Hermeneutics Observation

I am doing Hermeneutics as a directed study, which means since there are no lectures I have to read about 5000 pages. I don't care who you are that's a lot of reading. Currently I am reading "Let The Reader Understand" by Dan McCartney and Charles Clayton. I must say, being about two-thirds through the book, it is an excellent introduction to the discipline.

I used to swear by the NASB because it was the most literal of all the translations. I am not so wooden, get it, that's a pun, in my stance any longer. Having spent the last two years studying Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic, not to mention English has opened my eyes to the fact that a wooden translation is not always the best. A couple of sentences in the book I am reading sumarize my paradigm shift beautifully. "A 'literal' translation is not 'more accurate' than an idomatic one. Quite the reverse; an idiomatic translation, if it is a good one, is much more likely to convey the exact meaning than a literal one."

Don't get me wrong, I still love the NASB and The Message still sucks but the NIV and the ESV often give a better sense of the original language than does the NASB. This is due to the fluidity of language and wood can not be fluid. Just an observation, go Wolverines!

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Seminary vs. The Blog

I have discovered something as my first year of seminary comes to an end, those who are in seminary and still blog are letting something in their studies slip. I am not kidding, so many people tell me you can't do ALL the reading, yes you can, if you stop blogging. I may be a bit obsessive here but it can be done and since it is in the syllabus probably should be done. I hope to post a few over the summer but we shall see.

If Anyone Still Reads This

The semester is over and I made it out alive, as a matter of fact I made it out with an A in Hebrew even though I was sick twice and missed several classes. I got a B in Greek translation and a C in Greek Exegesis, Hey I'll take it, Dr. Waters grades tough!

I got a new Palm Centro last weekend and am loving it. We switched to Sprint with their unlimited data plan and get live streaming NFL network 24/7. Yeah, I am the only one in the family who is loving that, but I AM loving that. I loaded up all of my Olive Tree software on Sunday and the free ereader and now have a library of several hundred books with me wherever I go. I love this thing, I thought the small keyboard and screen would be a pain but neither is true. The keyboard is amazingly easy to use considering the size and the screen, with the high-res, is easy on the eyes. I know many do not like the Palm OS but I am used to it and am kind of excited about the new OS coming out next year. I highly recommend the Centro.