jerry bergman sounds like the kid everyone used to pick on in school.
and this is coming from a fashionista
Dr. Bergman
by Jerry Bergman 109 Replies latest watchtower medical
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Jerry Bergman
This is an example of irresponsible scholarship called selective quoting. The rest of the posts are as follows,
A must have research tool, June 2, 2001
Reviewer: Ken Raines (see more about me)from Everett, WA.
Dr. Bergman's Bibliography it is a massive bibliographic listing of written material by and about Jehovah's Witnesses (JWs) and the Watchtower Society from the 1800s through 1999. It is "comprehensive" in that it contains, according to the publisher, "nearly 10,000 references on the Watchtower movement and the dozen or so major schisms" of the Society. The book represents several decades worth of work by Dr. Bergman in compiling a comprehensive reference listing everything written on or by the Watchtower and their offshoots. In addition to listing every known publication produced by the Watchtower Society since its founding in the 1800s, it lists everything Bergman and his sources have found from a tabloid article in the National Enquirer to scholarly books and Ph.D theses on JWs. The "schisms" or offshoots of the Watchtower are the subject of the last two chapters. For those researching the origins of the Watchtower and C. T. Russell's beliefs, there is a valuable chapter listing the individuals and material that influenced Russell in the Millerite/Adventist movements.As is typical of bibliographic listings of material, the book's references list the author, title, publisher, publication date and number of pages (where known) of each reference. Amazon's Table of Contents link on this page will give you a detailed overview of just how comprehensive this Bibliography is and the material it covers.
The book's references are "selectively annotated," which means many, but not all of the 10,000 references contain a one or two-sentence explanatory note by Bergman on the content or focus of the reference (article, book or manuscript). From the annotations the reader will know what the reference is about and thus if it is something that is needed as part of his/her research. In addition, each chapter and some of the subheadings contain an introductory explanatory text by Bergman on the chapter's material, what it covers, and discusses the most important and prominent individuals involved. These also often include advice on what may be the best, most important, or perhaps the most helpful material in the section for the researcher. Also helpful is Bergman's noting at various places where some of the rare material may be obtained in photocopy or where one can find reprints.
Being a bibliography, this book is not meant to be read from cover to cover (although I did just that for this review). It is a reference source for further reading and research, a means of finding material on JWs, both pro and con, without spending several decades tracking them down in libraries across several continents as Bergman has done.
Dr. Bergman's Bibliography is an indispensable reference for the researcher and writer on the Jehovah's Witnesses and their history. If you need a book on Jehovah's Witnesses as a source for research, this is the one to have. With nearly 10,000 references on the Watchtower and its history from the 1800s to 1999, you're bound to find much material that will assist your research.
The first review of this book claimed that Bergman's annotations "suffer from subjective usage, unfounded or incomplete evaluations, and tabloid irrelevance" and that Bergman claimed the Watchtower was "corrupt" and "inhuman," while some of its teachings were "erroneous" or "wrong" in the annotations. He even said, "An inclination to outright sensationalism can be detected in annotations" and that Bergman could only be trying to stigmatize a "religious minority" by "emphasizing" certain negative material on JWs. In my opinion, this apparently reflects more of the biases and preoccupations of the reviewer than in any defects in Bergman's annotations. It certainly is not a fair or accurate description. Bergman was simply stating what the references were about, not giving his personal "sentiments."
Bergman annotated much Watchtower material which he certainly doesn't believe in the same manner as the examples from anti-Witness works, thus the book is in general consistent, not biased against the Society in its annotations. For example, in annotating the second Watchtower president, J. F. Rutherford's various booklets, he annotated these as follows(pp. 41-43):
"Shows the only remedy for the evil world and clergy is the Watchtower kingdom."
"Discusses the work of the Watchtower which will cause all good persons to leave Christendom."
"on why the Watchtower is the only hope for mankind."
"an expose of Christendom and its false teachings."
Why would Bergman, that "notorious adversary of the WBTS," as he was called, say the Watchtower was the only hope for mankind and the clergy are evil? Was he trying to "stigmatize" a religious majority? No, anymore than he claimed the Society was "inhuman" etc. in his annotations. So for example the book Blood Crimes is not a negative review of the Society's blood transfusion doctrine, but is, as Bergman's annotation explains, "about the skinhead murder by three boys, all of which were raised Witnesses. Shows the critical importance of the J.W. faith and teachings in the crime."
It should be clear that the annotations simply state what the reference is about and its perspective at times in fairly neutral (unbiased) terms. Whether Bergman agrees or not with the author of the reference that the WT. is "the only hope for mankind" or is "corrupt" is irrelevant.
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A Goldmine!, March 27, 2001
Reviewer: Diane Wilson from Morgan Hill, CA United States
Who are these annoyingly persistent people known as Jehovah's Witnesses, who knock on our doors bright and early Saturday mornings, disturbing our rare opportunity to get a few extra winks? The person who desires a deeper understanding of this sect will get a jump-start on their search for information with this book. It is an extensive listing of the works written by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (the administrative head of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion), and also a listing of almost every work written by others about the Watchtower Society. His annotations--brief comments about the contents of the listing--are most helpful in narrowing down the publications one is looking for.Dr. Bergman's book is a goldmine--a directive to a wealth of knowledge. It is like a map that directs one how to find the hidden buried treasure. Dr. Bergman has searched through hundreds of libraries for material about the Watchtower Society; he has invested an immense amount of time and effort in bringing his unique book to fruition, thus saving the writer, researcher, and persons interested in learning more about this religious movement an enormous amount of time and work.
Some may at first compare this Bibliography to a huge card catalog in a library whose shelves are bare, as many of the publications listed are very old and seemingly unavailable. As it took the author 30 years to compile this listing, one cannot expect to find all of the publications under one roof. The author assures, however, that most are obtainable through libraries in the United States, which can be accessed through one's local library on an inter-library loan basis; others can be obtained through the Library of Congress. Much of the older Watchtower Society publications can be purchased on CD-ROMs available from various Christian ministries.
In addition to the listings, Dr. Bergman has included a valuable section on the history of Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as a very interesting chapter on religions that have their roots entwined with them, "American Offshoots of the Watchtower Society".
As a Watchtower researcher myself and author of the upcoming book, AWAKENING OF A JEHOVAH'S WITNESS: Escape From the Watchtower Society, (Prometheus: January 2002), I can attest to the value of Dr. Bergman's book.
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An Excellent Reference Tool, March 23, 2001
Reviewer: William J. Chamberlin (see more about me)from Clarkston, MI USA
This bibliography is the perfect reference tool for collectors, book dealers and researchers. Being a collector and researcher, I really put the bibliography to the test and have come to the conclusion that it should set the standard for many years to come in the field of Watchtower literature.The first thing you notice is the excellent way it is set up with official Watchtower literature first followed by material associated with the Russell movement. Next are chapters titled: Books, Manuscripts, Tracts and Newsletters; Magazine and Journal Articles (written by both individual Jehovah's Witnesses (J.W.)and non-J.W.'s; both pro-J.W. material and anti-J.W. material). Finally, a list of literature by many Watchtower offshoots.
I found everything in my collection listed. Unfortunately, the publisher limited the author to a given number of pages forcing the author to eliminate some important W.T. material, i.e. official Post Cards starting as far back as 1910 (that I am aware of), audio records (hundreds of them were used in the door-to-door ministry during the 1930's), specially made portable record players of different designs (several of which I had in my collection for a number of years), etc.
The bibliography is most helpful in that most entries have annotations indicating what subject matter is covered by a particular publication. It also has a very useful Name Index which makes it easier to find all of an author's writing for they may be located under different chapters.
The one major disappointment I found, or maybe I should say "did not find", was a listing for my 899 page Bible Bibliography by the same publisher as Bergman's book, back in 1991 and is still in print and available from the publisher. I had a listing for every Watchtower Bible translation and their publication history and should have been included in this bibliography. However, to be fair, Mr. Bergman did list several articles I wrote for the International Society of Bible Collectors' quarterly.
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Kudos to Dr. Bergman, January 10, 2001
Reviewer: Donald L. Nelson (see more about me)from Sonora, CA USA
To paraphrase with parenthesis the author of Ecclesiastes: 'to the making of books (by and about Jehovah's Witnesses) there is no end". A bewildering array of literature exists, for and against this extremely active religious organization. And now, thanks to Dr. Bergman, it has been almost exhaustively catalogued. His bibliography includes publications as diverse as "The Truth That Leads to Everlasting Life" (possibly the third most published book in the world) and "Judge Rutherford Uncovers the Fifth Column", which hardly anyone has ever heard of. Both have rolled off the impressive presses at the Watchtower's Brooklyn plant and bear the imprimateur of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. This thorough bibliography would be of immense help for any serious student of the Watchtower that desires to grasp the extraordinary diversity of doctrinal and chronological modifications that have taken place in that organization over the years since its inception. There is even a listing of splinter groups that have formed during periods of upheaval and internecine controversy, along with their esoteric doctrines. The breadth of Dr.Bergman's book is remarkable and easily surpasses anything heretofore published. As a former student at University of California, Berkeley, who dropped out in 1952 to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses (ultimately graduating from the Watchtower Bible School, Gilead, and later becoming a circuit overseer in both Pennsylvania and Brazil), I can vouch for its overall accuracy and fairness of presentation. My own library of Watchtower-related material is quite extensive and from the vantage point of a serious student of Watchtower history, I can enthusiastically endorse and heartily recommend this splendid bibliography.
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GermanXJW
Comprehensive although subjective, May 20, 2000 Reviewer: richard singelenberg from Utrecht, The Netherlands Recently, Rodney Stark and Lawrence Iannaccone advised social scientists of religion to spend more time studying the Jehovah's Witnesses (JWs). They accused their colleagues of systematically neglecting the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (WBTS) and its adherents. The membership of this more than 100-year-old religious movement may be highly visible in daily life, but it is practically ignored in journals and textbooks.
Whatever the reason may be, a lack of written sources can hardly be a valid explanation for this alleged indifference by the scientific community. In his second bibliography about the JWs, American psychologist Bergman compiles approximately 5000 titles of printed material by and about the WBTS and its membership. The author divides this work into five categories: official literature by the WBTS (chapter 1); material associated with the movement's genesis and early development (chapter 2); sources from outside observers such as books and newsletters (chapter 3) and magazine and journal articles (chapter 4). and, finally, material from the organization's offshoots (chapters 5 and 6). Only chapter 4 is arranged by separate subjects like court cases involving the JWs, the blood transfusion doctrine, the flag salute issue, and sociological and psychological studies. A name index concludes the book.
Though the bulk of the publications are in English, Bergman also presents many sources from Germany, Holland, and Scandinavia. Italian, Spanish, French, and Russian references are sparse while material in other languages is minimal. The time span covers more than a century and a half: from the 1840s - sources that, according to Bergman, were highly influential in the development of the views of founder Russell - until 1997. With regard to the amount of sociological research, a quick count yields approximately 20 Ph.D. dissertations and 50 articles in professional journals. If these numbers indicate "systematic neglect" as asserted by Stark and Iannaccone, one wonders what amount is required for "systematic attention."
This bibliography is a reasonably easy reference book for specialists. One may conclude that, with one exception, most of what any researcher on this religious movement will require is here. Particularly the final chapters that deal with the organization's many schisms offer interesting details. Social scientists may pay too little attention to the JWs; the offshoots of the WBTS are a virtual terra incognita.
Unfortunately, the bibliography's comprehensiveness is the only positive characteristic of this work. The annotations suffer from subjective usage, unfounded or incomplete evaluations, and tabloid irrelevance. Partially, these problems can be explained by the compiler's former religious allegiance; Bergman is an ex-JW and notorious adversary of the WBTS. The uninformed reader, however, is left in the dark about these facts. "He has been researching and writing about the Jehovah's Witness movement for nearly four decades," is the only biographical information provided. From the annotations, however, his present position and sentiments become clear.
He describes the organization as "corrupted," "inhuman," and "dishonest" while its various teachings, such as the blood transfusion doctrine and the prophetic year 1914, are evaluated as "tragic," "erroneous," and "wrong" (pp. 95, 98, 100, 111 ). Next, Bergman qualifies hundreds of sources including some of his own (p. 119) - as "excellent" without providing any argument for this appraisal. This applies to a Swedish treatise ("excellent review") that makes a stand against the movement's transfusion prohibition (p. 100) and a Dutch book that contains "much excellent information found nowhere else" (p. 109). How does he know? Has he mastered these languages? From the writer's acknowledgments, it seems that many opinions probably originate from foreign associates who contributed much of the nonEnglish material (p. ix).
Some annotations are painfully incomplete or embarrassingly void. A plain blunder is the comment on a publication commissioned by the former East German Secret Service with the specific intention to discredit the WBTS. Surely, Bergman labels the book "an Anti-Witness work," but he leaves out the vital (and well-known) information that the Stasi was behind its production (p. 97). Also, the pioneering studies of Bryan Wilson on the JWs are devoid of any comment (p. 256); and when the reader's interest may have been aroused by an obscure but unique experimental study on personality traits among German JWs, no details but the minimally required bibliographical data are provided (p. 101 ). In contrast, the author's comments on the seminal study of the JWs persecution in Nazi-Germany by historian Garbe are limited to the gratuitous remark that the movement's own historiography is "not always very accurate," rather than showing the theoretical merits of this work (p. 97). Further, Bergman overlooks numerous German (case) studies published since the early 90s about the fate of the JWs during the Hitter-regime. A separate section on this specific issue would have been appropriate.
An inclination to outright sensationalism can be detected in annotations about the alleged relationship between WBTS membership and adverse behavior. What does the author suggest with the comment "About the skinhead murder by three boys all of which were raised Witnesses" (p. 107)? So far, any significant association between upbringing in this religious milieu and criminal activities has not been demonstrated. The same goes for a JW lawyer who swindled his fellow believers (p. 241). These are unfortunate events, but by emphasizing these and similar isolated incidents it is unclear what information the writer wants to convey to the reader other than the negative stigmatization of a religious minority.
Concerning Bergman's classification criteria, one may wonder if grouping the socalled "human interest" category under the heading of "sociological and psychological studies" is advisable. Thus, articles in Sociological Analysis and Acta Psychiatrica Belgica alternate with a Penthouse interview with singer and JW-raised Patti Smith and an expose about a converted television star in Woman's Day (pp. 249-256). Finally, the observation that the non-English entries are saturated with language errors points to sloppy - if at all - final editing, the sophisticated external care of the book aside. The best advice to the reader would be to concentrate on the titles and ignore the annotations.
Richard Singelenberg
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Jerry Bergman
Sorry I thing I left out some reviews. I do not want to do what I claimed others have done
Ken Raines, May 14, 2001,
A must have research tool on JWs
Jehovahs Witnesses A Comprehensive and Selectively Annotated Bibliography by Jerry Bergman, Ph.D., is just that it is a massive bibliography listing written material by and about Jehovahs Witnesses (JWs) and the Watchtower Society from the 1800s through 1999. In addition to listing all known Watchtower Society literature ever produced, it lists everything dealing with JWs from a tabloid article in the National Enquirer to scholarly books and Ph.D theses. It is 'comprehensive' in that it contains, according to the publisher, 'nearly 10,000 references on the Watchtower movement and the dozen or so major schisms' of the Society. The book is 'selectively annotated,' which means many, but not all of the 10,000 references contain a brief explanatory note by the author on the content or focus of the reference (article, book or manuscript). As is typical of bibliographic listings of material, the books references list the author, title, publisher, publication date and number of pages where known. The chapters are subdivided into topics such as reviews of the New World Translation, articles in medical journals, etc. on their blood transfusion doctrine, and so forth. Each chapter and many of the subheadings also has an introductory explanatory text by the author on the chapters subject. These often give advice on what material that is listed would be the best or most helpful to the researcher such as noting what references contain 'material found nowhere else' on an issue. Being a bibliography, this book is not meant to be read from cover to cover like a novel (though I did just that for this review). It is a reference source for further reading and research, a means of finding material on JWs, both pro and con, without spending several decades tracking them down in libraries across several continents as Bergman has done. (In addition to English references, the author also includes references on JWs in other languages such as German.) Jehovahs Witnesses A Comprehensive and Selectively Annotated Bibliography is an indispensable reference for the researcher and writer on Jehovahs Witnesses and their history. If you need a book on Jehovahs Witnesses as a reference source for research and writing, this is the one to have. With nearly 10,000 references on the Watchtower and its history from the 1800s to 1999, youre bound to find much material that will assist your research.Diane Wilson ( [email protected]), an author, March 30, 2001,
This book is like a treasure map!
Who are these annoyingly persistent people known as Jehovah's Witnesses, who knock on our doors bright and early Saturday mornings, disturbing our rare opportunity to get a few extra winks? The person who desires a deeper understanding of this sect will get a jump-start on their search for information with Dr. Jerry Bergman's book. It is an extensive listing of the works written by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (the administrative head of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion), and also a listing of almost every work written by others about the Watchtower Society. His annotations--brief comments about the contents of the listing--are most helpful in narrowing down the publications one is looking for. Dr. Bergman's book is a goldmine--a directive to a wealth of knowledge. It is like a map that directs one how to find the hidden buried treasure. Dr. Bergman has searched through hundreds of libraries for material about the Watchtower Society; he has invested an immense amount of time and effort in bringing his unique book to fruition, thus saving the writer, researcher,and persons interested in learning more about this religious movement an enormous amount of time and work. Some may at first compare this Bibliography to a huge card catalog in a library whose shelves are bare, as many of the publications listed are very old and seemingly unavailable. As it took the author 30 years to compile this listing, one cannot expect to find all the publications under one roof. Dr. Bergman assures, however, that most are obtainable through libraries in the United States, which can be accessed through one's local library on an inter-library loan basis; others can be obtained through the Library of Congress. Much of the older Watchtower Society publications can be purchased on CD-ROMs available from various Christian ministries. In addition to the listings, Dr. Bergman has included a valuable section on the history of Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as a very interesting chapter on religions that have their roots entwined with them, 'American Offshoots of the Watchtower Society'. As a Watchtower researcher myself and author of the upcoming book, AWAKENING OF A JEHOVAH'S WITNESS: ESCAPE FROM THE WATCHTOWER SOCIETY (Prometheus:January 2002), I can attest to the value of Dr. Bergman's book.
Also recommended: 'Jehovah's Witnesses and the Problem of Mental Illness'. I also enjoyed 'Blood Transfusions: A History and Evaluation of the Religious, Biblical, and Medical Objections'. Both are books by Jerry Bergman.Carl Olof Jonsson, February 28, 2001,
INDISPENSIBLE REFERENCE SOURCE ON JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES
With his work, Jehovahs Witnesses. A Comprehensive and Selectively Annotated Bibliography (Westport, Connecticut, and London: Greenwood Press, 1999), Dr. Jerry Bergman has made available to researchers on Jehovahs Witnesses the most comprehensive bibliography ever compiled on the movement and its many offshoots. The work is 'selectively annotated,' meaning that many of the entries are accompanied by brief but helpful comments on the content. Some other interesting and enlightening features of this work are (1) the lengthy overview of the origin and history of the Watchtower movement given in the Introduction, and (2) the background and historical comments introducing the bibliographies of the many offshoots. Further, valuable information is also given on (3) a number of individuals who strongly influenced the founder of the Watchtower movement, Charles Taze Russell. These include George Storrs, Nelson H. Barbour, John H. Paton, and Maria Russell. The main focus is on publications written in English, the 'mother language' of the movement, but quite a number of publications written in other languages are also listed. For a few of these languages the entries had not been proof-read. These include the Scandinavian languages, for which I noticed quite a number of spelling errors. These should be corrected in the next edition. Were it not for these 'blemishes' (which still are minor ones compared to the book as a whole), I would not have hesitated to give this work five stars. On the whole, Bergmans work is a goldmine and an indispensible reference source for researchers and writers on the background, origin, history, and teachings of the Watchtower movement.A reviewer, a College Professor, February 26, 2001,
A Must for All Watchtower Researchers
This reference work is a required source for anyone interested in researching the Jehovah's Witnesses and/or the Watchtower Society. It includes a listing of just about every book, booklet, article and book chapter ever written about the movement in English - probably almost 10,000 references. It also includes much of the important material in other languages. The work also includes all masters and doctors dissertations (over a hundred) completed in the last 100 years. The author has spent almost 40 years collecting material about the Watchtower for this bibliography. When he was at Bethel he also reviewed their libraries to insure that most of their holdings were also included in his work. In his discussion of the many Watchtower offshoots he includes material found nowhere else in print. Also included is an excellent 29 page introduction to the movement. Many of the references are annotated so the researcher can determine if a work may be useful for his or her research. This work will save researchers and writers a great deal of time and money. -
GermanXJW
I think the copyright note of Singelenberg's review above should be mentioned:
Reprinted with permission from the Spring issue (vol. 61, no. 1) of Sociology of Religion: A Quarterly Review Association for the Sociology of Religion, Inc., 2000. May not be reprinted without permission. Contact: Association for the Sociology of Religion, 3520 Wiltshire Dr., Holiday, FL 34691-1239.
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larc
Well, it appears there are widely divergent views among the reviewers. I am not surprised. This is common place among academics. I do agree with Bergman's statement that the author of the negative review should respond to Bergman in writing, and not ignore the request. Such a written response in also common place, and is the norm. I had a similiar, though less major experience myself. I requested information from Rodney Stark regarding the positive comments he made about the JW policy on pedophelia. He never did answer me.
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bchamber
I, personally, know a lot about Dr. Bergman and so I feel that I can and should respond to what has been said about him. I have read most all of his 400+ articles, I have read all of his books, and I have read his court records. I know well his problems with his so-called "peers". And so I submit the following.
First of all, the WB&TS does not want any JW's reading his material. I can understand why not. It is very damaging to them. Even the articles written many years ago which would explain why some of the material is old and quoted from material dated in the 1950's. It is still damaging to the WB&TS and that would explain why we have German JW's criticizing Dr. Bergman. The WB&TS encourages jw's to be critical of Dr. Bergman whenever they can. They would like very much to have Dr. Bergman neutralized so that none would ever read his material, or if they do, would not believe it.
Second, I see Dia would like to see some credentials from those writing the criticisms. Another, Larc, stated "It would be safe to assume that the reviewers all have academic credentials that qualify them to make credible analyses". Just because someone is an academician, that fact alone does not make them qualified to review or, better yet, criticize the content of a writing. Everyone is BIASED in one way or another. That is a fact that must be accepted for we are all human.
If a person is writing an article or a book and they find other material that goes against their own thoughts, they will do one of two things. they will either ignore the other material or they will try to discredit it.
Now to give an example. How many of you have actually read the court transcript stated above from Ohio? If you have, did you check out the accuracy of it? Who stated those claims in the court? Surely, you must know it was someone who was trying to discredit him. The first item, if you would check the actual wording by Dr. Bergman, he did not claim any titles that he did not earn.
Next, it is stated "Bergan falsly (sic) claimed to be author of books that have never been written". I have a copy of Dr. Bergman's Vita with a listing of all his books and articles. I have copies of 90% of them. I have read the others by means of book and magazine loans. Therefore, Dr. Bergman did NOT claim something untrue. Anyone can swear to something as being untrue but that does not make it so. Everyone's knowledge is limited, even Harriet P. Stockanes or Prof. Besier. Just because they believe what they say is truth does not make it so. Surely, all of you must know that.
Dr. Bergman has two Doctorates, just encase you don't know that.
Now as to "peer review". Farkel stated, "I didn't even know what "peer review" was until several professors befriended me. Now that I do, I can understand why academics have such a large burden of proof on stuff they put out: they are the cream of the crop and generally have the most knowledge on subjects that are their specialties. They might be able to fool the average reader with sub-standard research, but they have a very hard time fooling their peers". The how do you explain that even the "peers" do not always agree. There are many that say that Dr. Bergman's material is right on and others saying no it isn't. Just because a "peer" reviews the material and writes a review doesn't mean that that peer is right and the others are wrong. They all have bassness.
I know this is getting long so I will make one last point. A really important one. Everyone looks up to scholars, professors, etc as if they are gods and can not ever be wrong and make an error.
An example will explain.I didn't even know what "peer review" was until several professors befriended me. Now that I do, I can understand why academics have such a large burden of proof on stuff they put out: they are the cream of the crop and generally have the most knowledge on subjects that are their specialties. They might be able to fool the average reader with sub-standard research, but they have a very hard time fooling their peers.
Among my many accomplishments, I received a degree from a seminary. This story took place while I was attending the seminary.
Sister Finn (an instructor at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit) took our class to hear a Catholic scholar speak to a group of priests at our last class before our holiday break. He was talking about the Gospel of Matthew. He got on to the first two chapters of Matthew and mentioned the "Magi" and who he thought they were. So during the question and answer time I raised a question about the magi and who many scholars say they were. The so-called scholar tried to put the question down by indicating that I didn't know what I was talking about, after all, I was only a student. I even told him that a number of translations translated "Magi" as "Astrologers." I was told that only one translation did and that translation, in its revision, changed back to "Magi". He listed some six or so translations (both Catholic and Protestant; one that he mentioned was the New English Bible) that did not. I told him he was not correct in that statement and I said I could prove it. Therefore, the enclosed list of English translations is my proof.
Notice that not only did the Catholic New American Translation but also four other Catholic translations do likewise. (Five Catholic translations is a significant number since there are not many Catholic translations in English.) Notice that three famous Catholic Commentaries also indicate that the Magi were astrologers. How many more Catholic commentaries and encyclopedias indicate the same thing (that is all I have in my library)?
In addition, 19 other non-Catholic translations indicate that the "Magi" were "Astrologers". I did not exhaust my Bible collection to find these 21. I only wanted to show that a large number of scholars do not agree with the one at SHMS.
What the above scholar did not know is that I am the Director of The Bible Museum & Biblical Research Foundation, an IRS accepted public foundation. I am the vice-president of The International Society of Bible Collectors. I have approx. 1,435 different English translations of the Bible and parts thereof in my collection. I wrote a 900+page book on English Bible translations back in 1991, which was published by a very scholarly publisher, and that it is still in print. It has set the standard in its field. The book can be found in libraries all over the world. In addition, I have had approx. 47 articles published. I may not have a doctorate but I do know my field very well. In fact, I am listed in several books and reference books as an expert in my field. Do I need to have a degree from a university to know anything. Do I need one in order to speak with authority? The answer is obvious - no you don't.
Now back to Dr. Bergman - do these so-called "peers" really know what they are talking about? Do they really have the facts? Do they really care or do they just have an agenda of their own?
Edited by - bchamber on 20 August 2002 14:52:39
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detective
Bchamber,
You are obviously very familiar with Dr. Bergman's work. I happened to notice that you both registered on this forum within a couple of days of each other? Are you affiliated with Dr. Bergman in some way or is this just a coincidence? Honestly, it doesn't matter to me if you are in some way affiliated w/ Dr. Bergman but if you are, you might want to make it known so that it doesn't call in to question either of your contributions to the board. If you aren't affiliated somewhow then no big deal, disregard my suggestion. -
MikeMusto
What the above scholar did not know is that I am the Director of The Bible Museum & Biblical Research Foundation, an IRS accepted public foundation. I am the vice-president of The International Society of Bible Collectors. I have approx. 1,435 different English translations of the Bible and parts thereof in my collection. I wrote a 900+page book on English Bible translations back in 1991, which was published by a very scholarly publisher, and that it is still in print.
You can there fore attest that the New World Translation Bible, Published By the Watchtower
society is the most Scholarly Bible in circulation. It is certainly a refreshing translation that
brings the Creators message into our living language.
A must have research tool, June 2, 2001 
Comprehensive although subjective, May 20, 2000 
