Open note to Christian Alexander

I would like you to look at Love Your Neighbour: A biography of the commandment from Leviticus 19:18: Mocatta M.A., Michael: 9798630645630: Amazon.com: Books Why? Because it is evidence that one can be a scholar working from home, self-publishing, and producing works of value across most denominations.

I would like you to seriously consider how you could translate what he has done into a goal for yourself and build yourself a list of skills you would need to develop to get there. From there, I would like to see:

You develop a relationship with a seminary librarian or student to gain access to the copies of portions of books you ask for here. An occasional request may be alright in the forums but if you have a continuous need you should develop your own link with a large library.
You spend time carefully formulating your questions so that we don't get the same question multiple times with slightly different emphases, and we don't plough through background to get to the question.
You show us that you have taken the answers to your questions seriously and spent the time necessary to digest and follow up the leads offered.

I, for one, will continue to press you to up your skills even if sometimes it may come across as "mean." Why? Because I genuinely believe you are curious and want to learn but am unconvinced that your professors have provided you with the necessary tools - your questions come too rapidly and flit from subject to subject. Those are not characteristics of a disciplined scholar. Make note of the interesting side questions that come up but keep your research at this time focused on your topic at this time. There is time later for the great rabbit trails.

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Milkman

Thanks, MJ. I had the same thoughts, but not as articulate nor 'gentle.' [Y][Y]

Press forward my brother, you have lots of support here.

mm.

Tip of the hat for this open note. I have been wondering about this on the forums for some time (even though I don't raise my head above the parapet very often).

This is Eph 4:15. 1 John 3:18. 1 Pet 1:22. In action.

Christian Alexander

Thanks for this information. I purchased the book and cannot wait to read it. I know that I cannot just start writing until I have a broad yet thorough grasp of the material, major players, the arguments, and my subject. I was taught that once you see the contours of the landscape then you can expand to look at more recent, cutting-edge work, esp. those that cross disciplinary bounds. My Bachelors degree was in interdisciplinary studies, covering cognition, theology, linguistics, and biblical languages with minors in writing and social science. I have tried to take the answers to my questions seriously. I have not spent the time needed and necessary to digest and follow up. That is where my ADHD left brained self comes in. Scholarship is a complex issue with no widely accepted definitions. Research has revealed numerous features and characteristics of excellent scholars, but no one person can embody them all. So, how should we evaluate scholarship? How do we determine if someone's contribution qualifies them to represent the whole guild as a scholar both internally and externally? I am following this quote “The point of Christian scholarship is not recognition by standards established in the wider culture. The point is to praise God with the mind. Such efforts will lead to the kind of intellectual integrity that sometimes receives recognition. But for the Christian that recognition is only a fairly inconsequential by-product. The real point is valuing what God has made, believing that the creation is as "good" as he said it was, and exploring the fullest dimensions of what it meant for the Son of God to "become flesh and dwell among us." Ultimately, intellectual work of this sort is its own reward, because it is focused on the only One whose recognition is important, the One before whom all hearts are open.” by Mark A. Noll in The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind

David Thomas

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1289079#Comment_1289079

I cannot just start writing until I have a broad yet thorough grasp of the material, major players, the arguments, and my subject

a notable goal, but NOT the purpose of these forums.

MJ. Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1289079#Comment_1289079

Scholarship is a complex issue with no widely accepted definitions.

I tend to disagree. Again going to a chat bot rather than imposing my own criteria:

[quote]

In the context of one's field of study, "scholarship" has a multifaceted meaning, encompassing several key aspects:

1. Deep knowledge and understanding: Scholarship refers to a profound and critical understanding of a particular field. This goes beyond simply memorizing facts or regurgitating information. It involves actively engaging with the existing body of knowledge, including primary sources, research methodologies, and theoretical frameworks.

2. Critical thinking and analysis: Scholarship involves a critical and analytical approach to information and ideas. This means:

Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of different arguments and perspectives.
Identifying biases and potential limitations in research.
Formulating your own reasoned arguments based on evidence and analysis.

3. Research and contribution to knowledge: Scholarship involves not only consuming existing knowledge but also contributing to it. This can take various forms, such as:

Conducting original research to answer new questions or challenge existing assumptions.
Developing new theories or interpretations of existing knowledge.
Publishing or presenting your research findings to advance the field.

4. Communication and collaboration: Scholarship also involves the ability to effectively communicate your knowledge and ideas to others. This includes:

Writing clearly and persuasively for a variety of audiences.
Engaging in respectful dialogue with colleagues and experts in your field.
Collaborating with others to advance research and scholarship.

Overall, scholarship is the ongoing pursuit of knowledge and understanding within a particular field. It involves not only acquiring a deep knowledge base but also critically analyzing it, contributing new insights, and communicating effectively with others.

If your understanding is radically different, then perhaps I should quit answering your questions as we lack a common understanding. As for your evangelical application, my interpretation, which is not so different, leans towards:

[quote]Saint Augustine (354-430): "Seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. For what is not believed is not understood, and what is understood is believed."

[quote]Saint John Chrysostom (347-407): "Glory in the Lord, and not in yourselves; and let your study be not for vainglory, but for the edification of the Church, and the salvation of souls."

[quote]Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) (1927-2023): "Theology... is not simply an accumulation of information, but an understanding of the revelation of God, an understanding that grows in listening to the word of God and in a living relationship with him."

[quote]Metropolitan Kallistos Ware (born 1934): "The task of the Christian scholar is not to prove the truth of Christianity, but to elucidate its meaning and implications for human life, both personal and social."

[quote]Georges Florovsky (1905-1979): "Theology is not a science, nor is it a philosophy; it is a wisdom informed by faith and nourished by prayer."

xnman

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1289089#Comment_1289089

I cannot just start writing until I have a broad yet thorough grasp of the material, major players, the arguments, and my subject

a notable goal, but NOT the purpose of these forums.

Amen. But some people just take liberties while frowning on other that might. [8-|]

Dave Hooton

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1289079#Comment_1289079

I purchased the book and cannot wait to read it. I know that I cannot just start writing until I have a broad yet thorough grasp of the material, major players, the arguments, and my subject. I was taught that once you see the contours of the landscape then you can expand to look at more recent, cutting-edge work,

Hopefully, you have boundaries to work with and know that you can/should "start writing" with your current grasp of the subject. Who defines "cutting edge"? You have to involve those that are around you and possibly involved in similar research.

Ultimately, intellectual work of this sort is its own reward, because it is focused on the only One whose recognition is important, the One before whom all hearts are open

Unfortunately, intellectual pursuits often lose sight of this goal!

So, how should we evaluate scholarship? How do we determine if someone's contribution qualifies them to represent the whole guild as a scholar both internally and externally? I am following this quote “The point of Christian scholarship is not recognition by standards established in the wider culture. The point is to praise God with the mind. Such efforts will lead to the kind of intellectual integrity that sometimes receives recognition. But for the Christian that recognition is only a fairly inconsequential by-product. The real point is valuing what God has made, believing that the creation is as "good" as he said it was, and exploring the fullest dimensions of what it meant for the Son of God to "become flesh and dwell among us."

That quote is fine until I read the "real point..."

Christian Alexander

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1289249#Comment_1289249

Dave, what do you see as the real point?

Also to everyone who uses AI. I have been a fearer of AI. I do not like for AI to do anything for me but give me basic info. Is that a bad perspective to have?

MJ. Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1289485#Comment_1289485

Is that a bad perspective to have?

Yes, much of the basic information is derived from primitive AI. The AI that people are going gaga over is simply a large language model, a much enhanced implementation of neural networks that brought us machine parsing, automatic sentence diagramming, word nets (Bible sense lexicon), and machine translation. It is all part of the same trajectory. If you read my post of the comparison of the chat bots Comparison of AI chatbots - Logos Forums you'll have noticed they still perform poorly at graduate level reasoning. You need to be as aware of their limitations as their capabilities.

I do have concerns re:Gemini telling me how to use and evaluate the data it provides. It has substantial risk of abuse ... and the current climate of censorship makes that a serious concern. That's not AI's fault - it is a people problem.

Yasmin Stephen

I would like you to look at Love Your Neighbour: A biography of the commandment from Leviticus 19:18: Mocatta M.A., Michael: 9798630645630: Amazon.com: Books Why? Because it is evidence that one can be a scholar working from home, self-publishing, and producing works of value across most denominations.

Off-topic: this ebook is free right now at Amazon, in case anyone is interested.

Milkman

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1289502#Comment_1289502

Not fore mee!

Yasmin Stephen

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1289514#Comment_1289514

Not fore mee!

Geo-restriction, maybe? I use the Amazon US store.

Milkman

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1289516#Comment_1289516

Probably. Thanks for the lead though [Y]

Not fore mee!

Geo-restriction, maybe? I use the Amazon US store.

Kevin A

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1289517#Comment_1289517

Probably. Thanks for the lead though

Not fore mee!

Geo-restriction, maybe? I use the Amazon US store.

It was not available for me either, however when I changed the url to from .com to .co.uk the Kindle version was available in the UK store.

NB.Mick

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1289520#Comment_1289520

Probably. Thanks for the lead though

Not fore mee!

Geo-restriction, maybe? I use the Amazon US store.

It was not available for me either, however when I changed the url to from .com to .co.uk the Kindle version was available in the UK store.

same here with the .de url (which is the usual way links to kindle books work at Amazon for me)

NB.Mick

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1289502#Comment_1289502

I would like you to look at Love Your Neighbour: A biography of the commandment from Leviticus 19:18: Mocatta M.A., Michael: 9798630645630: Amazon.com: Books Why? Because it is evidence that one can be a scholar working from home, self-publishing, and producing works of value across most denominations.

Off-topic: this ebook is free right now at Amazon, in case anyone is interested.

Thanks for sharing!

DAL

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1289502#Comment_1289502

I would like you to look at Love Your Neighbour: A biography of the commandment from Leviticus 19:18: Mocatta M.A., Michael: 9798630645630: Amazon.com: Books Why? Because it is evidence that one can be a scholar working from home, self-publishing, and producing works of value across most denominations.

Off-topic: this ebook is free right now at Amazon, in case anyone is interested.

Thanks, Yasmin! It’s free where I live 👍😁👌

DAL

Dave Hooton

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1289485#Comment_1289485

So, how should we evaluate scholarship? How do we determine if someone's contribution qualifies them to represent the whole guild as a scholar both internally and externally? I am following this quote “The point of Christian scholarship is not recognition by standards established in the wider culture. The point is to praise God with the mind. Such efforts will lead to the kind of intellectual integrity that sometimes receives recognition. But for the Christian that recognition is only a fairly inconsequential by-product. The real point is valuing what God has made, believing that the creation is as "good" as he said it was, and exploring the fullest dimensions of what it meant for the Son of God to "become flesh and dwell among us."

That quote is fine until I read the "real point..."

Dave, what do you see as the real point?

The real point is to value/praise/love God with the heart, soul and mind (Mt 22:37) in all our endeavours. So believe that you have a gift that will make best use of your mind and you will have confidence in your own "scholarship" and ability to evaluate that of others. Some of the rabbit trails you follow can be avoided when you reflect on what is being said.

I remember reading two pages of a closely reasoned interpretation by a respected scholar and thinking "this is difficult to refute". My tiny mind was taxed to its limit, and I cried out for help. Then I began to see how he was building his argument, and I was able to unravel it.

scooter

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1289534#Comment_1289534

I remember reading two pages of a closely reasoned interpretation by a respected scholar and thinking "this is difficult to refute". My tiny mind was taxed to its limit, and I cried out for help. Then I began to see how he was building his argument, and I was able to unravel it.

Thanks for writing this, Dave. I purposely read it a half-dozen times, the a few more times as I write this. Wisdom!