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The Jesus Seminar: Their
Qualifications
Rev. Dr. Greg Neal
Here are some figures on the Jesus Seminar
Scholars.
Printed in the back of their book "The
Five Gospels," are the names of the 76 "Fellows" of the Jesus
Seminar. Their names, their current positions, and their educational backgrounds
are listed here, and from this list we can learn a whole LOT about the Jesus
Seminar.
Of the 76 Fellows:
41 do not teach in the field of their
training.
16 of these 41 don't teach at ALL
9 of these 16 are NOT even on a faculty someplace
of the 7 that ARE on faculties but who do NOT teach,
4 are Deans of various Nonacademic departments
in various schools (i.e., Dean of Student Life,
Dean of Admissions, etc.)
2 are Directors of various programs (Field and
Continuing Education)
1 is Secretary to an Academic Dean
25 of the 41 who do not teach in the field of
their training
DO teach in some other field ... sometimes related to
their field, but sometimes not. 9 of these teach
in Junior Colleges, Community, County, and City
Colleges, and one in a Private Senior High School. 7
teach Philosophy, 5 teach History (various fields),
4 teach various languages, 6 teach English/Literature,
3 teach ENTIRELY outside their fields (Math, Business,
and Music).
Of the 35 who are actually teaching in their
fields of training,
19 are NOT in Tenure-track positions, 7 are Assistant
Professors in Tenure-track positions (3 have since
NOT been granted tenure due to various reasons), and
of the rest, all but 8 are in VERY MINOR departments
of Theology and Biblical Criticism (i.e. ... BIG fish in
small ponds).
Of the 76 Fellows, *** 9 *** do NOT have
earned doctorate degrees,
and 4 have doctorates but NOT in the field of Theology or
Biblical Criticism (one in History, two in classical Philosophy,
1 in English).
2 have earned doctorates that are NOT academic doctorates,
(DMin). Many have honorary doctorates (no big deal, so do
I), and of the 9 who don't have earned doctorates, they ALL
now have honorary degrees.
Only a VERY FEW of the JS Scholars are at
major Graduate Faculties.
VERY TELLING are those MAJOR faculties that are NOT represented
among the Jesus Seminar: Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Duke, Union,
Union in Virginia, General in New York, Chicago, Boston, Drew, Oxford,
Cambridge, American Catholic University, the Pontifical Institutes.
Of PARTICULAR NOTE is that MOST of these MAJOR
faculties ARE in
the backgrounds of the Jesus Seminar scholars. In other words, these
guys studied at these TOP FLIGHT Ivy League institutes, and yet NONE
of the Jesus Seminar Scholars TEACH at these institutions.
Of the 6,000 plus members of the liberal
Society of Biblical Literature (SBL), only 72 are members of the Jesus Seminar,
which means less than 2% of the SBL are members. Adding the much larger
conservative grouping of scholars and the SBL membership together, then we see
the Jesus Seminar represents far less than 1% of Biblical scholars.
Just a few things to make you go "hmmmmmmmmmmm"
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