Byu New Testament Commentary Project

[urroner]

Well, it seems something is finally happening on this front. Supposedly, the eform of Revelation or the Apocalypse of St. John is coming out in a couple of months AND there is to be a conference for it at BYU on May 15th.

I'm stoked.

From their home page:

The BYU New Testament Commentary Series

A group of Latter-day Saint scholars has joined forces to produce a multi-volume commentary on the New Testament along with a new rendition of the Greek New Testament texts. Planned to take several years to complete, this series will combine the best of ancient linguistic and historical scholarship with Latter-day Saint doctrinal perspectives. Use this website to obtain each volume as it is published and to find helpful resources in your study of the New Testament.

[David T]

I am very, very nervous about this. This project has the potential to finally push regular latter-day saints forward in acknowledging , interacting with, and taking advantage of mainline Biblical scholarship in a way going beyond scattered articles and symposiums, and also creating a readable, understandable, and accurate new testament. The new translation alone will probably become very influential in LDS thought. It also has great potential to be a major embarrassment.

I highly look forward to seeing excerpts of the translation and commentary, and express interest in how historical issues such as authorship are addressed.

I truly hope for the best on this project, but at the moment, I am very nervous.

Either way, this project will probably have a huge ultimate effect on how latter-day saints approach the bible. I would not be surprised to see it eventually granted imprimatur status of sorts, and then follow the JW New World

Translation model of using it as the copyrighted English source text for other language editions of the Bible to be published by the church.

Edited May 2, 2013 by David T

[cdowis]

Personally I think it will be met with a collective yawn for the membership in general. Its value will be for apologists and scholars and who cares what they think.

[David T]

Cdowis,

This is the only conceivable path I see for the Church permitting a modern and accurate translation to achieve official or 'authorized' status. This could be a very big deal.

While I have some substantial issues with the NWT, I think this is a case where the Jehovah's Witnesses had a fantastic practical idea, and ran with it. The ability to have one's own updated (and updatable) proprietary English-language edition of the Bible that can be used as a base-text for international translation as to keep a degree of uniformity is extremely important.

A key problem with using the KJV is that many of the proof-texts used from the KJV that appear in Preach My Gospel simply do not work in other languages, or even more accurate English translations. Leaders only consulting the KJV wouldn't know that - and by their use, clearly haven't taken it into consideration. Plus, because of the variety of types, styles, and methods of authorized non-English translations in use, it causes major headaches and confusion in translating and expressing coherent scriptural usage and references in a unified world curriculum.

If an accurate and clear English text was produced as a de-facto standard, and this is used as the basis for international LDS-standard translations of the Bible, this would be a major practical win. Of course, if the translation is poor or overly relies on forcing inappropriate LDS-isms into the text, this could be a major weakness as well.

Of course it would also have the potential of having the (deserved) stigma of the NWT as a biased translation unless it was truly up to proper translation standards, and thus solicited and received the endorsement of several well-respected non-LDS scholars.

I see the need for a modern language Bible text that can be accepted and trusted by your average Church member. I see BYU's involvement as the only way this would be really possible.

So I'm both very nervous, and also cautiously optimistic.

Edited May 2, 2013 by David T

[Darren10]

Cdowis,

This is the only conceivable path I see for the Church permitting a modern and accurate translation to achieve official or 'authorized' status. This could be a very big deal.

I highly doubt this will result in a new official publicatin for the LDS Church.

[volgadon]

Possibly the printed equivalent of the Messiah documentary.

[David T]

I highly doubt this will result in a new official publicatin for the LDS Church.

Immediately? No. But I do see this as the only path for such a thing to occur. I can see the NT translation being at the very least first used an an authorized companion 'study help'.

I can actually see an eventual publication of an official 'parallel edition' with KJV on one side, and BYUR 'study help' on the other.

Edited May 2, 2013 by David T

[David T]

Possibly the printed equivalent of the Messiah documentary.

Which, actually, is my fear. I was excited by that program, only to be immensely disappointed and frustrated by it.

But even if the commentary goes that route, there is still a potential path for a separate life for the translation portion. It can be a fantastic translation with poor notes.

Although I will say, the catholic New American Bible is a fantastic example of a wonderful and well-regarded institutional 'official' version of the Bible for an organization, with helpful textual footnotes mingled with doctrinal interpretation. They just revised it, and I very much enjoy my copy.

[volgadon]

Which, actually, is my fear. I was excited by that program, only to be immensely disappointed and frustrated by it.

The documentary was a severe let-down.

[Nevo]

Possibly the printed equivalent of the Messiah documentary.

I've been disappointed by just about everything the BYU Religion faculty has produced on the New Testament. Two exceptions that come to mind are Jesus Christ and the World of the New Testament and Richard Neitzel Holzapfel's now out-of-print A Lively Hope: The Suffering, Death, Resurrection, and Exaltation of Jesus Christ.

I frankly don't expect to much significant engagement with mainstream critical NT scholarship (except to dismiss it) from most of those involved with this project (i.e., Skinner, Brown, Draper) but I hope to be proven wrong.

I expect we'll still read that two of the Gospels were penned by members of the Twelve, that the Letter to the Hebrews was authored by Paul, that the Sermon on the Mount was delivered by Jesus pretty much as it appears in Matthew, etc.

Edited May 2, 2013 by Nevo

[maklelan]

I can actually see an eventual publication of an official 'parallel edition' with KJV on one side, and BYUR 'study help' on the other.

I would be absolutely stunned if that happened in my lifetime, and I say that as a scripture translation employee who is a vocal advocate for a more critical approach to the Bible.

[David T]

I would be absolutely stunned if that happened in my lifetime, and I say that as a scripture translation employee who is a vocal advocate for a more critical approach to the Bible.

Sad face

Well, at least we have the Documents series of the Joseph Smith Papers to look forward to - which promises to be an immense historical and contextual commentary on, among other things, the texts that became part of the Doctrine and Covenants.

"One miracle at a time."

And I think this is ultimately the way to go. Members generally need to understand how to critically understand the production of modern revelatory texts (that we have a library full of proprietary primary srouces to explore) and how they relate and interact with the former scriptures before it makes sense to then turn around and take the resources to apply the critical method to ancient prophetic texts and the wider world of biblical criticism.

I'm just Veruca Salting it. "But I want it NOW!"

Edited May 2, 2013 by David T

[Darren10]

Immediately? No. But I do see this as the only path for such a thing to occur. I can see the NT translation being at the very least first used an an authorized companion 'study help'.

I can actually see an eventual publication of an official 'parallel edition' with KJV on one side, and BYUR 'study help' on the other.

Study guide I can see, another official Bible publication? Not so much.

[Bob Crockett]

I've been disappointed by just about everything the BYU Religion faculty has produced on the New Testament.

Maybe. I'd buy it. I remember buying and going through Elder McConkie's commentary and realizing that he did it probably without any resort to contemporary or historic NT studies. I guess there's support for that view; that's probably the way Joseph Smith edited the Bible. But it would be great to have a good LDS commentary on the NT, like my Expositor's set, or my NIV Study Guide.

[Nevo]

I remember buying and going through Elder McConkie's commentary and realizing that he did it probably without any resort to contemporary or historic NT studies.

Yes, you may recall Elder McConkie's memorable "The Bible: A Sealed Book" talk where he discussed 12 "keys" for understanding the Bible and gave them a rating out of 10:

Key Two: Know Hebrew and Greek

There is certainly no objection to knowing Hebrew and Greek, but it does have some hazards. . . . When a knowledge of ancient languages is used properly—as a means of gaining inspiration about particular passages—it merits a rating of, say, one or one and two-tenths. Improperly used—as an end in itself—its value sinks off the scale to a minus five or a minus ten, depending upon the attitude and spiritual outlook of the user. Those who turn to the original tongues for their doctrinal knowledge have a tendency to rely on scholars rather than on prophets for scriptural interpretations. This is perilous; it is a sad thing to be numbered with the wise and the learned who know more than the Lord. Certainly none of us should be troubled or feel inferior if we do not have a working knowledge of the languages in which the Bible was first written. Our concern is to be guided by the Spirit and to interpret the ancient word in harmony with latter-day revelation.

Key Three: Use Biblical Commentaries and Dictionaries

Anything to be said under this heading is more of a warning than an endorsement. On historical and geographical matters, these uninspired writings rate as one or two; on doctrinal matters they drop off the scale to a minus ten, a minus one hundred, a minus one thousand, depending on the doctrine. The wise and the learned know so infinitesimally little about doctrine that it is almost a waste of time to read them. All their creeds are an abomination in the Lord’s sight. They teach for doctrines the commandments of men. They twist and pervert the scriptures to conform to their traditions; and if they get anything right, it is an accident.

(See Bruce R. McConkie, "The Bible, a Sealed Book," CES Symposium on the New Testament, 17 August 1984)

It seems he wasn't a big fan of historical-critical New Testament scholarship. It will be interesting to see how closely BYU's new commentary project adheres to his vision of proper gospel scholarship.

[Bob Crockett]

I have found the NIV one-volume Study Guide to be more insightful about things that support LDS doctrine than anything else I own. And I knew at least one of the translators personally who was extremely hostile to the Church; I tracted him out. That was a treat.

[volgadon]

Yes, you may recall Elder McConkie's memorable "The Bible: A Sealed Book" talk where he discussed 12 "keys" for understanding the Bible and gave them a rating out of 10:

It seems he wasn't a big fan of historical-critical New Testament scholarship. It will be interesting to see how closely BYU's new commentary project adheres to his vision of proper gospel scholarship.

He did rely on the outdated Dunnelow quite a bit. I have a blog post on one of the more glaring errors.

[JeremyOrbe-Smith]

David T hit everything I was going to say. Nervous, and cautiously optimistic.

[volgadon]

David T hit everything I was going to say. Nervous, and cautiously optimistic.

I'm not. I've heard plenty of his talks at church, etc., to have a good idea of where he is going.

[JeremyOrbe-Smith]

Heh, yeah, I was leaning more towards the "nervous" side, but hope springs eternal, neh?

By the way, [grating segue] from the Babel thread, now that I've got you for a second:

On a completely unrelated note: Volgadon, is there any way to get an email to you? Your profile says you're not receiving PMs, and I can't find any contact info to get aholda ya. PM me, if so!

*back to regularly scheduled thread*

Edited May 3, 2013 by JeremyOrbe-Smith