Today I have the honor of interviewing Dr. Michael Barber, a brilliant theologian whom Scott Hahn calls, “…one of the most promising Scripture teachers in the Church.”
Michael is the Professor of Theology, Scripture and Catholic Thought at John Paul the Great Catholic University in San Diego. He is the author of several books, including, Coming Soon: Unlocking the Book of Revelation and Applying Its Lessons Today (Emmaus Road, 2006) and most recently, Genesis to Jesus: Studying Scripture from the Heart of the Church (Servant, 2007), a Bible study co-authored with Kimberly Hahn.
Michael is a Research Fellow for the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, founded by Dr. Scott Hahn. He is also he host of Reasons for Faith Live, a weekly radio show on EWTN’s Radio Network. In addition to teaching at John Paul the Great Catholic University, he teaches classes for the Diocesan Institute of San Diego, where he helps to form the future deacons and religious educators of the diocese.
What really excites me, though, and what we’ll talk about here, is Michael’s use of technology to help people study Scripture. He hosts the popular Sacred Page podcast as well as a blog by the same name, which both offer an in-depth exploration of Biblical theology. His new media work makes him a frontiersman in the so-called Biblioblogging world and a shining example for Catholics.
Q: Why is podcasting such a great tool for Scripture study?
Podcasts are great for a number of reasons. Long before we started The Sacred Page podcast, I became an avid fan of the medium. The number one reason I like them is the fact that you can listen to them while you do other things that have to get done—washing the dishes, driving around town, vacuuming, etc. A great investment is a smart phone or portable mp3 player that you can stick in your pocket and listen to with earphones. The thing is, I never have enough time to read. However, a podcast can turn an activity you dread—e.g., ironing clothes—into a wonderful opportunity to spend time learning.
Other numerous advantages could also be mentioned.
- They have no commercials—or at least, very few of them.
- They can be listened to over and over again at one’s own leisure.
- If you get distracted or if you simply want to hear something again you can do that easily and immediately with the push of a button. This is particularly helpful for podcasts on Scripture. The Bible is rich; sometimes you have to hear an idea a few times before you can really get your mind around it.
- Podcasts can be easily recorded and published quickly so you can get great material on recent and upcoming topics: the Sunday readings, new papal encyclicals, new book releases, etc.
Q: How have new media technologies like blogs and podcasts affected your work as a Scripture scholar?
I strongly believe that blogs and podcasts can be useful tools for Scripture scholars. In fact, I presented a paper at the annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature on the benefits (and the pitfalls) of blogs in 2010. Specifically, I looked at “biblioblogs”, that is, blogs devoted to the academic study of Scripture. Let me summarize what I said there:
First, the blogosphere (particularly, the “biblioblogging” community) has created a wonderful space for public yet informal conversation. Blogging is not like presenting a paper—it is not a formal academic exercise. Since blogs are not “peer-reviewed” like an academic journal, blog posts can greatly vary in value. Some are well-researched, based in solid scholarship and written by people who have done a great deal of study in their field. Others are half-baked, poorly sourced, and written by self-appointed authorities that know little more about their subject matter than what you see on their blog.
Yet the reality that there are crackpots out there should not obscure the fact that there are a lot of really smart people out there writing and reading blogs. Comment boxes become incredible places of discussion. You can test an idea out on a blog and get incredibly helpful feedback. You can also easily engage other scholars on their blogs about their views. This really helps to sharpen scholarship. Open and honest conversation is always something to be encouraged in my view. I don’t always agree with my friends in the biblioblogging community—many of them aren’t Catholic, so that should not be surprising—but I always enjoy engaging in thoughtful dialogue.
Second, blogs and podcasts can help identify the books and ideas that are really important from those that are less significant. The reality is that there are just too many new books and articles published every year you’d like to read. The on-line community however can help raise the profile of books and articles that really deserve attention. You start seeing multiple blogs and podcasts talking about the same new monograph and you realize, “This is a book I really have to make a priority! It is making a huge splash!”
Third, blogging helps to humanize scholars. Here I will simply quote from the end of my SBL paper on the value of blogging:
“Academics will write serious posts, but also some entries that are just plain silly. Of course, those who dismiss the academic worth of blogging will point to such posts as examples of unscholarly nature of the blogosphere. However, in an indirect way it might be argued that even posts of a personal or inane nature contribute to the improvement of academic discourse.
How? Such posts humanize scholars. As is becoming increasingly clear in the postmodern period, “pure objectivity” is a myth. Yet even to this day scholars are reluctant to allow much of their personal beliefs, history, and values to emerge in their scholarly exchanges. Even in informal gatherings at professional conferences such as this one—even in interactions outside of paper presentations—scholars typically operate under the assumption that they are best served by engaging in conversations which obscure who they are, as if they are in reality better able to do their work by not getting to know one another. Lest somehow our work be suspected of lacking objectivity, academics tend to hide their core personal beliefs and experiences. Academics will even avoid humor in order to avoid the perception of being frivolous. There seems to be a perception that a serious scholar must remain just that: serious . . . and they must remain so whenever they are around other academics.
Frankly, while I am always an advocate of proper decorum and professional behavior, I do believe that in large part such attitudes reflect an outdated modernist, Enlightenment understanding that still permeates academia, namely, that scholars are not influenced by personal beliefs, personal history, traditions, etc., but derive conclusions solely based on un-interpreted “facts”. It seems to me that such claims are no longer possible. Because of this I whole-heartedly welcome not only “bloggership”—blogging with scholarly aspirations—but also “other types of blogging”, particularly, the posts which reveal the quirky sense of humor of scholars, the entries describing a bloggers’ personal history, the pieces laying out his or her political opinions, the installments that reveal their core personal values, etc.
I do not believe that getting to know each other better is going to undermine our scholarship. Rather, I believe it will make it more honest and therefore more illuminating. It will help us better learn how to work with one another and cultivate better mutual respect, and perhaps that will be the greatest of all the benefits of biblioblogging.”
Q: What are some ways that the average Catholic can use technology to study Scripture?
The average Catholic can learn an incredible amount and really deepen their prayer life by using computer and web based technologies to better enter into the mysteries of Scripture. Let me break this down a little bit into different categories. Since you asked about the average Catholic I’ll focus on popular-level resources and not academic websites.
First, I highly recommend, SalvationHistory.com, the website of the St. Paul Center. In the interest of full-disclosure I should explain that I am a Senior Fellow. A little background: the St. Paul Center is an organization founded by Dr. Scott Hahn that promotes Catholic Bible study. I think SalvationHistory.com is the single greatest website out there for Catholics interested in learning more about the Bible.
In addition, your readers should take note: the website hosts free on-line courses in Biblical Theology, Scott Hahn’s podcasts on the Sunday readings, and much, much more. If you go there, you’ll find links to all of the other important and helpful websites.
Second, there is the USCCB’s website which gives you the lectionary readings. You’d be surprised how much more you can get out of Mass if you just spend a little time preparing yourself by meditating on the Scripture readings you’ll hear in the liturgy. Of course, there are also great iPhone and Android apps that help you do this as well. You can even pray the Divine Office on-line, which is a great way to prayerfully enter into Scripture.
Third, there are great online rosary applications, including Scriptural rosaries. I find these so helpful for meditating on Scripture.
Fourth, I should mention the numerous free websites and web-based tools, involving searchable Bibles in different translations, on-line concordances, language tools (Hebrew-English, Greek-English, etc.), charts, etc. Here I’ll mention three:
Fifth, I’d definitely recommend, NewAdvent.org. This site is a goldmine, containing the works of many great fathers and doctors of the Church. It’s all available on-line for free!
Sixth, there is the Vatican website, which has posted numerous Magisterial documents—again, free of charge! (If you haven’t yet read Pope Benedict’s recent document on Scripture, Verbum Domini, you don’t know what you’re missing!)
Seventh, another great tool is Biblia Clerus. This site helps you find what the various early Church fathers and doctors said about different passages in Scripture. You can also look up passages in Magisterial documents (Papal encyclicals, Conciliar documents) as well as in other popular catechisms and commentaries.
Eighth, I’d mention blogs and podcasts like The Sacred Page (shameless plug!). In my opinion, there are not enough popular blogs and podcasts primarily devoted to Catholic Biblical theology! Here let me mention a few good ones, some of which are have slightly broader focus than simply Catholic Scripture study.
- Canterbury Tales – Dr. Taylor Marshall
- Catholic Hack – Joe McClane
- Speaking of Scripture – Mary Healy, Peter Williamson, and several others
Ninth, there are some great websites with mp3 files of Catholic Biblical Theology talks. Here I list my top three picks that offer material specifically on Catholic Biblical Theology:
- Saint Joseph’s Communications – Hosts many of Scott Hahn’s excellent Bible Studies (as well as audio sets recorded by myself and others).
- Catholic Productions – Hosts sets recorded by my friends Brant Pitre and John Bergsma.
- Catholic HD – This is a ground-breaking new site that you’ll be hearing a lot more about. It is sort of like Netflix for Catholics. It boasts an on-line streaming video library that you can have full access to for a monthly subscription. This library is second to none, including videos of talks by Scott Hahn, Fr. Benedict Groeschel, Fr. Mitch Pacwa, and many, many others.
Tenth, I am a huge believer in the value of Catholic Bible software programs. My absolute favorite is Logos Bible Software, which, though originally focused on Protestant audiences, now offers some incredible Catholic packages. You can search the Bible, get pictures, charts, graphs, language tools, commentaries—and much, much more!
Finally, I’d recommend enrolling in courses at JP Catholic. We offer certificate programs and a M.A. Program in Scripture. You can learn Hebrew and Greek. And you can do it all on-line through our state of the art eLearning program. There is nothing like a formal approach to study. You’re already reading books and listening to podcasts—why not get some course credit for it? Check us out at JPCatholic.com!
To stay on top of Michael’s great work, be sure to subscribe to the The Sacred Page blog and podcast, and follow him on Twitter.