My Jim West Award

One of the joys of blogging is when other people interact with your ideas. Some of the articles I’ve posted I consider “successful” based on the amount of comments, and not necessarily on what I have written. In the biblioblogging community there is probably no one better at providing feedback in some form than Dr. Jim West. Sometimes it’s a comment, sometimes a link, and sometimes a review. Dr. West’s first review of my work still brings a smile to my face:

I can’t think of anything that briefly describes what Scott has done to Peter, to Matthew, to the art and science of exegesis, to historical studies, and to Church history (not to mention Roman Catholic theology).

If you have ever wondered what can be done to the Bible if one’s imagination is fertile enough, then do be sure to skip on over to Scott’s posting. To say that Scott has violated the text is such a grand understatement that it is itself profanity.

I also seem to earn the adjectives “reprobate, vile, depraved” from Dr. West at various times for my sustained irreverent comments about Zwingli. Sometimes it’s just hard for people when you speak the truth in love. However, Jim outdid himself yesterday, and wrote some very nice things about yours truly:

he’s honest, direct, unapologetic, theologically insightful, witty, amusing, cantankerous, a bit rude, uncouth, brilliant, and always, always, worth reading.

So far I’ve only had the pleasure of interacting with Dr. West online, a sitiation that will be resolved at this year’s SBL, however, I imagine that some of the persons with whom I’ve inteacted with in reality would at least agree with a couple of his observations: cantankerous, a bit rude, uncouth! My JW award also comes with a sporting graphic:

The picture is of me doing a jig after I found out!

Anyways, when I first started reading biblioblogs and thinking to myself that I might give a stab at it, both Dr. West and Tyler Williams were having countdowns to 100, 000 readers, and at the time I thought that was outrageous. However, having also long ago crossed that boundary my only conclusion is that there’s no accounting for people’s taste!

If you are part if the biblioblogging community then I’m sure that you have Dr. West on your blogroll. If you don’t then you have a big glaring hole on your blogroll. I read Jim’s site daily for the many humorous and interesting things he has to say, and for how up to date he keeps me on theology, archaeology, American Idol, publishing, the evils of homeschooling, the totally depraved, etc., etc. Seriously, I’m not quite sure how he has the time to read as much as he does and pastor at the same time. Part vampire seems to be the only logical conclusion. Someone make sure Tilling brings some garlic with him to SBL.

Thanks for the love Jim, much of it right back at ya!

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