"Christian Academic Writing" (Benjamin L. Merkle & Adrianne Cheek Miles)

TITLE: Christian Academic Writing: Twelve Practices and Principles for Becoming a Successful Writer
AUTHOR: Benjamin L. Merkle & Adrianne Cheek Miles
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2024, (pages).
 

Is academic writing only for academics? No. Is it limited only to people with writing experience? Not really. Is it difficult to even write to publish? Difficult but not impossible. Writing is hard work. Getting it published is even harder. Yet, we should not be deterred by anything difficult. Let our passion for sharing our knowledge and experiences inspire us to write. One cannot be a successful writer without first becoming a writer. Read widely but also write frequently. Just like the title says, this book looks at 12 "practices and principles" to encourage Christian writing as an academic writing. Although both authors come from different backgrounds, their purpose for writing this book is similar: To encourage Christians to write and share their knowledge and expertise with the public. It is not a how-to-write book. It is a book that gives "practical and proven advice" to encourage writers to write. Professors, pastors, teachers, anyone with advanced degrees, or those with lots of working experience can benefit from this resource which aims to bring more people into the writing fold. They do not mince their words when they say writing is hard work. Indeed it is. Sometimes, becoming too distracted by any perceived difficulty can put off any aspiring writer. 

Hopefully one or more of these 12 tips can prompt one toward the writing journey. Briefly these are as follows:

1. Love Your Topics
2. Keep Reading Materials With You
3. Redeem Time for Reading and Writing
4. Bust Your Writing-Related Myths
5. Don't Wait to Write
6. Make Writing a Habit
7. Keep Writing, Even After the First Draft
8. Solicit Feedback
9. Don't be Afraid of Feedback
10. Participate in Professional Conferences
11. Work to Improve Your Writing
12. Finish What You Star

Depending on which part of the writing journey we are in, and what type of writing we are doing, the applicable principles will vary. The first tip about loving your topic is an essential one. If there is no passion, there is no motivation to even write about it. If one is writing a dissertation for an advanced degree, without passion, writing quickly becomes mundane and even detestable. Writing out of obligation can work as far as finishing the project is concerned. Writing out of passion however will not only complete the work with polish, it opens up multiple windows for deeper research. Sometimes I marvel at professors who manage to write reams and reams of Bible resources like commentaries and reference works. Where do they find all the time and the energy to put such huge resources together? Passion is the word. The second tip about keeping reading materials with us is a given. Apart from the simple practice of photocopying copies of our research materials, the authors share many essential academic books not just to write well but also to read well. The third tip is about making good use of whatever time we can afford. Granted people are perennially busy, but we all need to find creative ways to fit our writing habits together. One of the most important reminders is about redeeming time from some of our time-wasting habits such as mindless scrolling on social media pages or binge-watching YouTube videos that have no relevant purpose. Planning and self-awareness are key. The fourth helps us put aside five myths or barriers we subconsciously place in front of us. Some of these myths are quite familiar ones, especially the one about the "Magnus opus delusion" where one lets self-expectations discourage writing in the first place. The fifth tip pushes back against procrastination while the sixth and seventh urge us to persevere through habits and determination respectively. The eighth tip is about humility and willingness to receive feedback about our writings. There are many places where we can solicit such feedback. From writing communities to peer reviews, expert professors to experienced professionals, feedback not only helps us to write well, it reminds us that we need community. The ninth tip addresses the reality of fear of negative feedback. Whenever we solicit feedback about our writing, there will be a fair share of critiques that can throw a spanner into our writing works. By learning to accept feedback with humility, we can become better writers who produce better works. The tenth tip builds upon the previous one by encouraging us to participate in writing conferences or any forms of writing workshop. The eleventh tip reminds us that good writing is re-writing. The twelfth tip cheers us toward completing our writing projects. Readers are encouraged to publish where possible. Publish to share. 

The authors end with several lists of publishing resources such as academic religious publishers, academic journals, and religious academic organizations. 

My Thoughts

This is an excellent resource to encourage writing. If I can summarize in two words, this book tells us to "Just write." Like one famous philosopher who once said that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, the road to writing begins with the first word. One question that bugs me is this. What makes a "successful writer?" How do we really measure success? Is it measured according to the number of works we publish? Or is it about writing a bestselling book? Perhaps I can suggest a couple of ways to make sense of this word. At the elementary level, for beginner writers, success is about starting and completing a mini-writing project. Whether it is an article, a book review, a blog, a monograph, or even a contribution to an anthology, this elementary level is mainly for first-time writers or publishers. This book nudges such novice writers to attempt greater projects. Success for elementary writers means completion of these short writing projects. Most writers would start here. For elementary writers, principles 1 to 7 will be helpful. 

The second level will be the intermediate level, something that I would call the more experienced writers. For such writers, principles 8-10 will be most relevant. Of course, principles 11 and 12 can challenge intermediate writers to move on to publish at reputable publishers. They will need lots of encouragement as publishers tend to reject many first-time writers. 

The third level will be the advanced level, where writers are well-known and seasoned. I marvel at how many of these experienced writers could churn out books every few months. Such people are unusually gifted. For this group, they could easily share their experience with the rest of the writing community. 

If there is one feedback I could give about this book, it will be the lack of advice for self-publishers. I know of some academics who are wary of self-publishing as there is a lack of checks and balances about the quality of the writings. Nevertheless, just like there are good and not-so-good books published by even the most reputable publishers, there are also good and not-so-good books in the self-publishing industry. Perhaps, the authors could share their thoughts and wisdom about self-publishing in any future editions. 

Finally, good writers are readers. Good readers are also writers. Both writers and readers are eager learners. For such people, especially the more academic ones, this book is an essential read.

Benjamin L. Merkle (PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is the Dr. M. O. Owens Jr. Chair of New Testament Studies and research professor of New Testament and Greek at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. He is the author, coauthor, or editor of more than forty books, including Greek for Life, Exegetical Gems from Biblical Greek, Linguistics and New Testament Greek, Beginning with New Testament Greek, and Going Deeper with New Testament Greek. He is also the editor of Southeastern Theological Review.

Adrianne Cheek Miles (PhD, University of Texas at Austin) is associate professor of English and linguistics at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina, where she teaches courses in writing, literature, communication, and linguistics.

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Academic via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.