Not the Gospel truth
While I very much enjoyed your brief article on
William Foxwell Albright
(April, p. 58), what struck me most about it was the claim
(repeated in slightly different form in the article itself) that
"the Bible, before William Foxwell Albright, was exempt from
critical appraisal: it was simply Gospel." Perhaps my view of
critical appraisal is too broad, but couldn't such 19th and early
20th century biblical scholars as Hermann Gunkel, W. Robertson
Smith, Julius Wellhausen, and W. M. L. de Wette--and many more
could be added to this list--all be "accused" of subjecting the
Bible to critical appraisal?
Albright was indeed a great scholar and a luminary in the study
of the ancient Near East, but such an evaluation does not need
grand (and unsupported) assertions about a sui generis critical
approach--it can rest as easily on the documented results of his
keen intellect.
Chris Benda
benda@library.vanderbilt.edu
Earlier success for all
Your article on Bob Slavin's successes in educational school
reform ("How Do You Spell
Success?" April) reminds me that these achievements have
antecedents from the 1980s. I was a U.S. Department of Education
official then helping to run a program that sought exemplary
educational programs from schools nationwide in order to
disseminate them. Mr. Slavin was instrumental in preparing and
presenting several such quality programs at that time that were
approved by a "tough" review panel. His research methodology,
statistical support, and presentations were sound and
compelling.
Seymour S. Rubak
Baltimore, Maryland
RETURN TO
SEPTEMBER 2000 TABLE OF CONTENTS.