Re: gerim and converts

Mr. Timothy T. Dickens (MDick39708@gnn.com)
Sun, 12 May 1996 23:40:18

Dear Dr. Wegner,

I am writing you to tell you how much I personally appreciated
your astute comments regarding 'gerim and converts.' While I am
personally new to b-hebrew and b-Greek, I have been personally
dissatisfied with the content of the discussions.

While I understand that one is free to ask what one likes to
such a list, the myopic and esoteric concerns (in b-Greek, for
example) with what the meaning of the middle/passive voice implies
in Paul's letters or Midrashim interpretation on the Hebrew Bible,
makes me wonder about how seriously do scholars make linguistic,
social, anthropological and historical concerns their first
priority.

I just left an email discussion group regarding a book called
'Not out of Africa' by Mary Lefkowitz. Her book was a rebuttal of
Cornell Univ.'s Martin Bernal's book, 'Black Athena.' Throughout
the heated discussions on the internet I saw just how seriously
classicist take their profession. I then reflected on the questions
generally asked by biblical scholars. I feel that we are too often
isolated from the larger world of texts that can help us understand
the writings commonly called the Bible.

Anyway, thanks for your time and your witty responses to
b-hebrew. I will always look forward to them.

Timothy T. Dickens
Smyrna, GA
MDick39708@gnn.com Home
ttd3@Columbia.edu School

"No man should bring children into the world who is unwilling to continue