To a limited extent I agree with Panaanen. Some of the arguments linking Morton Smith to the Mar Saba letter do appear flimsy. (After reading and enjoying Anglo-Saxon attitudes I do not believe it influenced in any way the author of the Mar Saba letter.)
However there is a general problem; claiming that Morton Smith composed the Mar Saba letter is prima-facie a startling claim and naturally encourages speculation, of varying degrees of plausibility and relevance about his motives and agenda.
If however like many scholars e.g. Smith and Landau one accepts that the letter is substantially later than Clement, one has either to bring forward what are IMO implausible scenarios in which the letter is much later than Clement but still ancient (see for example Smith and Landau) or one has to suggest a modern composition but not necessarily by Morton Smith or accept a composition by Morton Smith.
Although a charitable interpretation of the evidence might encourage the idea of a modern composition but not necessarily by Morton Smith, I think we all recognize the implausibility of this solution. However the startling nature of this claim encourages an exaggeration of the direct evidence linking Morton Smith to the Mar Saba letter.
(IMHO Panaanen unduly minimizes the connections between Morton Smith's concerns and those of the Mar Saba letter, but that is another matter.)
Andrew Criddle
However there is a general problem; claiming that Morton Smith composed the Mar Saba letter is prima-facie a startling claim and naturally encourages speculation, of varying degrees of plausibility and relevance about his motives and agenda.
If however like many scholars e.g. Smith and Landau one accepts that the letter is substantially later than Clement, one has either to bring forward what are IMO implausible scenarios in which the letter is much later than Clement but still ancient (see for example Smith and Landau) or one has to suggest a modern composition but not necessarily by Morton Smith or accept a composition by Morton Smith.
Although a charitable interpretation of the evidence might encourage the idea of a modern composition but not necessarily by Morton Smith, I think we all recognize the implausibility of this solution. However the startling nature of this claim encourages an exaggeration of the direct evidence linking Morton Smith to the Mar Saba letter.
(IMHO Panaanen unduly minimizes the connections between Morton Smith's concerns and those of the Mar Saba letter, but that is another matter.)
Andrew Criddle
Statistics: Posted by andrewcriddle — Sat Apr 27, 2024 2:55 am