Congrats to Mike Holmes on His Retirement!

Thanks to Juan Hernandez, news has reached the interwebs that Mike Holmes is retiring from his position at Bethel University. Mike’s work hardly needs an introduction at this blog so I will instead say how much I have appreciated the time Mike has given to me over the years. I remember him sitting with me for about an hour when I was in grad school to talk about the divorce passages which I was working on for my masters thesis (see photo). Ever since, he has generously given his time to talk to and encourage me along the way. Last year at SBL, Tommy Wasserman and I had a great lunch with Mike and got to hear the story of how he went from rural farm life to accomplished academic life. It was quite a story.

Many congrats, Mike, on your well-deserved retirement. I hope this does not mean we will be seeing less of you in the years to come. Don’t miss the “be like Mike” video shared by Juan Hernandez (HT: Chris Keith).

Discussing the divorce passages with ECM in hand.

A Similarity between Reasoned Eclecticism & Byzantine Priority

Here’s something that two otherwise competing methods of New Testament textual criticism agree on, at least according to their two main proponents. Both reasoned eclecticism and the Byzantine priority position have in common that external evidence should be considered prior to internal evidence.

A helpful little book.

Here’s Mike Holmes:

To put the matter more briefly and abstractly, it is by means of external evidence that we identify the oldest surviving reading(s), which we then further evaluate by means of internal considerations.

Here’s Maurice Robinson:

In this system, final judgment on readings requires the strong application of internal evidence after an initial evaluation of the external data has been made.

I would be interested to know if Mike thinks this priority is fundamental to reasoned eclecticism. I wouldn’t think so since a consideration of transcriptional probabilities may influence the weight one gives to a manuscript’s text, a weight which subsequently informs which readings deserve further evaluation on internal grounds. There is, obviously, a circularity here, but a “fruitful” one as some have described it rather than a viscious one.

This is not unlike a suggestion made—to bring thoroughgoing eclecticism into the discussion—by J. K. Elliott. He says,

To be really thorough I suggest that we do our textual criticism eclectically without bowing to preconceived theories about the alleged superiority of certain witnesses. Then, having done our work, I suggest that we review the behavior of individual witnesses—in effect, rate them. Those that fall below a certain level of accuracy would in the future be regarded with some suspicion. 

Oddly, he then says that “I cannot claim that that is an overriding interest or concern of thoroughgoing eclecticism” which seems to undermine his suggestion.

Sources

• Michael W. Holmes, “The Case for Reasoned Eclecticism,” in Rethinking New Testament Textual Criticism, ed. David Alan Black (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2002), p. 78.
• Maurice A. Robinson, “Appendix: The Case for Byzantine Priority,” in The New Testament in the Original Greek: Byzantine Textform, ed. Maurice A. Robinson and William G. Pierpont (Southborough, MA: Chilton, 2005), p. 545.
• J. K. Elliott, “The Case for Thoroughgoing Eclecticism,” in Rethinking New Testament Textual Criticism, ed. David Alan Black (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2002), p. 123.

Holmes on Objective Evidence in Textual Criticism

In response to the notion that the use of internal evidence is more subjective than external and therefore less reliable, Mike Holmes says this:

The claim that some methods are more “objective” than others—in particular, the view that decisions based on external data are somehow more “objective” (or at least less “subjective”) than those based on internal considerations—is largely illusory and misleading. With respect to both external and internal evidence, what counts as “data” or “evidence” is a theory-driven decision, and the choice of what data to follow is inescapably subjective. (p. 103 n. 40).

Maybe he will permit me to offer a simplified version: there are no text critical conclusions achieved without human judgment.

---
Michael W. Holmes. “The Text of the Epistles Sixty Years after: An Assessment of Günther Zuntz’s Contribution to Text-Critical Methodology and History.” Pages 89–113 in Transmission and Reception: New Testament Text-Critical and Exegetical Studies. Text and Studies Third Series 4. Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias, 2006.

Michael Holmes Festschrift (Table of Contents)

Mike was presented with a Festschrift at SBL. Congratulations to him and the editors and all the contributors (see below). Dan Gurtner presenting the book to Mike (HT HH); the cover (HT JH); and the contents.

Contents

Foreword ix

Bart D. Ehrman
Abbreviations xv

Contributors xx

Introduction 1

Daniel M. Gurtner, Juan Hernández Jr. and Paul Foster

Part 1

Text Criticism

1    The Late Constantin Tischendorf and Codex Sinaiticus: New Testament

Textual Criticism without Them—An Exercise in Erasure History 15
Eldon Jay Epp

2 Patristic Evidence in the Apparatus Criticus of a Greek New

Testament 55

J.K. Elliott

3    Nestle-Aland 28 and the Revision of the Apocalypse’s Textual

History 71
Juan Hernández Jr.

4    The Edition of the Greek New Testament: A Plea and a Challenge 82
      Jean-François Racine

5    Codex 2193 and Family 1 in Mark 100
      Amy Anderson

6    Water and Blood and Matthew 27:49: A Johannine Reading in the

Matthean Passion Narrative? 138

Daniel M. Gurtner

7   Of Fish and Men: Comparative, Text-Critical and Papyrological Remarks on Matthew 13:47–50 and the Gospel of Thomas 8 155

Christina M. Kreinecker

     8    The Son’s Ignorance in Matthew 24:36: An Exercise in Textual and

Redaction Criticism 182

Daniel B. Wallace

9            A Fresh Analysis of P.Oxyrhynchus 1228 (𝔓22) as Artifact 210
   Larry W. Hurtado

10        Rightly Dividing the Word: Uncovering an Early Template for Textual Division in John’s Gospel                             221

Charles E. Hill

11        Asterius ‘the Sophist’ of Cappadocia: Citations from the Gospel of John as Attested in the Theological Fragments                                                                               243
Roderic L. Mullen

12        A Text-Critical Examination of the Johannine Variation 262
James R. Royse

13        The Selection of Greek Manuscripts to be Included in the International Greek New Testament Project’s Edition of John in the Editio Critica Maior 291

David C. Parker, Klaus Wachtel, Bruce Morrill and Ulrich Schmid

     14   A Longer Text of Paul: Romans to Galatians in Codex

Wernigerodensis (VL 58) 333

H.A.G. Houghton

15        A Short Textual Commentary on Galatians 349
Tommy Wasserman

16        The Text of Galatians 4:25a 376
Christopher M. Tuckett

17        On the Marcionite Prologues to the Letters of Paul 393

Dirk Jongkind

Part 2

Early Christianity

18        Polycarp in the Writings of Ignatius 415
Paul Foster

19        The Devil’s in the Details: The Apocalyptic ‘Adversary’ in the

Martyrdom of Polycarp and the Martyrs of Lyons 436

Paul Anthony Hartog

20        The Old Testament in the Apostolic Fathers 457
James Carleton Paget

21        “Witnesses between You and Us”: The Role of the Letter-Carriers in

1 Clement 481

Peter M. Head

22        Defining Exceptions in the Didache 498

Clayton N. Jefford

23  Space, Body, and Church in Ignatius of Antioch: Toward a Spatial

Treatment 521

Harry O. Maier

24        Living as a “Christian”: Christian Ethos According to the Writings of Ignatius of Antioch 541 Tobias Nicklas

25        Scripture and Christology in the Preaching of Peter

(Kerygma Petri) 559 Wilhelm Pratscher

26 On “Rotten Stones” and a Couple of Other Marginalia in the

Shepherd of Hermas 582

Joseph Verheyden

27     Anima naturaliter Christiana – Beobachtungen zum philosophischen und theologischen Hintergrund der Seelenlehre Tertullians 598
Holger Strutwolf

Bibliography: Michael W. Holmes 619

Bibliography 623

Index of Modern Authors 671

Index of Subjects  679

Green Scholars Initiative, New Director Announced

The Museum of the Bible has announced that ETC blog member, Michael Holmes, has been chosen to lead the Green Scholars Initiative. You can read the full announcement here. The following excerpt details Mike's placement:

Assuming the role of executive director of the Green Scholars Initiative, Holmes will lead a team of researchers and student-scholars at more than 60 universities around the world advancing groundbreaking discoveries on artifacts from the Green Collection. Holmes holds a doctorate from Princeton Theological Seminary, where he also taught New Testament, and continues in his role as University Professor of Biblical Studies and Early Christianity at Bethel University. He is a frequent speaker and international lecturer who has authored 11 books on biblical and early Christian writings.

Further information on Michael Holmes may be found on his university webpage, here.  Congratulations, Mike, from all of us on the blog!

Review of The Textual History of the Greek New Testament (eds. Wachtel & Holmes)

My review of Wachtel and Holmes’ The Textual History of the Greek New Testament has been published by RBL.

Leonard review of The Textual History of the Greek New Testament

Panel Review of SBLGNT Published

A new article has just been published in the current issue if the TC Journal:

 

Michael Holmes, David Parker, Harold Attridge, and Klaus Wachtel, The SBL Greek New Testament: Papers from the 2011 SBL Panel Review Session with a comparison of SBLGNT vs. NA²⁷/UBSGNT⁴ by Klaus Wachtel.

Abstract: The 2011 SBL meeting in San Francisco included a panel review session on The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition (ed. Michael W. Holmes; Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2010). The reviews are presented here along with Holmes’ introductory comments and response. The papers retain their nature as oral presentations and are as originally delivered apart from minor corrections.

 

There is more to come very soon in this issue of TC . . .

More on the Green Scholars Initiative and "Logos at Baylor University"

In this interview with Jerry Pattengale in Indiana Wesleyan University (2012-08-02) there is further information about the forthcoming Brill series. Apparently, the first volume will not contain the NT MSS:

Comprising of one to two new volumes per year, the new series will publish approximately 20 papyri with a thorough description, commentary with images, and web-based support for further resources.

The first forthcoming volume in the series, planned to be released in early 2013, is dedicated to an early 3c BCE papyrus containing an extensive, undocumented work by Aristotle on reason, and is currently being analyzed by a research group at Oxford University.

Further, Steve Green has taken the initiative to organize and fund "Logos at Baylor University" which is a summer institute hosted by Baylor University for students interested in textual scholarship and Christian apologetics. The first ever Logos institute was organized in June when 31 international students were chosen to attend the institute doing hands-on research with scholars-mentors who are connected to the Green Scholars Initiative. 

The Baptist Standard reports (2012-07-10) from the same summer institute citing Jeff Fish (editor of the new Brill series) who said:
Scholars also mentored students editing some of the earliest fragments of the New Testament, with some dating to the second century, Fish said. Other discoveries are fragments of copies of some of St. Augustine's commentaries on John's Gospel and the Psalms, . . .

More here.

So editing is being done on these MSS. In fact, co-blogger Michael Holmes is also involved as mentor in the Green Scholars Initiative working on one of these fragments together with students, as mentioned in the Faculty Accomplishments of Bethel University for Spring last year.

– Yes, I am jealous!

The Textual History of the Greek New Testament: Changing Views in Contemporary Research

A new important book published by SBL has just appeared:

The Textual History of the Greek New Testament: Changing Views in Contemporary Research edited by Klaus Wachtel and Michael W. Holmes.

ISBN 1589836243
Status Forthcoming
Price: $34.95
Binding Paperback
Publication Date November, 2011
Hardback edition available from Brill Academic Publishers (www.brill.nl)

The volume represents the published contributions of a colloquium organized in Münster 2008 by the Institute for New Testament Textual Research, in which I participated. For more background, read my reports and comments on the colloqium:

Day 1

Day 1 continued

Day 1-2

Images from the colloquium and CBGM software and database

Publisher's description of the published volume:

This collection of essays by respected scholars represents the state of the art of textual criticism as applied to the New Testament. Addressing core topics such as the causes and forms of variation, contamination and coherence, and the goals and the canons of textual criticism, it presents a first-class overview of traditional and innovative methodologies as they are applied to reconstructing the initial wording of the New Testament writings. In this context, the new Coherence-Based Genealogical Method (CBGM) is introduced and discussed extensively. Integrating established approaches and procedures, the CBGM features a new category of external evidence: genealogical coherence of witnesses.

Klaus Wachtel is Research Associate, Institut für Neutestamentliche Textforschung at Münster University. He is co-editor of Novum Testamentum Graecum, Editio Critica Maior. Michael W. Holmes is University Professor of Biblical Studies and Early Christianity at Bethel University. He is editor of The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition.

The volume front matter, including the table of contents and introduction is available here.

SBL GNT compared to 5 editions

I have posted on my website some comparisons (graciously provided by a colleague at Logos) of the SBL GNT with the five editions that are represented in the critical apparatus of the SBL edition. Some of the comparisons update information previously available, and some are new. Here is a sample:

SBL agrees with NA: 6381 ..................... SBL disagrees with NA: 547

SBL agrees with NIV: 6310 .................... SBL disagrees with NIV: 618

SBL agrees with WH: 6047 .................... SBL disagrees with WH: 881

SBL agrees with Treg: 5699 ................... SBL disagrees with Treg: 1229

SBL agrees with RP: 970 ............. .......... SBL disagrees with RP: 5958

Here is a comparison of each of the six editions against the other five:

SBL ] WH Treg RP NIV NA 46

SBL WH Treg RP NIV ] NA 14

SBL WH Treg RP NA ] NIV 43

SBL WH RP NIV NA ] Treg 150

SBL Treg RP NIV NA ] WH 353

SBL WH Treg NIV NA ] RP 4848

Next, a comparison of any two editions against the rest:

SBL WH ] Treg RP NIV NA 82

SBL RP ] WH Treg NIV NA 58

SBL Treg ] WH RP NIV NA 25

SBL NA ] WH Treg RP NIV 10

SBL NIV ] WH Treg RP NA 5

For other comparisons, follow the link at the beginning of this post.

Text and Transmission in the Second Century

Over at Earliest Christianity, Tim Henderson summarizes the essay by Michael Holmes, "Text and Transmission in the Second Century” recently published in The Reliability of the New Testament: Bart Ehrman and Daniel Wallace in Dialogue which we have blogged about here.

For a description of Tim Henderson's upcoming monograph – the published version of his dissertation on the Gospel of Peter to be published my Mohr Siebeck – see his own "shameless promotion".

Mike Holmes Makes History

BETHEL UNIVERSITY NEWS (Dana Morrison):

“Everything I’ve done for 35 years has led up to this,” said Bethel Professor Mike Holmes, reflecting on the online and print release of the new edition of the Greek New Testament that he recently completed. Holmes, professor of biblical studies and early Christianity, spent his yearlong sabbatical leave working as sole editor on the new edition.

The project began on April 1, 2009, Holmes received an email from the editorial director of the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) asking if he would be interested in editing a new edition of the Greek New Testament. After reading the email for the unusual opportunity, Holmes said, “I half thought it was an April Fool’s joke.”

Read the whole story here.

"Conjectural Emendation in New Testament Textual Criticism with the Epistle of James as a Case Study"

In the end of December Ryan D. Wettlaufer successfully defended his thesis "Conjectural Emendation in New Testament Textual Criticism with the Epistle of James as a Case Study," submitted at the University of St.Michael’s College, University of Toronto. Six professors were present at the examination including supervisor John Kloppenborg and the external examiner Michael W. Holmes (via speaker phone). Below is the abstract. I have invited Ryan to share his thoughts about the occasion in a separate post which will follow tomorrow.

Congratulations Dr. Wettlaufer!

Abstract
This dissertation is a study of conjectural emendation as it relates to the text of the New Testament. Unlike many other ancient documents upon which textual criticism must be practiced, the New Testament has a rich and full textual history. Over the last two millennia it has inspired thousands of generations of copies, through which an astonishing amount of corruption has accumulated. Many counts suppose the total number of variants to be over 350,000. At most points it appears that the correct reading can be found in one of the close to 6000 manuscript copies that survive to this day. At a not-insignificant number of other points, however, none of the extant readings appears to be authentic. Such cases therefore call for resolution by conjecture, but in the history of New Testament scholarship the method has often been rejected, and modern printings of the text usually settle for the least inferior of the surviving readings. Why has this situation developed, and what should be done about it?

This dissertation will answer these questions by looking more closely at a number of different subjects. In chapter one it will engage in a more theoretical study of conjectural emendation. It will describe the nature and practice of the method in more detail, survey the history of its use and abuse within New Testament studies, and discuss its use by textual critics in other classical fields. It will then delve into three common reasons why New Testament critics have often rejected the method: 1) the hypothesis that the large number of surviving manuscript copies ensures that the correct reading necessarily survives somewhere among them; 2) the theological belief that God has providentially preserved the original text in one or more of the surviving manuscripts; 3) the philosophical position that textual critics should not privilege any one “original text,” by conjecture or otherwise, but should value instead the narrative revealed in the history of variation. It will then conclude with more practical instructions on when and how to make conjectures. The remaining chapters will move the discussion into concrete terms by engaging in several case studies from the epistle of James. In chapter two it will look at Jas 3:1 with its curious command that μὴ πολλοὶ διδάσκαλοι γίνεσθε. and subsequently argue that the text should be emended to read μὴ πολύλαλοι διδάσκαλοι γίνεσθε. Chapter three will turn to the famous conjecture of Erasmus, who proposed that the text of 4:2 be emended to read φθονεῖτε instead of φονεύετε. Chapter four explores how a long lost scriptural quotation can be rediscovered by emending πρὸς φθόνον to πρὸς τὸν θεόν. Finally, chapter five will look at what not to do by examining a farreaching conjectural proposal that would omit as interpolations the references to Christ in 1:1 and 2:1. Through these case studies, many of the ideas and truths that were explained in chapter one only in abstract will be seen to flow naturally from the texts themselves. In the end, all of this should work to restore in New Testament studies the place of conjectural emendation, and in so doing work to restore the text of the New Testament itself.