Ephesians 5:22 and mutual submission

Apparently Michele Bachmann was asked about Ephesians 5 recently. The question focussed specifically on the language of submission in Ephesians 5:22-4 and the article goes on to speak about translations preferred by evangelicals:

In the New International Version translation of the Bible, the version most preferred by evangelical Christians and nondenominational churches, a camp Bachmann has said she belongs to, Ephesians 5:22-24 are translated as:

"Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything."

There is also a quotation from a New Testament scholar about the submission of wives to husbands in Paul and the specificity of the injunction together with support for Michele Bachmann's interpretation of "submission" as "respect."

This is all beside the point! The fact of the matter is, as anyone who reads Greek knows, the verb is absent from Ephesians 5:22 and introduced by inference from Ephesians 5:21 where mutual submission is enjoined by the author. 

What we need are bible translations that use an ellipsis in Ephesians 5:22: "Wives...to your husbands as to the Lord." Second best would be translations that supply a verb in italics or that add a note to the supplied verb.  For example, the NET Bible provides a note, but reads an imperative in the translation.

   1.Wives, submit* to your husbands as to the Lord, 

      * The witnesses for the shorter reading (in which the verb “submit” is only implied) are minimal (P46 B Cl Hiermss), but significant and early. The rest of the witnesses add one of two verb forms as required by the sense of the passage (picking up the verb from v. 21). Several of these witnesses have ὑποτασσέσθωσαν (hupotassesthōsan), the third person imperative (so א A I P Ψ 0278 33 81 1175 1739 1881 al lat co), while other witnesses, especially the later Byzantine cursives, read ὑποτάσσεσθε (hupotassesthe), the second person imperative (D F G M sy). The text virtually begs for one of these two verb forms, but the often cryptic style of Paul’s letters argues for the shorter reading. 

The chronology of development in Ephesians 5:22 seems to have been that the verse first existed with no verb - then a third person imperative was added - and finally a second person imperative was added. It is not insignificant that early lectionaries began a new day’s reading with v. 22; these most likely caused copyists to add the verb at this juncture.

East Neuk Festival and Bach

There can't be many readers of this blog who know what or where the East Neuk Festival is. Well, that's easily answered: the eastern part of the kingdom of Fife, Scotland. And for 7 days from today you can listen to the Serbian pianist Aleksander Madzar playing the Bach Partitas at the festival in Crail Church. This is a local festival where concerts are held in churches and church halls. At the beginning of this week's concert, you can hear birds singing in the churchyard. A Guardian review of the festival speaks of

the most revelatory, Aleksandar Madžar's tender, vulnerable and deeply lyrical Bach Partitas.

And if you want more about location, including information on St Fillan, a local Celtic saint, here's a video:

The Roman Catholic Church in Ireland

A survey of recent tension felt by the Irish towards the Roman Catholic Church is in the Church Times including a recent report from the Diocese of Cloyne from the recent period 1996-2009. This included allegations against several priests which were ignored by the RC Church and the Vatican response described as "entirely unhelpful."  The Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny then excoriated the Vatican in a speech and the Papal Nuncio was subsequently recalled to Rome. In the speech, the Prime Minister said:

“For the first time in Ireland, a report into child sexual abuse exposes an attempt by the Holy See to frustrate an inquiry in a sovereign, democratic republic — as little as three years ago, not three decades ago.

“And, in doing so, the Cloyne report excavates the dysfunction, disconnection, élitism — the narcissism — that dominate the culture of the Vatican to this day. The rape and torture of children were downplayed or ‘managed’ to uphold instead the primacy of the institution, its power, standing and ‘reputation’.

“Far from listening to evidence of humili ation and betrayal with St Benedict’s ‘ear of the heart’, the Vatican’s reaction was to parse and analyse it with the gimlet eye of the canon lawyer. This is not Rome. . . This is the Republic of Ireland 2011. A republic of laws, of rights and responsibilities; of proper civic order, where the delinquency and arrogance of a particular version, of a particular kind of ‘morality’, will no longer be tolerated or ignored.”


The Pope's response of "surprise and disappointment" to these events occasioned this response from George Pitcher in the Guardian this past weekend, taking the Vatican to task for "repentance lite." He concludes:
It seems that there are some still in the Roman Catholic high command who have to take the first steps down that road to reconciliation over the monstrous child-abuse scandal.
Massimo Franco in the same newspaper last Friday opined that the Vatican has so far failed to take into account that the changed notion of sin now part of open contemporary culture now demands public accountability. The Vatican still operates in a culture of secrecy. The Tablet (an RC publication) wondered out loud if the ire of the Irish Prime Minister should have been directed against the Bishop of Cloyne, John Magee and called for a healing hand. 
The crucial piece of evidence in the Cloyne report was a letter sent in 1997, via the nuncio, from the Congregation for the Clergy in Rome, newly headed by Cardinal Darío Castrillón Hoyos. It dismissed the so-called “framework document”, which had been agreed by the Irish Bishops’ Conference the previous year for dealing with child-abuse cases, as non-binding and not in accordance with canon law – looking at it, in Mr Kenny’s words, “through the gimlet eye of a canon lawyer”. The document committed the Irish bishops to report cases of alleged child abuse by clergy to the police. It was recognised that church processes for dealing with such cases were defective, in some cases leaving abusive priests to continue their abuse even after plausible allegations had been made against them.

Encouraged by Cardinal Castrillón’s intervention, Bishop Magee decided not to follow the framework document in his diocese, and as a result a number of cases were not reported to the police, as the framework document said they should have been. That was a direct failure of the duty of supervision that the Holy See has towards all diocesan bishops, who under the hierarchical system of government in the Catholic Church are only answerable upwards. This invites the suspicion that the system has become, in Mr Kenny’s word, dysfunctional.

The fatal mistake of the Holy See was to stand on the principle that one sovereign authority, the Irish state, had no right to investigate the affairs of another, the Holy See. It refused to cooperate with the government inquiry. Instead, in these particular circumstances it should have waived its privileges, humbly accepted that the 1997 letter had disastrous effects which its author presumably did not intend, and worked with the Irish Government and its inquiry to find explanations and solutions. Indeed, throughout the worldwide church crisis concerning child abuse by priests, the Vatican has been reluctant to admit that its policies and procedures might have been a contributing factor. It could, for instance, have ratified the Irish bishops’ framework document, making it part of local canon law. It chose not to do so, nor to explain why. That is an example of the high-handed attitude that justifies the Taoiseach’s anger.


On August 3rd, NCR reports that public support in Ireland for the Prime Minister's speech has been high while the Irish Echo notes that the PM is riding the wave of anti-Catholic sentiment in the media. Maureen Dowd in the NY Times spoke of the end of awe and the need for men in authority to be publically accountable. 
Most recently Savi Hensman writing for Ekklesia says:
In various denominations, attempts to play down scandals related to abuse have done more damage to these churches than open admission of fault and true penitence would have done. Numerous Irish people, many of them Roman Catholic, have been saddened and angered by the failure of the church at times faithfully to follow Christ, who told his followers "Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God” (Mark 10.14), and that “nothing is hidden that will not be disclosed, nor is anything secret that will not become known and come to light” (Luke 8.17). In speaking out for them, and insisting that children should come first, Enda Kenny was perhaps exercising his responsibility not only as Prime Minister of a democracy but also as a lay Christian, steeped in a tradition that includes not only piety but also prophecy.
It is easy for churches to become inward-looking, and fail to discern how and where God is at work outside institutional structures and hierarchies. Yet the hope of renewal may be found in humble openness to One present throughout creation and who (in the words of a prayer attributed to Patrick, patron saint of Ireland) may speak through “mouth of friend and stranger”.

It's a watershed moment for the Irish and for the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland. Even if some see the Prime Minister's words as opportunistic or "too little too late," he reflects the sentiments of many many people. Apparently there's now a phrase on many people's lips: "Change the Church, keep the faith." 

Bach's interpretation of the Magnificat

Discovering Music this week explores the musical background of J.S. Bach's Magnificat. I am particularly interested to learn more about the way the music interprets the text.

Sara Moore Pietsch is in conversation with the director of the Ancient Academy of Music, Richard Egarr. First they discuss the different versions of the Magnificat that Bach composed. First was the version in E flat and then it was transposed into the key of D major. Bach's audience would have known the text of the Magnifcat, whatever their social stations. It was sung in Latin on major church holidays. The text is divided into 12 sentences, each sentence or line carries a particular quality.

Bach wrote music as difficult and uncompromising for voices as it was for instruments. Specific words are emphasized in the music--the strings go against the voice in the second piece, "Et exultavit spiritus meus.." in which the singer starts and stops and then continues again so that the listeners reflect on the repeated text.  In this movement we hear melisma, the extension of one syllable over several notes: hear, for example, the words "exultavit" and "salutari."

The oboe d'amore was used in the second version of the Magnificat for instrumental color heightening religious contemplation in the next line.

Bach writes "humilitatem" as a falling line in the third line of the text. He also extends the text into the next line "ecce enim ex hoc beatem me dicent..." after which Bach stops. Then the chorus takes over the words "omnes generationes." There are 41 entries of the word "omnes." The name Bach adds up to 14; J.S. Bach adds up to 41 and Bach used this number to sign his name.

"Quia fecit mihi magna" is written for organ, harpsichord and double bass and cello giving a rich base for the music and the singer.

The line "misericordia" for two voices almost intertwining creates a personal intimate color. The strings underneath are reminiscent of the opening of the Matthew passion looking through the whole life of Jesus to the passion. The final phrase makes the two voices sing a vibrato, a nervous trembling on the word "fear," timentibus which echoes the word.

 "Fecit potentiam" is the beginning of part 2, movement #7, with a shout from the choir in a very energetic line. On the word "dispersit" three notes sung by each choral part fall down as if being scattered. The end of the line has some of the most beautiful music.

"Deposuit" is melismatic writing followed by the very simple musical coloring for the word "humiles" (humble).

Solo alto with 2 flutes and continuo is the setting for "he has filled the hungry with good things." The flute was the instrument of kings and queens and perhaps represents the rich. The word "implevit" is a very long melisma, indicating the extent of filling the hungry. The rich flautists aren't allowed to play their last notes but and the phrase on a dry "plop" in which the rich are sent empty away.

Magnificat: anima mea Dominum.

Et exultavit spiritus meus: in Deo salutari meo.

Quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae:

ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes.

Quia fecit mihi magna, qui potens est:

et sanctum nomen eius.

Et misericordia eius, a progenie et progenies:

timentibus eum.

Fecit potentiam in brachio suo:

dispersit superbos mente cordis sui.

Deposuit potentes de sede:

et exaltavit humiles.

Esurientes implevit bonis:

et divites dimisit inanes.

Suscepit Israel puerum suum:

recordatus misericordiae suae.

Sicut locutus est ad patres nostros:

Abraham, et semini eius in saecula.

Exciting news about a digital version of the Loeb Classical Library (and a less expensive alternative)

Today's Inside Higher Ed reports that Loeb Classical Library trustees recently announced that they are preparing to convert the Loeb series to a digital format that would allow any authorized user to search the English translations of the Loeb works for specific words, ideas, and phrases. Libraries would buy licenses to provide students and other authorized users access to the digital Loeb, which is expected to go live in 2013. (The Harvard press will continue selling the print versions.)

The goal of the digital iteration of Loeb, say several academics involved with the project, is to allow students, scholars, and others to draw out themes from ancient literature even if they don’t know where to look and don’t speak the languages. A religion scholar who wants to learn more about Greek and Roman conceptions of the soul would be able to search the entire body of ancient literature for soul references. The scholar could also refine a search for references to the soul by specific authors or time periods.

And here is a link to a site wherein freely available LCL books in the public domain are identified.

Summer Reflections

A few simple Vermont sayings, collected by Allen R. Foley, author of The Old-Timer Talks Back. • What you don't say won't ever hurt you. • You can't always judge a cow by her looks. • It's better to wear out than rust out. • Independence is better than riches. • It's nice to sit and think but sometimes it's nicer just to sit.

Simon Price, R.I.P.

An obit for Simon Price in the Telegraph:

Price was a central contributor to the remarkable recent revival of academic interest in ancient Roman religion, but his interests were much broader. He wrote the best short book on Greek religion, Religions of the Ancient Greeks (1999), as well as articles on such diverse topics as ancient and modern theories of dream-interpretation (From Freud to Artemidorus); the role of terracing in Greek agriculture; and early Christian apologetic literature.

The book of his thesis, Rituals and Power. The Roman Imperial cult in Asia Minor, was published in 1984 and caused a sensation. It was on the one hand a meticulous scholarly study of the extremely abundant evidence for the “who, when, where?” of the cults of Roman emperors in Asia Minor; but it also sought, with considerable success, to overturn previous understanding of this centrally important aspect of Roman rule.

Emperor worship had generally been understood as a form of flattery, more politely expressed as a “loyalty cult”, of no religious significance. Price argued, however, that it gave something in religious terms to those who practised it: treating the emperors as quasi-gods was a way of coming to terms with the godlike power that these individuals wielded from a distance over their subjects. It helped them to make sense of their world.

To the objection that nobody could really have believed the emperor, a mortal, to be a god, Price replied that ancient religion was not about belief but about ritual; to insist on belief was to treat pagan religion as though it were Christian. He remained a vigilant scourge of what he called “Christianising assumptions” throughout his career.

"Created in God's Image" for today's Daily Episcopalian. Please feel free to comment!

For the Feast Day of Mary Magdalene, July 22nd

Evolution of Bible Stories (NPR)

NPR reports on the evolution of bible stories by interviewing Prof William Warren of the New Orleans Baptist Seminary. The intention of the project is to enable ordinary Christian people to be aware of and assess some of these alterations. Changes in Mark's ending of the gospel and John's gospel are discussed:

"We actually have more than one ending in the manuscripts, and then we have some with no ending," Warren explains, "So what we think probably happened there is that as soon as you see the other Gospels with the resurrection stories, early in the 2nd century at least, someone says, 'You know, we need to put some of this material into Mark to round it off better.' "

Warren points to another significant change in the gospel of John: In the earliest manuscripts, he says, John did not include Jesus challenging a mob that's about to stone a woman accused of adultery with the now-famous line: "Let any among you who is without sin cast the first stone."

Promoting Active Learning

From Faculty Focus via a keynote address by Elizabeth F. Barkley at a recent Teaching Professor conference in Atlanta, excellent tips on promoting active learning including:

Get to classroom 10-20 minutes early, greet students by name as they come in.

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Active Learning—have each student read another student’s paper and provide feedback. I provide a list of questions and comments as a guideline.

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Use “participation quizzes” (for extra points) to keep students on task.

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Motivation—when starting a project, ask students probing questions to help them break down the tasks so they are manageable.

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Community Building: On the first day, I hold a “Mocktail Party.” Students out of seats, shaking hands, and meeting one classmate at a time. After 2 minutes, I say “switch” and students move on to the next classmate.

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Send students motivational quotes via the vista (Blackboard) each day…that apply to something that each of them have shared at one point & time with the class. Student response has been exceptionally accepting.

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“The Daily Quiz”
a. 1 question the minute class starts-fixes attendance issues and makes good into the lecture. It offers a reflection from previous lesson and gives a good segue to the next.
b. If you’re late?—no luck, typically easy marks too!!
c. If class is lagging??—I will ask if it is from material yet to be covered.

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Motivation/Task is Tough Enough: Hold student/instructor conference for larger assignments (ie: first drafts). It helps student feel like he/she is important, treated as an individual. It also allows instructor to tailor the rest of the assignment to the student needs & abilities.

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I try to help students “unlearn” previously experienced situations. For example, many of my students have had negative experiences in math. I work with them to overcome those experiences and learn.

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Putting them into learning groups.

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“You can do it, just like others did!”
I post previous semester grades and explain how test, attendance, & activities impact previous students grades.

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Active Learning—I create a worksheet with course concepts & have students work in pairs in class with their books to define terms. We discuss terms as a class to make sure everyone agrees. Then we watch a film/movie in class looking for examples of course concepts. In class & online discussions.

Optimal Challenge Zone
a. I try to create a Friendly First Day. While the syllabus is clear, it is not designed to be scary. The first day of my Composition One class, I have students meet together and discuss the Best Writing they have ever done. I point out that academic as well as career and personal writing counts. When they finish, I emphasize that we are all already writers.