GakuseiDon

TedM asked a good question in the Crossan on Doherty thread, which I thought might make a good thread in its own right.

In the field of Biblical Studies, how have scholars gone about presenting new ideas for serious consideration?

There is the SBL. Its journal, Journal of Biblical Literature, appears to have a good reputation. It claims "virtually all of the articles submitted receive a full review. Even articles clearly unsuitable for publication, often by amateur scholars, receive consideration".

If there are any scholars posting here, how have you gone about presenting your ideas for scholarly consideration?

S.C.Carlson

Here are some suggestions off the top of my head:

1. Don't bite off more than you can chew. Keep your thesis limited and defensible. An article is simply too short to go for the big enchilada (e.g. solving the synoptic problem), but a series of articles, published in various journals, can become a good body of solid work.

2. Work from the primary sources in the original languages. A good rule of thumb is that articles that fail to quote the primary sources tend to be stinkers.

3. Be familiar with the relevant secondary literature and interact with it. Definitely do not ignore the "major players." Scholarship is a conversation, not a monologue. This also means following the footnoting/citation conventions religiously, even if you are not otherwise religious.

4. Get your article informally refereed from published scholars, if you can, before submitting it to a journal. A good scholar to ask is the one you cited (see no. 3). Also ask for advice about which journal is the best place to send it to.

Stephen

Ted Hoffman

Carlson,
I agree with you and I think your post answers the question. One must break down their "idea" to small theses. Take one thesis at a time and get it published. Then another, then another. After three or four of them, you should be ready to present the entire idea to the world.

Chris Weimer

Question - what if they entire idea can be written in a relatively small paper? What if, perhaps, the individual points are too small and too insignificant to be taken apart, yet the idea is a major turning point?

Killer Mike

Its simple. Thru the proper channels. Like in geology, articles are to be published in peer reviewd journals like the Journal Of Geological Education. These ideas are then debated, and if appropriate will gain wide acceptance. The idea of plate tectonics was first published in peer reviewd journals, and was hotly debated, but eventually this idea had enough evidence to support it and is now accepted within the mainstream of geology.

Similarly, the same is true in Biblical and religious studies. For example, the mythicists (Jesus never existed) should use these proper channels. Publish their ideas in acceptable peer reviewd journals, and if they can provide enough evidence and convincing arguments to convince the mainstream, then their ideas are worthy of serious consideration.

Steven Carr

One hundred years ago exactly, somebody published a paper without any footnotes or citations. I think it was called 'On the Electrodynamics of moving objects.'

I wonder what happened to it and its author.

(Correction. It did have one footnote. The author published a different paper that year that had no footnotes)

GakuseiDon

Thanks Steve. I know you wrote a book on the Secret Gospel of Mark being a hoax, and that it has been reviewed by a number of people. How difficult is it to get controversial ideas published in Biblical studies journals like JBL?

Clivedurdle

What difference would an introductory comment to the effect "I am an atheist" make to publication in the religious studies field?

I see no problem with sociology of religion or philosophy, but theology?

let's up the ante - marxist atheist?

S.C.Carlson

That obviously depends on the idea, but, as a general matter, very few ideas, if they are original (e.g. new conclusion or a new way to an old conclusion), are too small for a journal article.

Note: the purpose of the paper is to defend the idea, not merely describe it. The defense is what can take the space.
If the idea is truly major, remember the old saw, "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." In this case, a major idea requires a major defense.

Stephen

S.C.Carlson

Obviously, if one is as brilliant as Einstein, the usual advice for mere mortals does not apply.

Stephen