From: A K M Adam (akm-adam@nwu.edu)
Date: Tue Nov 30 1999 - 17:18:41 EST
<x-rich>Michael Burer and all,
I second Jonathan's and Clayton's observations, with the further note
that among those of us who don't assent to Mounce's theological
conclusions, the Exegetical Insights are even more distracting--it's
hard to teach from a text that proclaims as an "insight" something that
one thinks exegetically suspect as well as theologically off-kilter.
I hasten to add that I'm not claiming to be wiser in exegesis or
theology than Mounce, Wallace, Marshall, my old classmate Craig Keener,
or anyone--just to have reached different conclusions. And it's hard to
work with a text that's teaching at cross-purposes to what you're
trying to inculcate.
If you're sympathetic with Mounce, the Insights are a real plus. If you
aren't they're a real minus.
Grace and peace,
AKMA
At 2:58 PM -0600 11/30/99, Michael Burer wrote:
<excerpt><smaller>Two list members, Jonathan and Carl, have recently
made disparaging comments regarding the Exegetical Insights which
Mounce includes at the front of most every chapter. I believe this
deserves a response. It is very important to understand that these
short vignettes serve a didactic purpose. Mounce's textbook is one of
the few I have seen which has a clearly stated purpose and goal to help
budding pastors, ministers, and exegetes learn the Greek of the New
Testament (see the Rationale Statement, pp. xiii-xviii, and Chapter 2
"Learning Greek", p. 3-6). The Exegetical Insights obviously fit within
that purpose, for they show the student that Greek pays dividends in
understanding. It is also important to understand that he only wrote a
few of them, so it is not accurate to infer that he is behind them all;
other contributors include his father Robert Mounce, Daniel Wallace,
Darrell Bock, I. Howard Marshall, Craig Keener, etc. I think it is an
excellent feature to have such a variety of scholars contribute to
these vignettes. Of course you may say that they are "irritating" or
"distracting" because you do not agree with the overall theological
stance Mounce has taken, but I may also say they are encouraging and
helpful because I do agree with his stance and that helps me stay
dedicated to the task of learning Greek. At the very least, the
Exegetical Insights show Greek in action, and whether you agree or not
with the resultant interpretation, seeing Greek in action is a helpful
aspect of any grammar.
Best regards to all,
Michael Burer
Ph.D. Student
Dallas Theological Seminary
</smaller></excerpt><smaller></smaller>
<fontfamily><param>Geneva</param>--
Seabury-Western Theological Seminary
</fontfamily><fontfamily><param>Andale_Mono</param>
To translate is human; to parse, divine.
</x-rich>
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