Academic Publications and Presentations

Technical Reports

"Can Computers Aid the Study of Early Christianity?" presented to the Early Christianity Group, Ottawa, April 11, 1991.

Papers Read

“Aristotle as critic of Plato’s rhetoric? Some conclusions to the question and some implications for the answers,” A paper presented in the context of the Inaugural Conference of the Canadian Aristotle Society “Aristotle: A critic of Plato” (Dominican University College, May 11, 2018)

Response to Ian Henderson, “Refining topos: ‘Finding’ places for embodied persuasion in early Christian rhetoric”, Steven Mailloux, “The rhetorical hermeneutics of topoi in sociorhetorical interpretation: Kenneth Burke reading Genesis”, Johann Thom, “Topos as heuristic construct for reading ancient moral and religious texts”, in the Refining sociorhetorical interpretation session, Rhetoric of Religious Antiquity Group, Society of Biblical Literature (San Diego, November 2014)

"Eyes Wide Open, Seeing Nothing: The Challenge of the Gospel of John’s Non-Visualizable Texture for Readings Using Visual Texture”, Mellon Foundation Sawyer Seminar at Emory University, September 16, 2013. Respondent: Harry Maier (Vancouver School of Theology)

"Methodology for Rhetography and Visual Exegesis of the Gospel of John", 'Visual Exegesis: Images as Instruments of Scriptural Interpretation and Hermeneutics', Rhetoric of Religious Antiquity Session at Emory University, September 16, 2013. Co-sponsored by: Department of Religion; Institute for Liberal Arts; Center for Mind, Brain, and Culture

“The value of Scripture study,” paper read at the celebration of the awarding of a PhD to Fr. François Beyrouti, Ottawa, ON (June 2013).

“Insights from the work of Daniel Kahneman for the interpretation of John 12:1-11,” Rhetoric of Religious Antiquity Group, Society of Biblical Literature annual meetings, Chicago, IL (November 16, 2012).

“The pesky threads of Robbins’s rhetorical tapestry: Vernon K. Robbins’s genealogy of rhetorical criticism,” special session entitled Genealogies of Rhetorical Criticism: Tracing the Influences of Hans Dieter Betz, George Kennedy, Wilhelm Wuellner, Elisabeth Schussler-Fiorenza, and Vernon Robbins, Rhetoric and New Testament Section, Society of Biblical Literature annual meetings, San Francisco, CA (November 19, 2011).

“Biblical paradigms of change: Implications for military chaplains,” keynote address, Canadian Forces Chapel Life Coordinators Symposium, Ottawa, September 17, 2008.

"Mastery or mystery? Time, technological control, and the implications for pastoral care and theological reflection,” Address on contemporary theological reflection for the series "Technology and health care," Continuing Education Programme, Christian Medical and Dental Society (sponsored by Augustine College, Ottawa, ON), June 3, 2008. 

"The Bible before and after Darwin: The impact of 19th century scientific thought on the interpretation and use of the Bible in Christian thought and culture,” Address on contemporary theological reflection for the series "From theism to tacit atheism," Continuing Education Programme, Christian Medical and Dental Society (sponsored by Augustine College, Ottawa, ON), June 5, 2007. 

“The next stage of sociorhetorical interpretation: A review of The invention of Christian discourse by Vernon Robbins,” presented to the Rhetoric of Religious Antiquity Seminar, Society of Biblical Literature, San Diego, CA, Nov 17, 2007.

“Philosophical and Hermeneutical Implications in Socio-rhetorical Analysis,” presented to the Religious Rhetoric of Antiquity Seminar, SBL, Washington, DC, Nov 17, 2006

"The tyranny of facts and the demise of truth in modern theological reflection: The future of Christian belief," Address on contemporary theological reflection for the series "From theism to tacit atheism," Continuing Education Programme, Christian Medical and Dental Society (sponsored by Augustine College, Ottawa, ON), June 6, 2006. 

"Fourth-generation education: The opportunities and challenges facing Christian higher-education in the 21st century", keynote address to the Faith, Learning, and Living: Integration in Christian Higher Education conference, sponsored by Canadian Mennonite University; Booth College (Salvation Army); Providence College (non-denominational); Steinbach Bible College (Mennonite), May 16, 2006, Winnipeg, MB.

"Biblical Studies after Wittgenstein", presentation at the round-table "Theology after Wittgenstein" with Prof. Fergus Kerr (Saint Paul University, Nov 3, 2005).

 “Response”, to the papers of the Currents in Biblical and Theological Dialogue Conference, St. John’s College, Winnipeg MB, September 30, 2005.

“The role of theology in the academy: A rhetorical contribution to the question”, keynote address to the Currents in Biblical and Theological Dialogue Conference, St. John’s College, Winnipeg MB, September 30, 2005.

Bloomquist, L. G. and Geisterfer Nvylt, Priscilla, “Rhetorical strategies for ‘Holy War’ in some Second Temple texts: Overview, analysis, and implications,” Conference on Rhetorics, Violence, and Evil, University of Redlands, Redlands, CA, January 23-24, 2004.

“A contemporary exegesis at the edges of chaos,” Keynote address, American Academy of Religion - Eastern International Region (Saint Paul University, Ottawa, ON), April 26, 2002.

"The rhetoric of suffering in Paul’s letter to the Philippians: Socio-rhetorical reflections and further thoughts on a post-colonial contribution to the discussion," conference on Paul: Yesterday and Today (Codrington College, Barbados, WI), February 21, 2002.

"The significance of biblical apocalyptic today," presented to the clergy and students, Codrington College, St. John’s Parish, Barbados, February 10, 2002.

"First century models of bodily healing and their socio-rhetorical transformation in some NT traditions," conference on The Rhetorics of Healing (Institute for Antiquity and Christianity, Claremont Graduate School, and University of Redlands, CA), January 25, 2002.

"Immoral man and immoral society: Romans 1," presented to Augustine College and Redeemer University College conjoint meeting, January 26, 2001.

“The Role of Argumentation in Miracle Discourse: The Example of Luke-Acts", presented to the Rhetoric of the New Testament Group, SBL, Nashville, TN, Nov. 20, 2000. 

"Exegesis and Philosophy in Discussion: Reflections on the Preface of Penser la Bible, par Paul Ricoeur et André LaCocque (Paris: Seuil, 1998) / Thinking Biblically, by Paul Ricoeur and André LaCocque (Chicago / London: The University of Chicago Press, 1998)," presented to the Centre for Biblical Interpretation, Saint Paul University, Oct 27, 2000.

"Ideological Analysis: The Socio-rhetorical contribution," presentation to the joint meetings of the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies and the Canadian Society for the Study of Rhetoric, Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, Edmonton, AB, May, 2000. 

"The Intertexture of Lukan Apocalyptic Discourse," presented in the Rhetoric and New Testament Section, Society of Biblical Literature annual meeting, Boston, MA, November, 1999. 

“Discursive cultures in socio-rhetorical analysis,” presented at the Rhetoric Society of America, 30th Anniversary Conference, Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, June, 1998. 

"A Possible Direction for Providing Programmatic Correlation of Textures in Socio-rhetorical Analysis,"  presented at the Florence Conference on the Rhetorical Analysis of Scripture, Florence, Italy, 1998. 

"The Place of Enthymemes in New Testament Study: Status questionis," presented at the special meetings for The Rhetorical Analysis of Biblical Texts, SBL/AAR, San Francisco (November, 1997). 

"Rhetorical Argumentation and the Culture of Apocalyptic: A Socio-Rhetorical Analysis of Lk.21," presented at the Conference on the Rhetorical Analysis of Scripture, Pepperdine University, Malibu, California, July 10, 1996.

"Methodological Criteria for the Determination of Apocalyptic Rhetoric: A Suggestion for the Expanded Use of Socio-rhetorical Analysis," presented at the Rhetoric and New Testament Section, Society of Biblical Literature, New Orleans, LA, November, 1996. 

"Whose Rhetoric? Whose Empire? The Subversion of Augustan Rhetoric in the Gospel of Luke," Augustus: Le visage dun empire conference presentation, University of Ottawa and Carleton University, March 1516, 1996.

"A Reflexion on Information Technology from a Humanities Perspective," presented at a panel discussion, entitled "The information highway, self, and community: Pitfalls and Possibilities," Centre for Techno-Ethics, Saint Paul University, February 28, 1996.

“Methodological Considerations in the Determination of the Social Context of Cynic Rhetorical Practice: Implications for our Present Studies of the Jesus Traditions," presented at the London Conference on the Rhetorical Analysis of Scripture, London, 1995. 

"Patristic Reception of a Lukan Healing Account: A Contribution to a Socio-rhetorical Response to Willi Braun’s Feasting and Social Rhetoric in Luke 14, SNTSMS, 85 (Cambridge: University Press, 1995)", presented at the Rhetoric and New Testament Section, Society of Biblical Literature, Philadelphia, PA, 1995.

"The Networked Model of the Canadian Federation for the Humanities "Humanités Canada / Humanities Canada: Implications for Religious Studies Scholars," presented to the Computer Assisted Research Group, Society of Biblical Literature, Chicago, IL, November, 1994. 

"Response to Anthony Blasi’s "The Un-syncretizing of Johannine Christianity"," presented at the Sociology of Early Christianity Workshop, Toronto, Ontario, June 18, 1994. 

"Sociological implications for the study of the rhetoric of the historical Jesus," presented at the Sociology of Early Christianity Workshop, Toronto, Ontario, June 18, 1994.

"Taking Shots at the Canon: Contemporary Attacks on the Canon of Scripture and a Suggested Response", presented at the Canadian Evangelical Theological Association, Calgary, Alberta, June 9, 1994. 

"The Rhetoric of the Historical Jesus," presented at the Historical Jesus Seminar, Canadian Society of Biblical Studies, Calgary, Alberta, June, 1994. 

"The Epicurean Tag in Plutarch: Implications for New Testament Study," presented at the American Academy of Religion, Eastern International Region meeting, UQAM, Montreal, March, 1994. 

"The Future of Evangelicalism: Politics of Change or Change of Politics?," presented at the Evangelical Theology Group, American Academy of Religion, Washington, DC, November, 1993. (Respondent: Richard Mouw (President, Fuller Theological Seminary), "Evangelicals and Politics: A Future Agenda: Response".)

"Evangelical Readings: Is an Evangelical Reading of Scripture Possible in the Post-Modern World?" presented at the Canadian Evangelical Theological Association, Ottawa, Ontario, June, 1993. 

"Networked pre-publication models: Opportunities and possibilities in the "University without Walls"," presented in a Special Topics Forum, American Academy of Religion, San Francisco, CA, November, 1992.

"Review of R. J. Starr, ‘The Circulation of Literary Texts in the Roman World’, Classical Quarterly 37 (1987) 213-223," presented to the Early Christianity Group, Ottawa, Mar. 13, 1992. 

"Review of William Scott Green, "Reading the Writings of Rabbinism: Toward and Interpretation of Rabbinic Literature," JAAR 51 (1983) 191-206, and Bengt Holmberg, Sociology of the New Testament (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1990)," presented to the Early Christianity Group, Ottawa, November 29, 1991. 

"Prolegomena to a Sociological Study of Early Christianity," presented to the Early Christianity Group, Ottawa, December 3, 1990. 

"The Astronomical Book of 1 Enoch: A Case Study of Exclusion from the Canon (in Catalan)," presented at the XXIV Jornades bíbliques de l'Associaciò bíblica de Catalunya (January, 1986). 

"The Background of the Presentation of Melchizedek in Hebrews (in Catalan)," presented at the XXIII Jornades bíbliques de l'Associaciò bíblica de Catalunya (December, 1984). 

"The Death of the Messiah in Fourth Esdras (in Catalan)," presented at the XX Jornades bíbliques de l'Associaciò bíblica de Catalunya (December, 1982).  Abstract "La mort del Messies a 4 Esdres 7," in Butlletí de l'Associació bíblica de Catalunya, Supplement 1 (1981) 88.

Published Reviews

Review of Dennis Danielson, The Tao of Right and Wrong. Vancouver, BC: Regent College Publishing, 2018, Theoforum (forthcoming).

Review of Mikael C. Parsons and Michael Wade Martin, Ancient Rhetoric and the New Testament: The Influence of Elementary Greek Composition (Harrisburg, Pa.: Trinity Press International, 2019), Review of Biblical Literature [http://www.bookreviews.org] (2020), with Dr. Michael Klassen.

Review of Istvan Czachesz, Cognitive Science and the New Testament: A New Approach to Early Christian Research, Review of Biblical Literature [http://www.bookreviews.org] (2018).

Review of The Historical Jesus Goes to Church, by Members of the Jesus Seminar (Santa Rosa, CA: Polebridge, 2004), Anglican Theological Review 88/2 (2006) 279–82.

Review of Barnes W. Tatum, John the Baptist and Jesus: A Report of the Jesus Seminar (Sonoma, Calif: Polebridge Press, 1994), Toronto Journal of Theology 13.1 (1997). 

Review of Bart D. Ehrman, Gordon D. Fee, and Michael W. Holmes, The Text of the Fourth Gospel in the Writings of Origen, Volume 1, The New Testament in the Greek Fathers, vol. 3 (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1992), Studies in Religion / Sciences religieuses 25.3 (1996) 373. 

Review of Pierre Guillemette, The Greek New Testament Analyzed (Kitchener and Scottdale: Herald, 1986),  Église et théologie 19 (1988) 102-104. 

Review of G. H. Clark, Language and Theology (Phillipsburg: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 1980),  Actualidad bibliográfica 20 (1983) 338-339 (in Spanish). 

Review of Gospel Perspectives: Studies of History and Tradition in the Four Gospels, vols.  1 and 2, ed. Richard T. France and D. Wenham (Sheffield: JSOT University of Sheffield, 1980), Actualidad bibliográfica 20 (1983) 260 (in Spanish). 

Review of R. H. Gundry, Matthew: A Commentary on His Literary and Theological Art (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1982),  Actualidad bibliográfica 20 (1983) 260-261 (in Spanish). 

Review of Jewish and Christian Self-Definition, vols. 1 and 2, ed. E. P. Sanders, Actualidad bibliográfica 20 (1983) 264-265 (in Spanish). 

Review of W. S. La Sor, D. A. Hubbard, and F. W. Bush, Old Testament Survey: The Message, Form, and Background of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1982), Actualidad bibliográfica 20 (1983) 265-266 (in Spanish). 

Review of G. W. E. Nickelsburg, Jewish Literature between the Bible and the Mishnah: A Historical and Literary Introduction (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1981), Actualidad bibliográfica 20 (1983) 270-271 (in Spanish). 

Review of P. R. Wells, James Barr and the Bible: Critique of a New Liberalism (Phillipsburg: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 1980), Actualidad bibliográfica 20 (1983) 280 (in Spanish). 

Review of Jerry Gill, On Knowing God (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1981), Actualidad bibliográfica 19 (1982) 330 (in Spanish). 

Review of Seyoon Kim, The Origin of Paul's Gospel (Tübingen: J. C. B. Mohr, 1981),  Actualidad bibliográfica 19 (1982) 80 (in Spanish). 

Review of M. E. Stone, Scriptures, Sects, and Visions: A Profile of Judaism from Ezra to the Jewish Revolts (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1980), Actualidad bibliográfica 19 (1982) 263-264 (in Spanish). 

Review of Suffering and Martyrdom in the New Testament: Studies Presented to G. M. Styler by the Cambridge New Testament Seminar, ed. W. Horbury and B. McNeil (Cambridge: University Press, 1981), Actualidad bibliográfica 19 (1982) 264-265 (in Spanish). 

Review of Bard Thompson, Liturgies of the Western Church (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1980), in Calvinist Contact (December 17, 1982), 19.

Review of August Bernhard Hasler, How the Pope Became Infallible: Pius IX and the Politics of Persuasion (Garden City: Doubleday, 1981), in Calvinist Contact (October 1, 1982) 24.

Review of Pauline Studies: Essays presented to Professor F. F. Bruce on his 70th Birthday, ed. D. J. Hagner and M. J. Harris (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980), in Calvinist Contact (September 10, 1982), 20.    

Review of Elaine Pagels, The Gnostic Gospels (New York: Random House, 1979),  Crux: A Quarterly Journal of Christian Thought and Opinion 17 (1981) 28-29.