My Paper in Vienna

Today I gave a paper at Vienna University (see above) for the 64th Annual Society of New Testament Studies conference which gathers the finest New Testament scholars from around the world. I was an invited guest and gave a paper to the Apocryphal Literature seminar entitled, "A Lost 'Lost Gospel': An Introduction to Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 840." There were about 25 experts in apocryphal gospels gathered in the seminar including, Christopther Tuckett (Oxford), James D.G. Dunn (Durham), Joseph Verheyden (Lueven), Bruce Chilton, and Andreas Lindemann (the president of SNTS), and others. Aside from some technical difficulties with my slides of the manuscript, I think the seminar went very well. I was subjected to over an hour of Q&A after my paper (kind of like a presbytery exam, but worse!), but that went fine and I think most found the arguments persuasive (I hope). Its been a great time to meet with other scholars and discuss biblical studies at a high academic level. After my paper, Melissa and I went to see some Vienna wineries in the mountains outside the city to relax. Unfortunately, we got a bit lost and it turned into an exhausting hike down the mountain. So much for relaxing!