The ETS (Evangelical Theological Society) is kind of nice, I’ve decided. It’s sort of like kids pretending to be grown-ups, and forming their own play-academic society, and mimicing what the real academics do. I’ve tried to be cynical about it, but who can mock children at play? It’s just lovely. Sure, there are a lot of white middle-aged men sporting facial hair, and the one or two women you see turn out to be pastors’ wives. But lets face it, even the real scholars act pretty childish a lot of the time, don’t they?
Today I took a wander through the exhibits at ETS and spoke to some of these little rascals. Here are two old fellas trying to work out exactly how Mark chapter 13 was fulfilled in every detail by AD 70. They have to, otherwise Jesus told a big fib, and that can’t ever be the result of their scholarly research, can it?
And of course there are the Creationists:
And the hard complementarians (not the soft complementarians! splitters!!):
And the ones that want to convert all the Jews, because this is required before Jesus comes back, and this is why we stand by Israel:
And more Jew converters:
There was great reading material, too:
I mean, really great, real scholarly like:
When are you going to get to Michele Bachmann’s encounter with a giant?
That is cute. It does look like a real scholarly meeting, kind of like a really good treehouse that can make a convincing pirate ship or deep-space rocket.
Deane, you are in one of America’s few great cities, so stop posing on your weblog and go out and explore.
Eric
Eric – you are in the world’s arguably greatest town, so stop posing on the internet and go to the beach. Hang on – no don’t. I’ll be too jealous. ;)
God is not mocked, Mr Galbraith, God is not mocked.
You are not very complementary are you?? ;)
I have an orange Giants T shirt – just reminding you. San Francisco has a great bookshop. I’ve ordered the books I wanted on line though – cheaper and won’t be able to lose them. I have Mr Smile the Umbrella back – a kind wandering beer drinking Giant retrieved it. The ETS is incestually related to the SBL – both are diabolically discombobulated, circuses, cacophonies, insulated, self justifying and perpetuating, fostering (coaching) the study of nothing… Sweet photos. I’m glad you didn’t blind me with Tintin. Mind you he has no facial hair – just crooked teeth and pimples. And a little too short for observation by Giants.
In defense of ETS: there are fringe groups in ETS, but there are many moderate evangelicals. It doesn’t make you seem very fair to go into the book exhibit and find the most radical elements. No organization/movement deserves to be judged by a minority within it.
Sounds like another “ETS is rather broad in spectrum rather than monolithic” defence, Jason. I guess a soft complementarian would think they’re moderate in comparison to a hard complementarian. But, puh-lease, girlfriend.
Again. Your rhetoric and ad hominem statements are unbecoming of a scholar. I’m an egalitarian.
“But, puh-lease, girlfriend.” How old are we? Do you act like this at SBL, or are blogs just the playground of academia?
Thank you. I certainly try.