The Center for New Testament Textual Studies is a research center devoted to the collation and analysis of the New Testament text in the original greek manuscripts.

Goals

The goals of the center are:

• To inspire a new generation of scholars dedicated to the serious study of the New Testament Greek text.
• To provide a location housing a collection of New Testament manuscripts accessible both on-site and through loans that can facilitate collations and relationship studies on the New Testament text.
• To develop aids for those working in the field of NT textual criticism.
• To cooperate with ventures in the field of NT textual criticism such as the International Greek New Testament Project through the collation of NT manuscripts.
• To work with current efforts in the field of New Testament textual studies in order to provide access to texts and textual data as feasible.
• To aid in the integration of technology with the study of NT manuscripts and the task of collating manuscripts.
• To advance the possibilities of NOBTS students and visiting scholars and students to engage in intensive study of the NT text and the field of NT textual criticism.

Opportunities

The Center provides opportunities for the study of the New Testament text for visiting scholars and students as well as for NOBTS students.

Through the Center, NOBTS students can engage in advanced supervised study in the field of New Testament Textual Criticism on the Masters and Ph.D. levels, including participating in the following:

• Collate previously uncollated Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, thereby making the information from these manuscripts available for use by scholars and in upcoming editions of the Greek New Testament.
• Contribute to the work of the International Greek New Testament Project on the Gospel of John, with the results included in the forthcoming volumes of that project.
• Engage in the study of the textual relationships of the New Testament manuscripts based upon first-hand knowledge of the manuscripts and the compiling of a database of evidence from the New Testament manuscripts that can serve as the basis for analyzing manuscript relationships.

The Manuscript Collection

The holdings and accessible manuscripts of the Center include:

• Over 500 New Testament manuscripts in facsimile, edition, or microfilm forms from the NOBTS John T. Christian Library as well as reference works in the area of NT textual studies.
• Access through loans based on collaborative work to the IGNTP’s collection of microfilms of NT manuscripts. The Center will also coordinate loans of microfilms from libraries and other institutions.
• As funding allows, the Center continues to expand its collection.
• As funding allows and based upon the needs in the field of NT Textual Studies, the Center seeks to increase access to NT manuscript data through the filming of manuscripts as well as on site collations of manuscripts in settings not open to filming. An example would be the filming of ms. 2358 in the fall of 2001.

History

The Center for New Testament Textual Studies (CNTTS) was founded in 1998 as a research center under the umbrella of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS). The Center was the outgrowth of work in the area of NT TC done by Dr. Bill Warren and housed in his office prior to the Center. In the summer of 1998, the vision gained permanence when Dr. Charles Kelley, the President of NOBTS, gave approval for the starting of the Center and granted space for the facility. The facility was furnished by the seminary and funds were supplied for the acquisition of microfilms in order to expand the manuscript collection.

In 1999, the first research assistant was employed in the Center, Dr. Jin Sup Ahn, who was a Ph.D. student in NT at that time. He worked 15 hours per week in the Center at first, then as funding became available expanded to 30 hours per week. Bob Cole, another NOBTS student, became the first full-time researcher in the Center in September 1999. Currently, in addition to the director and a full-time secretary, 5 to 6 people work in the Center as researchers, with work time varying from 25 to 30 hours per week.

Facilities

The Center is located on the campus of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Current facilities include: a conference room; several research stations with computers; 10 additional computers for collations in the adjacent technology center; study areas; a collection of manuscripts in microfilm and hard-copy forms as well as services for acquiring manuscripts by loan; a microfilm reader-copier for examining and copying the microfilms; and a database of manuscript evidence compiled by the CNTTS.

Ph.D. in New Testament at NOBTS

The Ph.D. degree program at NOBTS is fully accredited by both SACS and ATS. The program is a resident research doctoral program, offering specialized studies in such areas as textual criticism, Synoptic studies, Johannine studies, Pauline studies, Hebrews, and Apocalyptic literature. Interested persons should contact the Research Doctoral Programs office for further information on entrance requirements, applications, and deadlines.

Each of the NT department’s tenured faculty have a minimum of 10 years of teaching experience as well as substantial ministry experience:

• Dr. Charles Ray (Johannine Studies, Hebrews, Linguistics)
• Dr. Gerald Stevens (Acts, Pauline Studies, Apocalyptic literature)
• Dr. Chuck Quarles (Biblical Backgrounds and Rabbinic Literature, General Epistles)
• Dr. Bill Warren (Textual Criticism, Synoptic Studies, NT Social Settings)

For more information on the New Testament Ph.D. program, contact us at: