Friday, December 31, 2010

Publishing.

When I was in the Barth seminar at HDS, my professor made a comment during one of the beginning lectures that he hasn't published much about Barth to date. He expressed that this lack of publishing was intentional since it takes a long time to fully appreciate and understand the corpse of Barth's work.

Another professor at GCTS told me that some people believe a scholar shouldn't publish until they are in their 50's. I couldn't help but think those people are onto something.

I often wonder how anyone could want to read academic work that is published by young scholars (or budding scholars). If I had a choice, I would wait for at least twenty years before I started publishing because I often find that I make assumptions and decisions too quickly. My views are formulated prematurely. However, most teaching jobs require publishing.

I simply pray that if I get the chance to publish anything I write, the grace of God will be near. The more I learn, the more I realize how little I know.


1 comment:

m said...

I've had very similar thoughts lately as I've studied Kierkegaard. To publish anything that makes a genuine and intelligent scholarly contribution on Kierkegaard (or on the faith in reference to Kierkegaard's contribution) I would need to be skilled in such a vast body of knowledge that I cannot fathom the idea of doing so anytime in within the decade or even two or three. On the other hand, I can conceive much more easily - though with the profound threat of personal arrogance - of publishing in the non-scholarly realm, making use of my limited knowledge in a variety of disciplines to encourage the Church in a way that just might be of greater eternal importance.

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