The blog has been quiet for a while now, too quiet…
It seem that my recent brew of extended work deadlines, sleepless sick kids, the malaise of a lingering winter and overall writer’s apathy have proved to be a deadly combination. And frankly, after the stunning spike in site visitors regarding my post and photos on the leather OSB, I’m not sure I have a worthy follow up in me, but there are a few possible topics rattling around in my brain that I’ll tease you with:
- I received a copy of Roger Coleman’s “New Light & Truth: The Making of The Revised English Bible” last week. This is essentially an insider’s look at the background and process of producing the revision of the NEB. It is a slender volume, but there are some good nuggets in there that I hope to be able to comment on, especially on translation/revision philosophy. I have a copy of the older “About the New English Bible” (Geoffrey Hunt) on order and am looking forward to reading that story as well.
- I’d promised on Kevin Sam’s blog to look into starting a new translation comparison series focused on “literary excellence”. My intent is/was to look at passages where the KJV, NEB/REB and JB/NJB seemed to capture the meaning of the text with an extra dash of written flavor, at least in comparison with other English translations since my access to the original languages is limited to Strong’s. I still do have this blog series in mind, I’ve just been trying to scrounge up a decent copy of the Jerusalem Bible to use as a reference.
- I would like to do a post comparing the imagery of “hell” between Isaiah 66 and Revelation 19-20, especially in contrast to the portrayal of “the new heavens and the new earth” in both passages.
- If you haven’t already, be sure to read Iyov’s recent review of “The Inclusive Bible“. As the title suggests, the translation eliminates distinctions between gender, to the point of making the pre-Eve “man” an asexual creature. This may be shocking and heretical to some, but Iyov has quoted liberally from the text and some of the suggested renderings are really quite attractive, especially given the preference for poetical verse over prose. The footnotes promise to be an attractive feature as well, with the arguments for the chosen renderings well stated.
- Finally, thanks in large part to the publishing research of Andrew Dunning, I’m a few steps closer to turning on the power at a new website/blog about the Revised English Bible. If you’re interested in learning more and/or would like to contribute to the project, respond with a comment here or drop me an email.
Wow, I’m excited to see what you post on this list. Especially the first two. So you’re planning something exclusively for the REB?
I’m a few steps closer to turning on the power at a new website/blog about the Revised English Bible.
ElShaddai, where do I sign up? What do I do?
ElShaddai, where do I sign up? What do I do?
If you didn’t delete your WordPress.com account, send me the email address your account is linked to and I’ll add you as a blog author. If you need to set up an account, do that, then let me know what email to use.
You can use the Contact tab above to send me a private email and I promise not to sell your email to a spammer!
@Nathan: Yes, given some of the recent interest in the REB and considering how little it seems to be known by today’s generation, I thought that it would be useful to have a spot to explore the translation further. Andrew was collecting information toward a similar goal, so we’ve pooled resources and hopefully the end result will be something worthwhile.
Will do! And if I start getting email from spammers, which I DON’T, then I’ll know it’s your fault.
Excellent! Was wondering where you had been, and come to find out, you have some exciting stuff coming up! Can’t wait.
Is this an appropriate place to ask questions about the goals/intent of the REB blog, or would you rather hold onto the details until you make it public?
Nathan – go ahead and ask. While I’d like to think that it’s close to launch, it never hurts to make sure we’re headed down the right path. If you’d prefer to ask privately, just shoot me an email and I’ll be glad to continue the conversation that way too.
Some things I’m wondering:
-Are you trying to promote the REB to Americans?
-Are you planning to do series that include the REB?
-Are you setting a goal that you want to achieve?
-What type of promotion are you planning?
-Do you plan on including coverage of the NEB?
No need to reply to all of them, but just wondering what sorts of things you think you can accomplish, or what your target audience is. I think this translation is definitely worthy of whatever you have planned.
Good questions, Nathan. I think that the initial impetus was more along the lines of having a site that collected a variety of information from around the web into a single resource. Not necessarily aimed at any one target audience, but just for those who are looking for information.
I am hoping that there will be original posts on the REB blog as well, not just links and summaries. Obviously those would be REB focused. For myself, I will continue to talk about the REB on this blog as one translation among many, albeit one that I prefer.
No set goals or promotions. I hesitate to use the phrase “fan site”, but I’m not anticipating a commercial operation. Now, if Cambridge or Oxford want to talk…
Regarding the NEB, yes, I’d anticipate that coverage of that translation would naturally be included.
Elshaddai,
this is why your blog is popular/busy. Even when you are not blogging you are thinking about blogging. And might I add I am looking forward to all of those topics.
Blogging regularly is a tough business, and the only rewards are the friendships made, the occasional complementary book for review, and the learning experience one obtains through interacting with others.
I have been really busy as well, but next week I start teaching again, and I am winding down on my research for this class and the upcoming lecture I will be giving next Saturday as well. I too hope to blog a bit more.
You are too kind, Robert. Thank you.
So true. But aren’t those rewards worth it?