I have gained approval to try something that I have wanted to do for years: offering summer internships at Logos. Many have asked about opportunities to study with me, and this as good as it will get. I’ll mentor interns in their synthesis of discourse features into a unified reading of a NT book or portion of a book. Publication of a discourse handbook would be the end result of the research.

I have had the privilege of doing some intensive teaching as a visiting professor, as well as mentoring a few poor souls at a distance. Although this has served its purpose, there is nothing like intensive collaboration for gaining applied knowledge. There is also nothing like comprehensive application to shake your theoretical framework to the core and identify areas that need attention. A summer internship is the best means I could think of to make this possible.

If you want to learn how to analyze a book, how to shape ideas into a research proposal, how to weigh the impact of one feature against another, there will be no better opportunity than bringing all your knowledge to bear in this summer internship. The research from the summer should lay much of the groundwork needed for outlining a doctoral proposal. It would also form the basis for ongoing mentoring at a distance through your dissertation.

While this internship offers the opportunity to develop your research skills and theoretical framework, it is primarily about writing up what you have found. In fact, your ability to clearly and succinctly describe the features of the text is of the utmost importance. The internship is a writing gig; research skills and other benefits are simply a natural consequence of the analysis and writing. This means you need more writing experience than exegetical papers for school, or even technical articles.

If you have read my work, you know I am passionate about making things accessible to non-specialists. As a discourse intern the same would be expected of you, and you’ll learn new ways to do it. This means blogging  about grammar or language is likely the best preparation, besides having mastered the discourse grammar material. Below is the text that will appear in the ad at Logos, just not exactly sure when:

 

Greek Discourse Grammar Internships

Logos Bible Software is seeking highly qualified candidates for Greek Discourse Grammar Internships this summer.  Successful candidates will have mastered the concepts described in Discourse Grammar of the Greek New Testament, and will assist in the development of exegetical handbooks which help pastors and students better understand the exegetical implications of discourse features annotated in the Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament.  Interns will work directly with Dr. Steven E. Runge as part of the Logos Discourse Team, providing an unparalleled opportunity to develop the skills and theoretical framework needed for advanced research in the field of NT discourse analysis and discourse grammar.

Responsibilities

  • Describe how the various discourse features annotated in the Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament contribute to the overall flow of a NT writer’s message using prose accessible to non-specialists. Your specific project will be determined in consultation with Dr. Runge. Writing skills are as important as knowledge of discourse grammar.
  • Ability to work as part of a collaborative team.

Requirements

  • Summer relocation to Bellingham (non-negotiable)
  • Ability to synthesize the exegetical implications of a writer’s choice to use various discourse features, and to describe their contribution to the overall flow of the discourse.
  • Ability to succinctly and accessibly describe technical linguistic features for readers with a traditional background in Greek.
  • Two Years of Greek, completed MA/MDiv (or equivalent) preferred.
  • Has mastered the concepts described in Discourse Grammar of the Greek New Testament.

The ideal candidate

Application Process

Please submit a CV, a letter of interest describing your background in discourse grammar, and a writing sample (or hyperlink to specific blog posts) to devjobs@logos.com. Applications are due by March 15, 2014. For more information about Logos, see https://www.logos.com/about/careers.

 

Why bother coming all the way to beautiful Bellingham during the very best season of the year? Here are a few reasons:

  1. Learning while being paid a modest wage (with a modest relocation allowance) instead of paying tuition.
  2. Opportunity to practically and intensively apply a tested theoretical framework.
  3. The chance to formulate a research proposal for a future dissertation project, and to develop the working relationship needed for ongoing mentoring in your research.
  4. A publication credit.