Thursday, April 05, 2007

PhD "progress" report

Ros asked for a progress report on my research project.

I’ve written 6500 words on a Reformed Evangelical doctrine of Scripture as classically expounded by Warfield, which I think are hand-in-able.

And 4000 words on speech act theory and its application to the doctrine of Scripture, which probably need a bit of tweaking.

The next section is on semiotics (the study of signs) with a view to considering its application to scripture and the Lord’s Supper (as words / visible signs).

Then its the Reformed doctrine of the Supper (probably mainly in Calvin and his successors, maybe as mediated through Charles Hodge and Old Princeton?).

And I’ve got about another 20 000 words of prose which varies between quite spare outline sketchiness and rambling cancerous gone to seedness.

And I’ve 127 000 words of notes in alphabetical order by author.

I reckon if you locked me in a room for a couple of weeks and forbade me to look at any more books I could have a fair stab at some prose to work up into a very early draft of the overall thesis.

In the end I need 80 000 words including footnotes.

Theoretically I’ve been working on this project full time this academic year and 25% of my time in the previous two years, so I ought to be roughly half way through by the end of the summer.

I get ordained on 30th June, d.v., and the deal is that I’ll spend a day a week on this in the parish till its done.

Just in case anyone’s forgotten, the overall working title is:

Edible Words & Legible Sacraments?
an examination of relationships between the doctrines of the Lord’s Supper and the Scriptures
with particular reference to the Reformed Evangelical tradition and to the Church of England

And the chapter headings might go like this:

Chapter 1: Opening Words
Introductory, preliminary and methodological considerations

Chapter 2: God’s Words on God’s Word Written
The scriptural doctrine of scripture

Chapter 3: God’s Words on the Supper
The scriptural doctrine of the Supper

Chapter 4: Edible Words
The Supper in the light of the scriptures

Chapter 5: Sacramental Words
The scriptures in the light of the Supper

Chapter 6: Special Words
The “sacramental” model in relation to the whole created order

Chapter 7: Closing Words
Summary of conclusions and suggested practical applications

Book deals, advance subscription payments, offers of proof reading, suggestions for examiners all most welcome. Suggestions for further reading may be greeted with a slight inner groan.


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3 comments:

  1. Anonymous1:06 pm

    Marc

    I'm intrigued that you're thinking of tracing the Reformed doctrine of the Supper through Hodge and Old Princeton. I guess it'd make sense if you're dealing with Warfield on Scripture, but istm that Nevin is much closer to Calvin than Hodge...

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  2. Anonymous3:15 pm

    Hi Marc - this is going to be briefer than I'd like as I should really be doing other things (essays), but was thinking about your research over Easter and particularly as I was preparing to speka on road to Emmaus. This may be obvious, overly-pious or even wrong, so do forgive but...

    It struck me that when Jesus encountered the two disciples on the road, they were unable to recognise him as the risen Lord, though he was right beside them and at their table. The two things Jesus did to remedy this situation - i.e. to manifest clearly his presence so that they might know and see him were 1. speka to them through scripture. We learn that their hearts burned within them - a sign of the working of grace in this "sacramental" act maybe? And 2. broke bread with them, clearly a reference to the last supper. It was in doing this that their eyes were opened (which I think is quite a striking event and supportive of a strong and high view of the Lord's supper). Following these events you see the disciples changed from hopeless, confused and despondent beings who can't even see Jesus walking beside them, to enlivened folk who are rushing back to Jerusalem with the good news of the risen Lord. I was just wondering whether such a story gave support to the sacramental nature of the pair: hearing scripture and participating in the Lord's supper, as acts which enliven the faith of foolish, slow-hearted, despondent disciples so that their hearts burn and their eyes are opened.

    Hope you had a happy easter btw,
    Ben

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  3. Marc Lloyd3:30 pm

    Hi Ben,

    Thanks for that.

    Yes, I think the story is very significant.

    I guess some might question the breaking of the bread being the Lords Supper, but as you say, the association is very clear.

    So Scripture and the Supper are paired in the chapter. Seems fair to say they are means of grace. And connected to Christ. And the whole incident has transforming power.

    I guess much would depend on what one means by sacramental.

    Yep.

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