Apr 24 2008

Please buy my book

Tag: Books — doug @ 6:01 pm

I received a letter today from a man who has published his own book on the gospels and wanted me to buy it at a bargain price for my students. He has a website about the book. It doesn’t give that much information, except that as far as the synoptic gospels go, it is a popularised presentation of Michael Goulder’s work. As far as the fourth gospel goes he appears to think Paul is the beloved disciple. He appears to be a terribly nice man, who has absolutely no idea how scholarship has moved on since he listened to Goulder’s lectures in the 1960s and 1970s, and who has his own somewhat unusual ideas as well. He describes himself as broad and liberal. Given that he solicits endorsements from Jack Spong and Don Cupitt I suspect “liberal” may be putting it mildly. I can’t see myself ending up in a hurry to buy and assess this book.

Apr 24 2008

I really don’t care about the kids

Tag: Politics — doug @ 9:17 am

The school opposite me is shut because a minority of teachers still belong to a union led by a left-wing militant loony. Christine Blower gets the support of people who believe it or not, still call each other “comrade.”  The NUT’s members probably ought to be known as NUTters, not least because they have been quite content to let a handful of militants run their union, and paid no attention to what was going on. The problem with the NUT is that it really wants to run schools for the benefit of teachers – children are well down the list. That’s why Blower can say that she sees this strike as a mark of respect to her dead predecessor. It’s not about the kids’ education at all.