Launched: Raymond E. Brown Website

Fifteen years ago today, the world of Biblical scholarship lost a giant when Raymond E. Brown passed away suddenly at the age of 70 in Menlo Park, CA. Father Brown's works of meticulous scholarship, including his famed and still regularly consulted two-volume Gospel of John commentary, his the Birth of the Messiah and the Death of the Messiah, and his Introduction to the New Testament, to name but a few, have and will continue to stand the test of time.

 

My personal interest in Brown was kindled shortly after my undergrad years, 15 years ago. A degree in Broadcast News was going nowhere quickly, and I found myself a bit adrift, working managerial jobs at small grocery and video stores. Right around this time, I decided I needed to learn more about the Christian faith that I had fairly recently professed, and I wanted to learn more about Jesus from an informed scholar. So, I went to my local bookstore and purchased Raymond Brown's Death of the Messiah (vol.1), and after reading it, was so inspired, so intrigued, I knew that my once less than purposeful life, now took on new meaning. In short, without ever meeting me, Fr. Ray inspired me to a life in Biblical scholarship.  I cannot imagine the influence he had over those who actually knew him personally.

So, it is with great pleasure to announce that I have launched a Raymond E. Brown website, a dream that I have had for some time. This site is very much a work-in-progress, many other features will be added in due time, such as a bio, links to Ray's books, etc. When those features are up and running, announcements will be made on this blog. For now, enjoy!