Not Only A Father: not only a book
Tim Bulkeley has written a book. The title is Not Only a Father: Talk of God as Mother in the Bible and Christian Tradition. You can buy it in traditional printed book format
if you are so inclined.
But he has also done some other interesting and perhaps radically innovative things with it.
He’s made it available online – in a format that not only allows but encourages comments to be left and conversations to take place in the margins of the book.
Is this the future of publishing – or at least, of scholarly publishing?
The above is the announcement James F. McGrath made in a blogpost at his blog, Exploring Our Matrix. James there gives his opinion about what this possible “future of publishing” might allow (so go read what he suggests); but he also gives an extra link to Tim’s book (online with the public margin commenting option) and then invites readers to return to the blog to share their comments there.
In more private conversation, Tim has said: “I want to explore how authors and readers can engage more and at greater depth through using online communications.” He calls what he’s doing an “experiment.” And he may be working out a few things before his own public “launch” will be made.
I’ve already begun reading Tim’s book, and I will review it. But note that my review will be right on site, online, at his book, where I’ve written already a few comments. I see another commenter also has already done this as well. This is a bit different from Kindle ebook formats, which does crowd source the most highlighted lines of books in the digital format. Tim’s format allows for overhearing and for participating in conversations with other readers and with the book’s author. Look for more on this here perhaps. And do feel free to leave comments at the blog, to dialogue here about this with us. But do go read (and write) for yourself:
PS: Tim is blogging the next blogger Biblical Studies carnival, and it’s still not too late to send him suggestions for that here –
http://bigbible.org/sansblogue/digital-life/blog/biblical-studies-carnival-warning-notice/
BLT 
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