Exciting news: We have another Linguistics Circle gathering coming up, this Thursday, November 9, 7–9pm. Our presenter this month is Dr. Jim Dvorak (Vice President Academic and Professor of New Testament), whose paper is entitled “Considering the Constraints of Context in the Exegetical Process.” Dvorak states:
“There is a growing tendency for young exegetes to rely quite heavily upon their own intuition to interpret biblical texts. Since, by definition, intuition derives from one’s instinctive feelings rather than conscious reasoning, it should always be checked against and subject to principled exegetical methodology that is built upon a principled theoretical base. This is because unchecked intuition tends to result in eisegesis rather than exegesis. One common area in the exegetical process where intuition and the assumptions interwoven therewith may set an exegete on a trajectory towards eisegesis is that of context. In this paper, Dr. D. describes a model of context that should help exegetes avoid anachronistic and ethnocentric readings of biblical texts.”
Anyone who is interested in joining is most welcome to join this and future meetings. As usual, there is a pre-Circle dinner gathering at 5pm. We will meet in Cullen Hall near the back doors (that face the centre of campus) and walk together to the selected restaurant.
And as we have done throughout this year, we will be meeting at the College (board room), as well as on Zoom (link below) for those who are unable to join in person. For any questions or comments, please contact co-chairs Dr. Stanley Porter, Dr. Dave Yoon (yoond2@mcmaster.ca), or email CBLTE directly (cblte@mcmaster.ca). We look forward to another fruitful discussion!
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Password: z00m (Note that the password has zeros rather than “o”)
The Linguistics Circle is a monthly gathering of students, faculty, and others who are interested in biblical linguistics. Each gathering, we have a discussion of a biblical linguistic topic, based on a paper presented by someone in our community—either a student, professor, or a volunteer or invited guest. Anyone with an interest in biblical linguistics is welcome to join, regardless of experience or knowledge in the field. To join, email cblte@mcmaster.ca to gain access to the CBLTE (Centre for Biblical Linguistics, Translation, and Exegesis) site where announcements and papers are posted.