How Will Logos/Faithlife Handle This?
Theology Philosophy Ethics Church and Ministry Faith and Life Religion and Society Religion and Science Religious Studies History Social Sciences Humanities All Categories Format Price  |
Eerdmans Statement on Three New Testament Commentaries
August 15, 2016 At the beginning of July 2016, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. received allegations against one of its New Testament commentaries and immediately undertook a careful investigation. Eerdmans is now withdrawing that book and two others by the same author. Eerdmans editors compared the text of The Letter to the Hebrews (Pillar New Testament Commentary, 2010) with various secondary sources and submitted findings to external experts for verification. Summing up the findings, Editor-in-chief James Ernest said, "Our own editors and our outside consultants agreed that what we found on the pages of this commentary runs afoul of commonly accepted standards with regard to the utilization and documentation of secondary sources. We agreed that the book could not be retained in print." Examination of the same author's Letter to the Ephesians (PNTC, 1999) and Epistle to the Philippians (New International Greek Testament Commentary, 1991) found them less pervasively flawed but still untenable. The author, Peter T. O'Brien, was presented with the findings and provided the following response: "In the New Testament commentaries that I have written, although I have never deliberately misused the work of others, nevertheless I now see that my work processes at times have been faulty and have generated clear-cut, but unintentional, plagiarism. For this I apologize without reservation." President and publisher Anita Eerdmans summed up the company's stance as follows: "Eerdmans is steadfastly committed to the highest ethical standards in academic and business practice, and we apologize to all who are negatively affected by this situation. Our Bible commentary series, among the best of their kind, are authored and edited by the field's top scholars. The strong measures we are taking in this case are meant to underscore our firm belief that our commentary program is, and must remain, solid." Eerdmans is taking the following steps: ● Ceasing sales and pulp stock of all three volumes, placing them out of print. Members of the media wishing to contact Eerdmans may send e-mail to publicity@eerdmans.com. |
Comments
Humbling to see a godly theologian fall into error by carelessness. For my money, O'Brien has the second best commentary on Ephesians (after Hoehner). Since I gave my print copy away, I hope I get to keep my Logos one!
Using Logos as a pastor, seminary professor, and Tyndale author
I hope we get to keep them, they are extremely helpful regardless! The information plagiarized or not is awesome and doesn't undermine the quality of the work (just my opinion). I don't want credit and if they want MY copies, they need to pay big bucks for them! (Publisher, that is, not FL is not their fault).
DAL
Don't worry, we won't take anything away without your approval. If you like these commentaries, you'll be able to keep them.
"If you like your commentary, you can keep your commentary." [:P]
<!-- -->
When I search my library on my iOS for "o'brien" only the volumes of Ephesians and Hebrews show under the PNTC set. When I do a search for PNTC, it gives me my 15 volumes with those two listed and Philippians. Why doesn't Philippians show up when I search the authors last name? Did logos change something?
I'm sorry... my eyes and brain aren't working well today. It seems my PNTC volume on Philippians is from Hansen which is what I thought wasn't showing. Guess I don't have O'Brien's work on Philippians.
Sorry all
Its amusing to me that anyone would even have to write that they hoped they can keep their volumes. FL would NEVER make such an attempt, and even if they wanted to (which they do NOT), legally they could not do so. I'm sorry, but I can't fathom why this would even be a concern or consideration for anyone. I think we all know FL better than that...and I would like to think we know the law better than that. As someone else said...it would be akin to coming into your home and taking your print copy, which would be theft.
Come on folks...let's be a little more realistic...with all due possible respect.
Myke Harbuck
Lead Pastor, www.ByronCity.Church
Adjunct Professor, Georgia Military College
[Y] correct! That's what I think. How can someone take my property?Its amusing to me that anyone would even have to write that they hoped they can keep their volumes. FL would NEVER make such an attempt, and even if they wanted to (which they do NOT), legally they could not do so. I'm sorry, but I can't fathom why this would even be a concern or consideration for anyone. I think we all know FL better than that...and I would like to think we know the law better than that. As someone else said...it would be akin to coming into your home and taking your print copy, which would be theft.
Come on folks...let's be a little more realistic...with all due possible respect.
Its amusing to me that anyone would even have to write that they hoped they can keep their volumes. FL would NEVER make such an attempt, and even if they wanted to (which they do NOT), legally they could not do so. I'm sorry, but I can't fathom why this would even be a concern or consideration for anyone. I think we all know FL better than that...and I would like to think we know the law better than that. As someone else said...it would be akin to coming into your home and taking your print copy, which would be theft.
Come on folks...let's be a little more realistic...with all due possible respect.
I'm not worried at all, but perhaps some are remembering that Amazon did just that with some Kindle books a few years ago and were evidently within the law while doing so. They recognized that it was an unwise move in customer relations and I don't think they have repeated that for any reason in the last few years.
Faithlife never removed Mark Driscoll's sermons from people's libraries when it was discovered he plagiarized other people's work too, so they probably won't do the same here.
I'll add my voice to those (1) lamenting inadvertent plagiarism, and (2) seeking to keep their Logos versions.
While there's some disbelief that we have to ask for this, I'm a little cautious about digital resources. After all, to my knowledge FL doesn't treat every digital edition exactly as a print copy. For example, I think academic purchases can't be transferred or bequeathed, as I'd hope to do with my print library... [:^)]
The Commentaries by Peter O'Brien are among the very best in the Pillar series. This is sad indeed, and I would like to keep mine despite its flaws. I hate to see this carelessness result in a tarnished reputation for this gifted scholar.
"In all cases, the Church is to be judged by the Scripture, not the Scripture by the Church," John Wesley
I have all of the Pillar Commentaries, except Seifrid on 2 Corinthians. Yesterday evening, the dynamic price showed me $31 for the Pillar series to add that one book.
But when I went to buy it, the checkout price was $35.93. Today, the dynamic price shows $35.93. My guess is the dynamic price increased because the series price did not decrease but I am now adding 1 of 15 volumes instead of 1 of 17.
Very sad for to read this post. I was student under Peter O'Brien at Moore College in Sydney. Peter had just returned from England and was obviously totally impacted by his personal contact with FF Bruce.
His lectures were detailed analysis of the NT Greek text, with copious and more copious quotes from FF Bruce. I rudely asked him on one occasion "FF Who?" After a stare and a thought he realised my student rudeness.
We have always been on good terms.
Many of the quotes that Peter made were from lectures, private seminars and conversations with FFB. We realised we were right up with the latest because FFB had not yet published his work. I wonder whether Peter later included stuff in his commentary that he did not realise FFB had published. Just a thought.
Peter O'Brien has been (is) a wonderful leader in our church. I have read his commentaries with great reward, and his ploughed through his shared Variegated garden with patience.
I will continue to do the same.
Stephen Miller
Blue Mountains
Australia
I wonder whether Peter later included stuff in his commentary that he did not realise FFB had published.
I don't know but standard academic practice would be for footnote FFB materials as "personal communication" if it were not published.
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."
We just learned about this and are reviewing the situation to determine the best way to proceed.
For now, we are removing these volumes from our website.
We'll post here with updates.
Thanks!
Senior Director, Content Products
I heard that Accordance users will be able to keep the current issue and will be given a free upgrade if the new sets become available. I hope the same will happen to Logos! Or maybe it'd be better to get credits for those books...? I don't know!