Rhoda's distracted joy; missional hermeneutics bibliography; and supervising dissertations well
Welcome to my newsletter, ‘Bible, Mission, and More’, where I share what’s on my mind as I teach, research, and write on the Bible and mission, children-at-risk in the Bible and contemporary society, Psalms and Wisdom Literature, and a range of other topics. I teach at All Nations Christian College in the UK, though views are my own. You may also like to check out my Bible and Mission website.
Each Tuesday I’ll share something I’ve read, something I’ve written or recorded, something on learning and teaching, and a quote to reflect on.
Something read – Rhoda and distracting joy in Acts 12
As I continue exploring the role of children in the Bible, I came across a 2018 Horizons in Biblical Theology article by Jesse J. Lee comparing the ‘distracting’ joy of two characters in the book of Acts.
‘On Distracting and Disappearing Joy: An Exegetical Comparison of the Ethiopian Eunuch and the Slave-Girl Rhoda in Acts’ explores the circumstances and experiences of the two named characters, focusing particularly on their prior social marginalisation and their joyful grasp of the reality of the good news of the Gospel.
I thought the comparison between these two characters was a very innovative and fruitful. Each of them, he suggests, ‘share a common experience of social exclusion, an overwhelming expression of joy that drove them to distraction, and an abrupt narrative disappearance.’ (p 66)
In particular I appreciated his reflections on Rhoda, especially following Steve Walton’s Tyndale lecture I highlighted in last week’s post. Lee sees Rhoda as intensely vulnerable as she is ‘(1) a female, (2) a slave, (3) a young child, (4) a foreigner, and (5) a forced (read trafficked) migrant.’ (p. 68) Although some of these factors may be conjectural, and I wonder if he draws too sharp a distinction between Rhoda and the household to which she belongs, I’d not considered that she may be a foreigner before.
The beautiful thing about the story is that she becomes – in Luke’s mind – an exemplar disciple. Like the women being the first to report the resurrection at the end of Luke’s Gospel, Rhoda ‘hears and acts’ on the good news she witnesses. (p 70) And, of course, she is doing so in contrast to the adults who dismiss her news of Peter’s escape, even though they are praying for that very thing!
There are some further rich details in the paper. If you can get hold of a copy I’d recommend chewing over this innovative reading. Here’s the full reference:
Lee, J. J. (2018). On Distracting and Disappearing Joy: An Exegetical Comparison of the Ethiopian Eunuch and the Slave-Girl Rhoda in Acts. Horizons in Biblical Theology, 40(1), 65-77. https://doi.org/10.1163/18712207-12341366
Something written – missional hermeneutics bibliography
I continue to add books, articles, and dissertations to the missional hermeneutics bibliography. Originally published in Mike Goheen’s 2016 edited volume Reading the Bible Missionally (Eerdmans), I co-wrote the bibliography with Mike and since then have curated a live version with updates as well as ones we missed originally.
I like the discipline of keeping tabs with new developments, authors, and publications, and making it available to everyone. It is especially useful for students and researchers working on the connection between the Bible and mission.
I am always keen to hear where there might continue to be gaps, so please let me know if you see any. I am especially interested in highlighting the work of scholars who may get missed by traditional publishers. I really enjoy tracking down the less-well-known stuff, including material not available in English.
There are now around 70 books and 120 articles cited. To visit this ever-expanding list visit: missional hermeneutics bibliography
Learning and teaching – supervising dissertations well
Over the years I’ve supervised and marked dozens of MA dissertations on a whole range of topics. It is one of the aspects of my role at All Nations that I enjoy the most. To journey with students as they dive deeply into a topic that means so much to them is an immense privilege. But there are a few pitfalls we supervisors need to be aware of. Supervising well involves technical know-how, of course, but here are a few general lessons I’ve learnt along the way.
Set expectations early – the more you and your student understand how each other work, the better the supervision experience is likely to be. I like to ask them how they tend to approach their studies; for example, do they tend to have bursts of productivity when a deadline looms or do they work steadily, chipping away at each task? At a college like All Nations, students are often in busy roles in addition to their studies so it can also be helpful to discuss whether there are points in the year where, for example, they are travelling or organising a large conference. This helps us both to clarify the peaks and troughs of when they can work on their research. So we might say, for example, ‘OK that trip in March means you won’t be able to study for four weeks so let’s make sure you’ve done your literature review by the end of February.’ It is also helpful to talk through how you can make the most of supervision times.
It’s not your dissertation – students are often writing on really interesting topics and it is easy for supervisors to get carried away with where it might go, and what we would do if we were doing the research. Don’t lose sight of whose dissertation it is. The student will have their own interests, aims, and motivations and these shouldn’t be hijacked by your own research agenda. I will sometimes pause in conversations and ask, ‘Is this still the project you want to do?’
You’ve probably forgotten how hard it is – this is likely to be the hardest piece of academic work your student has undertaken, and this was probably the case when you did yours as well. The problem is, that was a long time ago and you’ve probably forgotten a lot of how the process felt: the doubts about whether it was going work on not, the feeling of not being able to imagine life beyond handing it in, the nagging worry about whether it would be any good or not. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Just because you can see light at the end of the tunnel, doesn’t mean they can. Listen carefully for signs that they are struggling and try to make your conversations a safe space for them to say how things are really going.
Finish your supervision by setting a date for the next one – this is such a simple practice but it is a great way of keeping momentum going and saves lots of emailing back and forth later on. If the student needs to postpone that’s fine; it’s much easier to change an existing date than find a new one from scratch.
Show interest in the project but also in the process – there is an old Russian proverb I’ve often quoted in supervisions: ‘The further into the woods you go, the more wood there is to chop.’ Part of supervising is talking through with students when they have done enough on either a part of the research or, indeed, the whole thing. Research is never finished; there is always more that could be done. You should be excited about what they are discovering – learning from your students is one of the joys of supervising. But you may also need to be the one to say, ‘OK, I think you’ve done enough now,’ ‘Do you think it’s time to move on to the next chapter?’ or ‘Do you think it is time to submit it?’ As a friend of mine liked to say, of course exaggerating to make a point, ‘The only good dissertation is a finished dissertation.’
Handle the end point with care – as I’ve shared before, being a kind supervisor means exhibiting and encouraging kindness as the project comes to a close:
‘A kind supervisor will encourage the student to be kind to themselves in the aftermath of handing in. Where possible, can they have some transition time before launching into their next projects? What kinds of expectations do others have for their time and energy (especially work and church commitments). If possible, encourage them to take some time to breathe.
A kind supervisor will impress upon the finishing student the importance of celebration. What do they have in the diary to mark the completion of their dissertation? Who else in their life should be able to celebrate as well?’
Quote – Jessy Jaison on children and dignity
‘When sin marred humanity, it marred the following generations too; yet in the divine design and vision every new child signifies hope and promise to humanity. All through the Bible we see God’s amazing plan of redemption in which children are integral.’ (Jessy Jaison, ‘Affirming Children’s Dignity as a Theological Vision and Mandate’ in Rosalind Tan, Nativity A. Petallar, and Lucy A. Hefford, God’s Heart for Children: Practical Theology from Global Perspectives (Carlisle: Langham, 2022), 13-24 [17].)
Thanks for joining the journey and see you next week,
Tim