From August 3 through August 6, 2008, most of the world’s leading New Testament textual critics have gathered in Münster, Germany, for an important conference. Sponsored by the Institut für neutestamentliche Textforschung (Institute for New Testament Textual Research or INTF), these scholars have come together to hear lectures and to dialog on important methods for doing textual research. The roster includes a veritable Who’s Who of text-critical scholars: Eduard Lohse, Barbara Aland, Holger Strutwolf, Klaus Wachtel, Ulrich Schmid, Beate Köster, Gerd Mink, J. K. Elliott, David Parker, Peter Head, Dirk Yongkind, Tim Finney, Michael Holmes, Maurice Robinson, John Kloppenborg, David Trobisch, Larry Hurtado, Bill Warren, Roger Ohmanson, Tiedje Baarda, Jöel Delobel, Eldon Epp, Tommy Wasserman, and several others (about 50 people altogether). It seems that this conference marks a change in how various text-critical scholars are doing their work: competitive overtones are being muffled, while the tune now being sung has the sweet refrain of collaboration.
