[B-Greek] Re: Professor Swanson
Kent Clarke
kclarke2 at telus.net
Thu Oct 28 13:32:37 EDT 2004
Greetings All:
My apologies for a bit of a late reply to this particular string (I have
been away from the list for several weeks and could not respond earlier). To
get right to the point, Professor Swanson is certainly not dead! In fact, I
chatted with him over the telephone last week.
I spent a most wonderful week with Professor Swanson and his gracious wife
in Ohio in the late spring, and have been kindly invited to work along with
him on his New Testament Manuscript project. I have begun collating for the
book of Revelation, while he draws very near to concluding his work on 2
Corinthians.
My stay with him and his wife in the spring was very pleasant and enjoyable.
His sense of humour is most infectious! He is, in many regards, an amazing
and generous man (I admit, I may now be a little biased).
While I had occasionally used his Greek editions of the New Testament text
prior to ever meeting him, I was both enlightened and humbled to actually
work along side of him during our week together. I really had no idea as to
the immense effort, thoughtfulness, and efficiency he has put into his
Manuscript project. I have been even more impressed of late going back
through his published editions. His attention to detail and his accuracy of
transcription and collation is absolutely remarkable! And I say that as one
who had to be, at least initially, convinced in regards to the value of not
only the underlying philosophy of his critical text, but his desire to work
singularly (as opposed to a committee) on this project. As well, his
ingenuity in overcoming numerous "hurdles" that have fallen in his path in
regards to his transcription and collation of the manuscripts is admirable
(oh that we academics were more collegial and forthcoming with each other in
our research!).
Regardless, even if one disagrees with Professor Swanson's underlying
philosophy of a critical text of the Greek New Testament, the massive effort
that he has single-handedly put into this project over the years is most
deserving of admiration, something that I personally feel he has not
received enough of (though he would never ask for or expect such). As the
project continues to draw ever closer to completion, I believe that the
value of Professor Swanson's work will be increasingly realized in line with
the numerous other critical editions of the Greek New Testament.
Kind Regards;
Kent
Kent D. Clarke (Ph.D. Bristol)
Department of Religious Studies
Trinity Western University
Langley, British Columbia
V2Y 1Y1, Canada
kentc at twu.ca
(604) 513-2121 (ext. 3116)
More information about the B-Greek
mailing list