for minds like your own.

I look forward to staying on top of your thinking and writing (keep blogging, by the way).

Peace to you.

ALSO...Can you clarify the context of your question regarding Jesus and Pauline connections here?

Anonymous said...

Matt, meant to tell you...check out my website (www.matthewmartz.com). Try to make your way to my music page (nav through "play" section).

I noticed you say you love guitar. You might find some likeable guitarwork there, in addition to some attempts to voice a spiritual journey.

Peace again.

J. Matthew Barnes said...

Matt,

Thanks for the comments and I'll certainly check your site out!

To clarify my question: Is Paul's preaching (theology) similar to the preaching (theology) of Jesus? Or did Paul do something completely different than Jesus did?