October went by too quickly, in my opinion. I delayed this post a few days to get some important things done:
The great news is that a few minutes ago I approved the final proof and now you can purchase a print copy of the Martyrdoms of Polycarp and Perpetua! It has taken me a lot longer to get the first volume to print stage, but not to fret. I think the Gregory reader can be done by early next year.
Available now at createspace, and Amazon.
Thesis
I was actually very productive through October. I wrote about 15000 words doing analysis of Basil’s exegesis, but I reached a point where I decided that I was doing too much ‘tree’ work and not enough ‘forest’ work. Essentially, it felt like going through a forest and individually tagging every single tree, which was an enlightening experience but not very workable for a thesis. Also, I thought this would turn into a very boring, and overly long, thesis. So I stopped that and rethought my whole structure. That was helpful, but also slowed me down somewhat.
Currently I’ve been working over some of the material for chapter 1, but with an eye to the broader structure of the thesis. I’ve also been doing some more secondary reading more broadly.
Talks
I agreed early on the year to do a series of talks for a friend’s church’s retreat weekend. I wouldn’t say I regret agreeing to it, but now it’s coming up quickly and of course I am busy as usual. Not the least, I said I would speak on ‘Living in a post-Christian world’ and that is hardly a simple series of talks! Anyway, it is coming together and must come together because there is a deadline!
SBL
Likewise, I am off to the annual SBL conference later in November, and looking forward to it. It will be another good chance to present on Basil and to interact with the broader scholarly community, something a little difficult here on the bottom of the world. I did say I would re-write my draft paper though, and that is something that needs to happen over the next two weeks.
So, lots done, and lots to do.