This article summarises and comments on the book Studies in Matthew's Gospel: Literary design, intertextuality, and social setting, by Wim Weren, published during 2014. The essence of this book is all about meaning: the meaning of a structure, texts, and consequently the understanding of the Gospel of Matthew. For Weren, 'Meaning is the result of the interplay between a textual unit and such other factors as language, literary context, and cultural setting'. This relates to the three parts of the content of this monograph. His approach in studying Matthew comes from three perspectives: firstly intratextuality, then intertextuality, and finally extratextuality. He has deliberately chosen this order of successive steps so that they complement each other.
In my review of this book I have focussed on three aspects: the approach of Weren in his investigation of the Gospel of Matthew, the analytical investigation of Matthew as he presents it in 15 chapters, and a dictum on the 'Final Observations' at the end of the book on linguistics.
In his 'Introduction' Weren clearly and thoroughly orientates the reader about the content of the book and his intended modus operandi.1 Weren has explicitly spelled out the hypothesis that directed his analysis of texts from Matthew as well as the presuppositions which formed his points of departure (Weren 2014:297). His approach in studying Matthew comes from three perspectives: firstly intratextuality, then intertextuality, and finally extratextuality. He has deliberately chosen this order of successive steps in order that they complement each other.
Studies in Matthew's Gospel: Literary design, intertextuality, and social setting is, according to my analytical and critical reading and judgement an excellent piece of scholarly work. I enjoyed reading this book, expecting every moment to notice something innovative. I discovered the academic maturity of a dedicated scholar. My verification for these statements is for the following reasons: sound exegesis occurs throughout the book; logical, analytical and critical reasoning paves new paths for new avenues; the discussions and reasoning are sound, which make for easy reading.
According to my judgment, the essence of the book is all about meaning; the meaning of texts, the understanding of the Gospel of Matthew. For Weren, 'Meaning is the result of the interplay between a textual unit and such other factors as language, literary context, and cultural setting.
Within this interplay, a text usually acquires a multi-layered meaning while the text is still a unit' (Weren 2014:4). This relates to the three parts of this monograph. Weren also states that his emphasis will be on semantics. All three of the questions he asks to address relate to meaning: 'What meaning or meanings do textual units ... acquire ...? What meaning do these textual units have ...? What are the relationships between the meanings that textual units acquire ...?' (p. 4). He states that the Matthean text has layered and multifaceted meanings that are closely interwoven and determined by the literary, intertextual, cultural, and historical context (pp. 4-5). He also asserts, 'I will focus on the level of semantics' (p. 126), 'What meaning do these quotations acquire (p. 126), how does the meaning of the words ... relate to their meaning in their own literary setting?' (p. 131) and 'I will explore the meaning ...' (p. 143). Hence, it is all about meaning!
Meaning then is, according to Weren, constituted by linguistics (structure, discourse analysis and intertextuality) and interpreted in its socio-cultural environment. He has done this in a superb way in demonstrating this technically and clinically, looking more holistically in his search for the meaning of the text.
I respect Weren's emphasis and focus on the literary, intertextual, cultural, and historical context in the process of finding meaning in the Matthean text. I would, nevertheless, like to refer to a component that complementarily contributes to the 'meaning' and consequently the 'understanding' of texts. At places throughout the book (except ch. 7, Christology; ch. 11, eschatology) Weren has added such a component implicitly, instead of paying explicit attention to it.2 This component I would like to refer to as the 'theological component' within the spectrum of searching for meaning. Obviously Weren had a specific scope, paradigm, approach and methodology in mind and held firmly and successfully to it and executed it in an excellent way. Weren concentrated, especially in part 2, predominantly on various literary analyses by using the following phrases: text-semantic analysis (Weren 2014:42); literary analysis (p. 72); literary-historical analysis (p. 162); semantic analysis (p. 222); and intertextual analysis (many times).
In the most recent publications on hermeneutics, exponents such as Hays (2007), Virkler and Ayayo ( 2007), Montague ( 2007), Osborne (2008), Tate (2011), Kõstenberger (2012) and Robbins (1996a, 1996b) moved away - as Weren did - from particular hermeneutics to a more comprehensive approach, including the following three components: historical, textual and theological. At a few places I have felt that Weren could have elaborated more on the theological aspects embedded in the text (e.g. meaning of the kingdom of heaven [God] Weren 2014:61), eschatology, salvation, Son of man in Peter's confession or eschatological discussion of the end (pp. 62-63). Nothing is said about the theological content of Peter's confession (p. 67). Weren elaborated about Peter's role and position, his protesting and leadership (pp. 65-66) in the chapter of 'secret knowledge and divine revelation'. Only brief references about the secrets of the kingdom occur in the conclusion. I am convinced that explicit theological reflections in the literary and socio-cultural analysis of texts can verify his excellent literary discussions and findings.
The question is whether the construction of structure, semantic and literary analysis in texts is, in many cases, not the result of the theological themes and connections embedded in words, phrases, and texts? Structure analysis and semantic analysis are not always matters of pure linguistics or semantics. Biblical authors definitely had theological constructs/paradigms in mind when they were writing.
The heading of the first part, 'Literary design', is well chosen and a compound descriptive heading of what Weren describes in the four chapters of this section. He looks at the text from four different, although related and complemented perspectives, namely, macrostructure, text-semantics, the divine revelation of hidden knowledge and Matthew's own interpretation and understanding of life beyond death. All four chapters relate to 'meaning'.
In chapter one ('The macrostructure of Matthew's Gospel: A new proposal') Weren presents a new proposal regarding the macrostructure of the Gospel of Matthew and discusses the meanings of textual units on the basis of synchronic research. His point of departure is that Matthew is a narrative text, a story about Jesus. The narrator offers his main character ample opportunity to speak. He considers the different sections in Matthew as the character's text which is embedded in the text of the narrator. What is new about this hypothesis is that it provides a layered image of the structure of the Gospel of Matthew. Also new is the insight that five passages function as hinges (Mt 4:12-17; 11:2-30; 16:13-28; 21:1-17; 26:1-16). Such a hinge text is linked with both the sequence that precedes it and the one that follows. In chapter two ('Children in Matthew's Gospel: a text-semantic analysis') he applies text-semantics to the word group child (Greek lexemes: παιδίον, παις, τέκνον, νήπιος, and μικρός) in Matthew. He develops some of the texts about children in a text-semantic analysis (Weren 2014:43). This approach generates insight into various lines of meaning. Weren points out how this word group denotes real children who form a vulnerable group, refers to Jesus himself, is used in a figurative sense and is applied to (certain) followers of Jesus. For him '... it indicates that children occupy the lowest position in society and that it is evident that this position must also be characteristic of those who see the kingdom of heaven as their supreme goal' (p. 51).
way' (p. 94). Weren also discusses the importance of contexts and the nature of quotations in Matthew quoting from the Masoretic and Septuagint texts. Finally, he compares intertextuality with literary-historical methods and canonical exegesis. Chapter six ('The five women in Matthew's genealogy as paragons of virtue') discusses the question why Matthew included five women (Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba and Mary) in his genealogy in Matthew 1. In Weren's answer, different from previous explanations that focussed on the differences, he explores through five elements what the narratives about these women have in common with the description of Matthew about the role and position of Mary.
Chapter seven ('Two quotations from Isaiah and Matthew's Christology [Mt 1:23, 4:15-16]') explores two quotations from Isaiah (7:14, 8:23b-9:1) that frame the prologue of Matthew (1:23; 4:14-16). Herewith, Weren proves that in investigations on traces of the Old Testament (OT) in the New Testament (NT), both the Hebrew and the LXX texts deserve equal attention. He also proves that explicit quotations continue to refer to the textual units from which they originate, whilst simultaneously they are interwoven into new literary contexts. In chapter eight ('Marriage, adultery, and divorce: Interpretations of Old Testament texts in Matt 5:27-32 and 19:3-12') Weren points out that although the teachings of Jesus with regard to marriage, adultery and divorce (Mt 5:27-32; 19:3-12) seem to be radical, an intertextual analysis points out that the opinions of Jesus '... link up with layers of meaning in Old Testament texts (Gn 1:27, 2:27; Ex 20:13; Dt 5:17, 24:1-4)' as well as strict interpretations of contemporary Jews (Weren 2014:8). He ends this chapter with the statements that, 'The exception clause in Matt 5:32 and 19:9 shows that there is scope for new developments', and that the NT encourages the later disciples of Jesus '... to find suitable solutions to new situations' (p. 161).
In chapter nine ('Jesus' entry into Jerusalem: Matt 21:1-17 in the light of the Hebrew Bible and the Septuagint') Weren aims to test the hypothesis that the citations that occur in Matthew 21:1-17 must also be understood in the light of the texts from both the Hebrew and LXX texts (Weren 2014:162). He discusses the interaction between separate texts in order to point out how this interplay powerfully generates new meanings. He points out how the six explicit and combined quotations in the narrative about the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem (Mt 21:3-17) shed light on each other in their new literary setting. This provides a new perspective of Zion as the place where the people of God will have a new future (Weren 2014:8). In chapter 10 ('The use of Isa 5:1-7 in the parable of the tenants [Mark 12:1-12; Matt 21:33-46]') Weren discusses how Matthew made additional links to Isaiah 5:1-7 which he did not derive from Mark. For this purpose he uses the parable of the tenants which occurs in both Mark (12:3-12) and Matthew (21:33-46), which has been constructed by Mark on the basis of the vineyard song in Isaiah 5:1-7. According to him later exegesis of Isaiah 5:1-7, as it occurs in the Targum and in 4Q500, has left some traces in the parable.
In chapter 11 ('Matthew's view of Jesus' resurrection: Transformations of a current eschatological scenario') Weren points out the parallels between Matthew and 4 Ezra (a Jewish apocalyptic book). According to him these two writings are variants of each other. Each document '... has its own elaboration of the idea that the eschatological resurrection is part of a broader eschatological scenario' (Weren 2014:8). In the first section of this chapter he shows that the resurrection imagery in both 4 Ezra and Matthew results from '... an interpretation developed within apocalyptic groups of biblical texts about life and death, and about blessing and curse' (p. 211). In the second section he presents the eschatological scenario of 4 Ezra. He argues that it was extensively accepted by the turn of the 1st century. In the last section he explores how Matthew adapted this scenario in the light of his view of the resurrection of Jesus (p. 211). Chapter 12 ('The ideal community according to Matthew, James, and the Didache') shows the close relation that exists between Matthew and two other early Christian documents, James and Didache. Weren argues that in the construction of ideals, which the early Christian community must meet, these three documents are related, although some differences between them also occur. He then discusses three themes that occur in all three these documents: the references to the community, the relationship of the community to God and Jesus, and the concept of perfection. In his semantic analysis of lexemes εκκλησία, θεός, Ίησοΰς Χριστός and τέλειος that are central in the books of Matthew, James and Didache, he assumes that '... a text is not an isolated phenomenon, but functions in a communicative context and has a pragmatical function' (p. 222).
This part concerns the 'history and social setting' of the Matthean communities and explains to what extent the ways in which the disciples are portrayed in Matthew are related to real groups in the Matthean communities. Extratextuality focuses on actual objects, persons, places, processes, and events in the reality outside the text.
In his discussion he distinguishes three phases in the history of the Matthean communities. In the first phase (prior to 70 CE) the Christian Jews regard themselves to be full members of the Jewish community. In the second phase (70-80 CE) they became a minority group within the Jewish community. This was as a result of their conflict with the Pharisees who tried to redefine Judaism. The last phase (80-90 CE) concerns the gradual detachment of the Christian Jews from the Jewish community. This results in them coming '... into contact with a broad multi-cultural network of Christian communities' (p. 260), which consisted of Jewish and gentile Christians who stayed in upper Galilee/Southern Syria. In chapter 14 ('"His disciples stole him away" [Matt 28:13]: A rival interpretation of Jesus' resurrection') Weren shows how the same tradition has been elaborated into two different directions. This becomes evident in the literary-historical analysis of the expression of fear that the disciples of Jesus will come and steal his body from the tomb, as described in the canonical Gospel of Matthew and the non-canonical Gospel of Peter. Chapter 15 ('From Q to Matt 22:1-14: New light on the transmission and meaning of the parable of the guests') comprises a literary-historical analysis pointing at the reconstruction of the wording and meaning of Q used by Matthew in his composition of the parable of the guests in Matthew 22:3-14. In this chapter Weren reflects on the differences between literary-historical research (sources and redaction) and the intertextual approach which he develops in this monograph.
In part 1 Weren succeeded convincingly to point out that the Gospel of Matthew is a well-structured, coherent, substantive, dynamic and organic whole which is verified by the many references to previous and later parts of the text (Weren 2014:297). It is true that the literary structure refers to a well organised and planned written Gospel and the intertextual references and usages also complement the skilful writing of the Gospel and interpretation and understanding of the identity and ministry of Jesus.
In part 2 Weren proficiently applied literary theories on intertextuality to some selected texts from Matthew. He convinces that the OT quotations of Matthew generate interaction between the original text and the text into which it is incorporated. Also that the function and meaning of textual units are more understandable when these units are related to cothematic or cogeneric texts from the OT. He persuasively points out that the Gospel of Matthew contains traces of both the Hebrew Bible and the LXX (p. 297). In this research (chapters 6-12) on intertextuality Weren points out the following relations between texts: common elements in texts (ch. 6); adapted meanings (ch. 7); additional links (chs. 8, 10); new meanings (ch. 9); parallel meanings (ch. 11); and closely related meanings between texts (ch. 12).
In part 3 the reader gains insight regarding the history and social setting of the Matthean communities3 and enters the field of 'extratextuality'. Weren's understanding of the historical development of the Matthean community is interesting, but also challenging with regard to his understanding of the circumstances which he interprets as being projected in the text and that the author is addressing. Under this part the reviewer wants to address the following thought provoking aspect.
Multiple layers (levels) of interpretation: In chapter 13 Weren writes, 'Matthew's book belongs to a particular literary genre, which we usually refer to with the term "gospel" and which is modelled on ancient biography.4 It is characteristic of a gospel that it offers a story of the life of Jesus in illo tempore, but such a text has been deeply influenced by the situation of the community within which it originated and for which it was originally meant' (Weren 2014:251).
With regard to '... the situation of the community', in Weren's discussion of '... secret knowledge and divine revelation', he refers to Matthew 11:25-30 to '... be understood in the light of Matthew's polemic against the Pharisaic interpretation of the Torah. It is aimed at all those who prefer Jesus' interpretation of the Torah to the heavy burdens imposed upon them by the scribes and Pharisees (cf. Mt 23:4)' (Weren 2014:56).
Thus, for Weren, Matthew is addressing certain problems in the society and community about which he is writing. A question that then arises is how do we merge a biography of Jesus with Matthew addressing certain problems in the society and community?
This then implies for the reviewer that the text of Matthew has a double layer5 (level) of interpretation and that the author has purposefully selected specific, trustworthy, relevant and applicable material from the tradition to address these problems: Matthew is writing about the real historical situation of Jesus, which he obtained from reliable tradition; Matthew subjectively selected specific historical material and organised and structured it in such a way to address the circumstances of the readers.
If this is the case, then the approach of Matthew relates to what the better historians like Polibius (The Histories 8.8) felt, and that is to include in their work not only praise and blame for individuals, but that they should also pursue truth and fairness. For Polibius (3.4.1) the distribution between praise and blame should be true. In the work of Arrian (Alex. 4.7.4; 4.8.1f.)6 and other biographies praise and blame were mixed. Although some teachers were regarded as extraordinary, (see Keener 2003:16) Xenophon's (1858) report about Socrates was only good (Mem. 4.8.11).7 There was a variety of material (traditions) available from which they could have made selections.
How then should we understand the trustworthiness of the Gospels, in this case Matthew? According to Keener the Gospel writers attempt to be historical as well as theological. Thus, Matthew seems to be '... both historical and literary/ theological' (Keener 2003:17).
In order to do justice to the understanding of both 'biography' and 'circumstances' I agree with Stendahl (1968) and Schille (1957-1958) that Matthew was initially written to be a document for catechism in the Matthean communities. This view does justice to the biographical status of a primitive Matthew text and fits well into the first stage of Weren. Later on (probably during Weren's second phase) with the availability and circulation of Mk and Q, more texts were added and the text of Matthew was adapted to address the situation in these communities, although the message about Jesus remained unchanged.
• Old oral and written traditions have been incorporated into it, which the author or final redactor processed in his own way and incorporated into his writing (p. 2).
• Parts of that process go back to oral and written traditions and they have undoubtedly undergone redaction processing following, among other things, discussions with opponents from outside the communities and with dissidents within a community's own circle (p. 5).
• One innovative idea is that the reader or interpreter plays an active and creative role in the process of meaning making.
• Old Testament pretexts clearly reveal the richness of meaning that these texts from Matthew and their pretexts have: they contain different visions of the world.
• A Bible text is not a self-contained entity but a dynamic and open whole (p. 298).
These quotations relate closely to what Weren has stated in chapter eight (Marriage, Adultery and Divorce) that, 'Changes in society have an impact on the way marriage is perceived. We can see this in the Bible as well as in our own time. Therefore it is not very useful to consider one institutional form as an unchangeable norm for all eras' (Weren 2014:161). For him the exception clause in Matthew 5:32 and 19:9 shows that there is scope for new developments. That is also important for the later disciples of Jesus. The NT encourages them to find suitable solutions to new situations (p. 161). The first quotation is a matter of semantics and the second a matter of conduct, changes in meanings and changes in conduct.
When I read these statements made by Weren I was thinking about the invaluable contributions of Gadamer (1975), Ricoeur (1973a, 1973b, 1976) and even Schneiders (1992, 2002, 2003) and Vanhoozer (1997) on the phenomenology of language. Unfortunately I missed these names in this book, especially in the discussions in part 2 concerning 'intertextuality'.
Total reader involvement. Bultmann (1984:145-153) argued that exegesis without presuppositions is not possible.15 Thompson (2000:204) refers to Iser (1978:275) who states that meaning occurs not in the text itself, but in the convergence of the text and the reader.16 It '...brings the literary work into existence' (Thompson 2000:204).
Texts are linguistically polysemous:17By virtue of its linguisticality a text is polysemous18 (see Ricoeur 1973b: 97-111). The meaning of a text cannot be reduced to a single, univocal, literal sense.19 The polyvalence of words and semantic richness of larger linguistic units generate various valid interpretations in different readers under diverse circumstances. Matthew, as a Jewish Christian interpreter of the OT text, has an advantage over the mainstream Jewish readers of the 1st century. The tradition operative in contemporary interpreters assists them to draw from the text richer meanings than were available to the original readers (see Gadamer 1975:300-307; Ricoeur 1976:43-44; Schneiders 2003:185).
A much wider horizon: The historical distance between the OT text and the Matthean reader needs not be an obstacle to understanding, but rather an advantage for understanding.20The Matthean readers interpret the text within a much wider horizon,21 one that results from the fusion of the horizon of the OT text and that of the later Matthean interpreter. Those readers had the help of the Spirit-Paraclete which, according to Paul (1 Cor 2:14) and John (15:26; 16:13), makes scripture spiritually understandable to those believers (Schneiders 2003:185-86).
This monograph is the evidence and result of many years of hard work and thorough and critical research of a skilful scholar. The book is well written: the way Weren argues, his analytical and logical thinking and reasoning is exceptional. The writing style of the book also deserves a compliment for it adds to easy reading. I appreciated Weren's rhetoric and how he guides the reader in following his arguments.
I have experienced humbleness in Weren's presentation in phrases, and references throughout the document that he does not intend his understanding to be the only way of understanding and interpretation. I find in his work an open-mindedness for other interpretations. This is noticed in references like, ' ... my observations are therefore open for supplementation and any corrections from different research perspectives' (Weren 2014:247), '... it will be obvious that my reconstruction is hypothetical in nature' (p. 252), 'probably' (p. 276), '... if this hypothesis can stand the test' (p. 293), and '... both propositions are highly hypothetical' (p. 296).
I endorse this book to be read by theologians, especially biblical scholars and to be prescribed in postgraduate programmes for students to become acquainted with how to work text-immanently: doing structure analysis, determining the rhetoric of the author, how to follow the argument of the author, how to manage intertextuality and also how an author uses semantic networks (intentionally or sometimes unintentionally) to communicate the kerugma.
For me the vantage point of this book is the manner how Weren works with texts. Whether I agree with him or not (and there are a few cases) is not the issue, but that he sincerely makes an invaluable academic contribution to the discipline of NT, and to be more specific, the Matthean field, is indeed true.
Ricoeur, P., 1973a, Hermeneutik und strukturalismus: der konflikt der interpretationen 1, Kösel-Verlag, (S.l. [ Links ]).
1 Weren applied two synchronic and coherent methods that complement each other: structural analysis and text semantics' (p. 3). His new proposal for Matthew's macrostructure is the answer of the following two posed questions: '(a) what medium-sized textual units does this Gospel consist of, and (b) what are the relations between the book's composing parts and what is their place and function within the document as a whole? ... Semantic analysis refers to a systematic study of the way in which meaning is expressed in a particular text and in a particular language' (p. 3).
2 In chapter nine which concerns 'Jesus' entry into Jerusalem', which is loaded with theology, Weren states that, 'I will examine these citations by means of a literary-historical analysis which is to enable us to determine their textual form. Next, I will broaden my methodological perspective by linking up with the theory of intertextuality. In sections 3-6, the separate citations from Matt 21:1-17 will also be explored in the light of this theory. I will conclude this chapter with some reflections on the way in which the various citations are connected' (Weren 2014:162-185). See also Weren (p. 186) for a similar modus operandi of chapter 10 on the use of Isaiah 5:1-7 in the parable of the tenants.
3 This reviewer is of opinion that chapter 12 should have been part of part 3 (socio-cultural background) and chapter 15 should have been part of part 2 (intertextuality). Although chapter 12 relates to the intertextual discussions it explores what images of the ideal community are constructed in the Gospel of Matthew, the Letter of James, and the Didache, and presents the results of a semantic analysis of three topics: the way in which the community is referred to, the community's relationship to God and Jesus, and the concept of perfection. The following lexemes are central: εκκλησία, θεός Ίησοΰς, and τέλειος. It is shown that the three documents are closely related where the construction of ideals which the Christian community must meet is concerned, but the differences are likewise striking. Chapter 15 contains a literary-historical analysis, aimed at the reconstruction of the wording and meaning of the source text (Q) used by Matthew, in composing the parable of the guests in Matthew 22:1-14. This chapter, reflects the differences between the method of literary-historical research of sources and redaction, and the intertextual approach developed in Part 2' (Weren 2014:9).
4 Weren refers to Matthew as part of the genre of a biography from the Greco-Roman world various times (pp. 228; 251; 256). Keener's (2003:15) understanding of biographies agrees on this point. According to him the canonical gospels reflect 'Greco-Roman rather than strictly Palestinian Jewish literary conventions'. Keener (1999:25), in his commentary on Matthew writes, 'Although the historical accuracy of biographers varied from one biographer to another, biographies were always primarily historical works. Historians wanted to make their accounts interesting and had specific emphasis in writing, but such practices do not keep one from writing good history'.
5 Weren uses the word 'layer' in a social context referring to the aristocracy of Jerusalem as the upper layer (Weren 2014:295). He also uses it in a semantic context referring to older and younger (pp. 9, 209, 253) meanings as well as multiple meanings (pp. 4, 5, 8). See also the work of Louis Martyn (1979) about the two level theory on the Gospel of John.
6 In his review of Bosworth, A historical commentary on Arrian's history of Alexander, Heckel (n.d.) pointed out how the biography of Alexander the Great was praised and blamed by Arrian in his biography on Alexander.
7 The word 'Mem' refers to the memories of Xenophon about Socrates. It stands for 'Memoralia', the title of this document. 'Of those who knew what sort of man Socrates was, such as lovers of virtue, continue to regret him above all other men, even to the present day, as having contributed in the highest degree to their advancement in goodness. T me, being such as I have described him, so pius that he did nothing without the sanction of the gods ...' (Mem 4.8.11). Cf. Keener (2003:11-53) for a thorough discussion on ancient biographies.
8 See also Weren (2014:253) who states that the major part of material in the oldest layer consists of sayings by Jesus. The second layer shows a mixture of both tradition and redaction. Many textual elements are derived from Mark or Q, but at the same time Matthew felt free to adapt them to the situation of his community. In the last stage, Matthew adapted old traditions to the circumstances that had changed. He also added new textual elements and felt free to adapt them to the situation of his community (p. 253).
9 In my discussion on the idiosyncrasy of texts I rely on what I have already discussed in my article, 'Reading the Bible in the 21st century: Some hermeneutical principles', in Verbum et Ecclesia. I have used it here in an adapted form because of its relevancy for this article.
10 Cf. Vanhoozer (1997:197-452) concerning his discussion on the re-doing of interpretation in his book.
11 Cf. Maddix and Thompson (2012:85) and Howard (2012:56-77) on the Lectio divina of texts.
12 Meaning that is created by the reader.
13 Issler (2012:120) refers to two modes of reading scripture: the mode of 'exploring' and 'research' and the mode as 'listening' and 'hearing'.
14 See also Weren (2014:96) who quotes Paul Claes who describes reception-oriented intertextuality, in which the reader plays an active part, as '...the complex of relationships between texts to which a function can be assigned by a subject that recognizes them'. The response of Weren on this is that, 'An essential element of this definition is that there is a reader who perceives relations and gives them a meaning and a function. Reception-oriented intertextuality involves implicit and free connections made by the reader, who can create relations which the author was not aware of' (p. 96).
15 Cf. Thompson (2000:202) for his evaluation of the contribution of the reader in the interpretation process. Bear in mind Matthew's presuppositions concerning the situation in the communities.
16 Robbins (1996a:215) refers to the awareness created by postmodernism that a biblical text does not have one possible objective meaning. This perspective was flawed as the reader has shaped and contributed to every step of the pursuit. Thompson (2000:201-202) supports this point of view.
17 Weren refers to it as 'polyphonic' (Weren 2014:100).
18 See Wittig (1977:78-87) for the pluri-signification in the parables in his essay, A theory of multiple meanings.
19 Vanhoozer (1997:417-18) distinguishes four kinds of interpretive plurality: firstly, a plurality of authorial intentions occurs - an author might intend a number of interpretive possibilities in a particular text; secondly, there is a plurality of intra-textual relations and intertextual contexts; thirdly, a plurality of readers and the contexts of these readers may be discerned - multiculturalism influences biblical interpretation; 'In order to serve the various needs and desires of various readers, texts ought to have plural meaning'; fourthly, a plurality of reading methods occurs.
20 Cf. Ricoeur (1973a:129-141; 1976:43-44) for his discussion on 'productive distanciation'. Years later Gadamer (1975:300-307) deals with the same phenomenon in his explanation of the concept 'effective historical consciousness'.
21 Gadamer (1975:269-274) was the first person to refer to the 'fusion of horizons'. According to him it was not possible to fuse the historical horizons of Scripture with the historical horizons of contemporary readers. Five years later Thiselton (1980), in his first major publication on hermeneutics, discusses the possibility of the fusion of horizons.


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Alternate Endings Documentary is About Decisions and Determination, Not Dollars
HBO's latest documentary film, "Alternate Endings: Six New Ways to Die in America," premiered Wednesday, August 14. According to HBO, the goal of directors and producers Matthew O'Neill and Perri Peltz was to offer "a fascinating look at the varied ways Americans are choosing to both find meaning and celebrate life as it comes to an end."
This description is more accurate than the film's title, as the six scenarios aren't all about "new ways to die." The documentary does indeed follow three individuals with terminal diagnoses, but the other three stories focus solely on the disposition of the recently deceased.
Stories of empowerment
Opening with a statement that 2018 was the first time more Americans chose cremation over burial, Alternate Endings highlights growing trends in dying and disposition. The content holds no surprises for death care professionals. Green burials, celebrations of life, and different options for cremated remains are all featured.
However, the target audience of the film isn't funeral directors. It's the baby boomer generation. As these individuals approach death, says HBO, they're "rethinking the ways end of life is recognized and are deciding to take control of what will happen when they die."
The six families (and three dying individuals) you'll meet in the documentary are authentic, passionate, and unapologetic about their choices. Even in the short period of time the film features each family, the viewer gains an understanding of why they want to die or be remembered in a certain way.
Most of the stories are celebratory and not overly-emotional. Viewers are more likely to cry tears of happiness as the featured families confidently fulfill their loved one's final wishes.
Dying with dignity
One vignette, though, was particularly heart-wrenching to watch. In this segment we meet Dick Shannon, a well-spoken former Silicon Valley engineer with terminal cancer. Dick has decided to take advantage of California's "death with dignity" law, which allows medical aid in dying.
We follow Dick and his wife as he visits his physician for the last time, completes the construction of his casket with his son-in-law, and displays the death drugs he'll use to end his own life. He's used a labelmaker to neatly distinguish each element of the concoction, which he stores in a plastic bin in his closet.
The day before he's decided he will die, Dick holds a celebration for 40 friends and family members. He walks among them, enjoying an adult beverage or two and personally accepting their compliments and advanced condolences. He even invites everyone to sign the lid of his homemade casket.
The next day, he drives himself to a farm where his family holds a "last supper" (their joke, not mine). Shortly thereafter, wearing a t-shirt and shorts, and with his casket open on the coffee table, Dick calmly drinks his drugs down. He tells his family he loves them all, lies down on the sofa with his wife at his side, and passes away while his family — and the cameras — watch. Afterward, Dick's family members place his body in the casket. It's an incredibly poignant segment.
Response to Alternate Endings
One day after the premiere, five critics had weighed in on the film with reviews like these (gathered on Rotten Tomatoes, which currently reflects a respectable 100% score for the effort):
"Alternate Endings doesn't push the viewer down particular philosophical alleys. Each story, each life, yields its own lessons."
"In a world where we're now so used to the therapeutic language of hope and healing that it can feel meaningless, the participants' generosity of spirit, thoughtfulness and humour shines."
"Though six people do go gentle into that good night, they have original wishes on the locations of their remains. An incisive documentary that plays to the heart."
Interestingly, no death care professionals appear in the documentary — not even a coroner to pronounce death. Even the green burial, which the documentary filmed from start to finish, appears to be completely DIY. First, family members and friends witness the death of terminal cancer patient Barbara Jean Simon. Then they clean her body, and wrap her in a biodegradable shroud — all at her own home.
At her burial, they carry Barbara Jean to a hand-dug grave in a spot she herself selected in the "Moondancer Garden" of Eloise Woods Natural Burial Park in Texas. They then inter her body and close the grave, planting a tree on the spot in the process.
It's not all about the money
In its opening, the documentary follows its statement about cremation by mentioning the "disruption" of the "$16 billion a year funeral industry." However, none of the families in the film mention money as as a factor they talk about their decisions. Not once. For these families, at least, their "alternate endings" are based on beliefs, not budgets.
"My observation about the way people die at least in America," said Dick Shannon six months before taking his own life in May 2018, "is they either don't or aren't allowed the opportunity to be part of the process. It's my death. Go with what you believe but don't tell me what I have to do."
alternate endingsdocumentaryHBOsix new ways to die

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Although [Jules et Jim] is named for the men, its animating force is Catherine, a creature both utterly timeless…and forever changing…claiming for herself the reckless male freedoms that women have been traditionally denied. Time and again, she literally dresses herself in the garb of masculinity.
On paper, the mercurial Catherine seems an implausibly grandiose conception, a woman both giddy and tragic, protofeminist and male-dominated, driven by Eros and Thanatos, love and death. But as played by Jeanne Moreau, a pop-eyed siren with the ferocity of Bette Davis and the kitty-cat wiles of Tuesday Weld, Catherine becomes one of the modern movies' triumphant characterizations—the anima as autocrat. Whether playing with vitriol or jumping into the Seine, she elevates capriciousness to an existential principle. When Jim says he understands her, she replies, "I don't want to be understood." And this is absolutely true. The movie lives in the shuddering distance between Catherine's imperious, doomed physicality and the two men's shifting perceptions of her, perceptions that rearrange but never destroy their glowing friendship.


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Overcoming the Trucking Capacity Challenge (Part 1)
If you are in the U.S. transportation industry it is impossible to be unaware of the growing shortage of trucking capacity. Shippers are paying, in some cases, over 30% above typical rates to book last-minute transportation for cargo. It is then not a surprise that some of the shippers have reported that the cost of moving freight is weighing on earnings. Sysco Corp. the world's largest food distributor attributed steep freight cost increase for lower than expected profits. Others, including candy sellers, pharmaceutical distributors and agriculture suppliers, have been pointing to higher shipping costs for lower profits in the most recent quarter. Tyson Foods Inc. projected the nationwide shortage of trucks and drivers to add $200 million to its costs this year. The company is already talking to customers about raising prices. Cereal-maker Kellogg Co.'s logistics costs rose at a double-digit rate in the fourth quarter, with about the same increase expected in 2018.
The big winners in the current market conditions are the freight brokers that connect shippers to trucking fleets with their financial results showing revenues and profits turning sharply upward. Among those reporting strong growth in brokerage business are C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc., Echo Global Logistics and XPO Logistics.
Per The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) Logistics Report, trucking companies in January ordered 48,700 heavy-duty trucks, the most in nearly 12 years. But it may take longer for those trucks to reach the market, as the backlog of orders is now at 159,000 trucks, from 134,000 at the end of December, according to ACT Research. Production of heavy-duty trucks in North America is expected to grow by about 25% this year to about 320,000 vehicles (boosted subsequently to 330,000 by freight analysts FTR) per the same report.
Driver shortage has been a thorn in the side of carriers for some time now. Driver availability tends to follow the unemployment rate. When the economy is suffering, and unemployment is high, workers are more likely to take jobs that don't perfectly match their ideal work. Since trucking pays competitively, even if the lifestyle is hard, it is seen as a stable gig. But when the economy is as stable as it is now, drivers who took the job as a gig may leave for more suitable jobs in construction or manufacturing causing a supply-demand imbalance. Estimated driver shortage is about 50,000, according to the American Trucking Association.
Per The WSJ's Jennifer Smith and Bob Tita, trucking companies over procured new trucks in 2014 creating capacity glut when freight demand slumped in late 2015 and 2016. This led to a sharp cut back on orders subsequently, helping to set up today's shortage. During this time truck manufacturers shut down production lines and laid off workers, though many began raising output last year as the market began to improve.
Current shipping demand far outstrips truck capacity. According to DAT Solutions LLC only one truck was available for every 12 spot-market loads needing to be shipped by the end of 2017. The heavy demand is tracking the strengthening economy, which just went through its biggest jump in holiday sales since 2011. Imports at the nation's seaports in January kept up the strong pace that began midway through last year. The WSJ's Erica E. Phillips reports strong economic demand and a rush to restock ahead of the Lunar New Year slowdown boosted freight business. Trade analysts Panjiva set overall U.S. import growth at 7.7% in January, a signal that international shipments remain a major force filling domestic road and rail distribution networks. It was further corroborated by Cass Information Systems Inc., a freight payment company that tracks road and rail shipments, which reported a rise of 12.5% year-over-year of U.S. domestic shipping demand in January.
Electronic-logging device (ELD) regulations that came in effect in December and a harsh winter also contributed to throwing the market out of whack. Before the ELD rule, a trucker could squeeze in more miles by not recording waiting on paper logs. Since ELDs automatically record that time the miles driven are reduced. Strict enforcement of ELD could result, in some cases, 10% fewer miles, or more than $100 a day in lost productivity, according to Edwin Lopez of SupplyChainDIVE. ELD regulations also have kept some trucks off the road and lengthened delivery times.
Check out Part 2 of this post next week when we share our firsthand experience with how carriers and shippers are handling this challenge and also what to expect the rest of the year.
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The University of Detroit Mercy finally found its new men's head basketball coach, after a search that lasted nearly three months. Mike Davis will be introduced as the Titans' coach Thursday June 14 at a press conference at the school's McNichol's campus at 11 a.m.
For weeks, Davis had been rumored to be the next man in charge of the Titans basketball program, after former coach Bacari Alexander was fired in late March. A deal was finally done and Davis will become the program's 22nd head coach in school history.
Davis, 57, was at Texas Southern for the previous six seasons, taking them to the NCAA tournament four times. Before that, he made stops at UAB and Indiana. In 18 seasons as a head coach, Davis is 352-241 and has made it to the NCAA tournament nine times.
The terms of his contract and what his staff and roster will look like are not yet clear. Keeping key player Jermaine Jackson Jr. on the roster will be vital for Davis. His father, Jermaine Sr., was the interim head coach for seven games during the season and during the search. He is not expected to remain on staff.


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IRAQ PREPARES FOR QUICK U.S. WITHDRAWL
May 23, 2007 / stonez / American Intelligence News, Iraq
BAGHDAD – Iraq's military is drawing up plans to cope with any quick U.S. military pullout, the defense minister said Monday, as a senior American official warned that the Bush administration may reconsider its support if Iraqi leaders don't make major reforms by fall.
The U.S. official did not say what actions could be taken by the White House, but his comments reflected the administration's need to show results in Iraq — as an answer to pressure by the Democrats in Congress seeking to set timetables on the U.S. military presence.
Several mortar shells hit the U.S.-controlled Green Zone, one striking the Iraqi parliament building but causing no casualties — the latest in near daily barrages on the nerve center of the U.S. mission and Iraqi government that underline the country's tenuous security.
At least 58 Iraqis were killed by attacks or found dead across Iraq, including seven people ambushed on a bus northeast of Baghdad, police said. The dead included 24 men whose bullet-riddled bodies were found across Baghdad, apparent victims of sectarian death squads.
British troops clashed with Shiite Muslim gunmen in the southern city of Basra. Britain's military said one British soldier and a civilian driver were killed when a supply convoy was attacked in the center of the city, Iraq's second biggest.
Elsewhere, U.S. troops raided safe houses south of Baghdad but failed to find three soldiers missing since a May 12 ambush that left four other Americans and an Iraqi dead.
"We've (identified) some safe houses and we targeted a couple of those today and they were able to slip away from us. But we're going to come at things from a different angle," a U.S. spokesman, Maj. Webster Wright, said without elaborating.
U.S. officers said the search by thousands of U.S. and Iraqi soldiers may be forcing the kidnappers to move the three Americans frequently, preventing insurgents from posting pictures of their captives on the Internet.
"We choose to be cautiously optimistic," Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch told CNN. "We're pursuing all leads with a passion, but right now we believe our soldiers are still alive. Each day that passes when we don't see proof of life, it causes us concern."
With violence raging, pressure is mounting on Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government to demonstrate progress on key reforms or risk losing American support for the unpopular war.
On Monday, Defense Minister Abdul-Qader al-Obeidi told reporters Iraq's military was drawing up plans in case U.S.-led forces left the country quickly.
"The army plans on the basis of a worst case scenario so as not to allow any security vacuum," al-Obeidi said. "There are meetings with political leaders on how we can deal with a sudden pullout."
It was unclear whether al-Obeidi's comment referred to routine contingency planning or reflected a feeling among Iraqi leaders that the days of U.S. support may be numbered even though
President Bush blocked an effort by Congress to set a withdrawal timetable.
A White House spokesman, Tony Fratto, said President Bush expressed confidence in al-Maliki during a telephone call Monday to the Iraqi leader.
He said the two talked about political progress in Iraq, and al-Maliki gave Bush updates on two key U.S. demands — legislation to share Iraq's oil wealth among its regions and ethnic groups and a reform of the constitution.
But two senior Iraqi officials told The Associated Press that Bush warned al-Maliki that Washington expected to see "tangible results quickly" on the oil bill and other legislation as the price for continued support.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't supposed to release the information.
In London, a senior U.S. official echoed that warning, saying the Bush administration wanted signs of progress by fall or it would be forced to reconsider its policy in Iraq.
The official, who briefed reporters on condition his name not be published, said the top American diplomat and military commander in Iraq would submit a report on Iraqi progress in September.
"If one looks at when critical progress is to be made, one would be best advised to look at this fall as a key point," the official said.
Senior Kurdish lawmaker Mahmoud Othman confirmed that U.S. pressure was mounting, especially on the oil bill, which was endorsed by the Iraqi Cabinet three months ago but has yet to come to the floor of parliament.
"The Americans are pressuring us to accept the oil law. Their pressure is very strong. They want to show Congress that they have done something so they want the law to be adopted this month. This interference is negative and will have consequences," Othman told AP.
Kurdish legislators oppose the formula for distributing oil revenues among the Iraqi communities, arguing for a greater say in how the money is disbursed.
Major Shiite and Kurdish parties oppose several proposed changes in the constitution, as well as Sunni Arab demands for a loosening of rules banning former
Saddam Hussein supporters from government jobs.
Prospects for far-reaching agreements among Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds were thrown into doubt over the weekend when the leader of the largest Shiite party, Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, was diagnosed with lung cancer at a hospital in Houston.
Al-Hakim, who left the U.S. for treatment in
Iran, delivered a televised address Monday in which he said he was suffering from a "limited tumor" but expected to return to the country soon.
U.S. officials had been counting on al-Hakim to help push through reforms, and a lengthy absence could make it difficult to deliver Shiite support.
In other violence, the Iraqi newspaper Azzaman reported Monday that one of its reporters, Ali Khalil, 22, was kidnapped while leaving a relative's house in the increasingly volatile Baiyaa neighborhood of Baghdad and found dead several hours later. He is survived by his wife and week-old baby, the newspaper said.
The attack came three days after two Iraqi journalists working for ABC News were ambushed and killed on their way home from work. The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said 104 journalists — not including Khalil — had been killed in Iraq since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. About 80 percent of those were Iraqis, it said.
A roadside bomb exploded near a group of Iraqi soldiers patrolling the Sunni-dominated Adil neighborhood in western Baghdad, killing three and injuring two others.
In Muqdadiya, about 60 miles north of Baghdad, two gunmen killed two police officers as they walked by the police station.
Insurgents also fired mortar rounds into a bank in Baqouba while customers were lined up to collect their pensions, killing two people, police said.
One comment on "IRAQ PREPARES FOR QUICK U.S. WITHDRAWL"
OldBear says:
Iraq's military is drawing up plans to cope with any quick U.S. military pullout, the defense minister said Monday, as a senior American official warned that the Bush administration may reconsider its support if Iraqi leaders don't make major reforms by fall.
Yeah, well, they better be thinking outside the box; if those good folks go on vacation while their buds and relatives are killing our soldiers we might be out of there in about 32 hrs. Of course, that opinion might be considered heresy in some quarters.


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Q: How can I convert (really) old files in Microsoft Paint format (.MSP) to a usable format? While recapturing the data from a bunch of old archives on 3.5" floppy disks, I have run into a few disks of pictures stored in the MSP format.  I'm pretty sure this is from an ancient version of Microsoft Paint (circa 1988-1990).  I looked inside the binaries, hoping for a clue about the format, but they all start with DanM for some reason.
I have searched for compatible applications and so far cannot find one.  I tried the mogrify/convert app from ImageMagick without success.  I also tried XnConvert, but it didn't recognize the MSP format either.
How do I convert MS Paint's MSP file format to something modern, like JPG? Any bitmap format supported by Ubuntu would be fine...  Thanks.

A: I was able to convert the MSP files with recoil (http://recoil.sourceforge.net/) and didn't even have to leave Ubuntu to do it.  Thanks to Kurt Fitzner for inspiring me to dig deeper on the web.

A: Congratulations on finding a file format from the Windows 1.0/2.0 days. The .msp file format only supported one bit-per-pixel monochrome.  Not having ever actually looked at the format, I can't say if it's compressed or not and I can't find any references to say for sure.  I do know that the original Microsoft Paint was actually a very stripped down version of ZSoft's PC Paintbrush (of the .pcx format).  This may mean that there is run length encoding on the data, since that's what .pcx usually used.
Options:

*

*Try and get someone with Windows to use software like XnView to convert the files.  The mentioned software isn't open source, but it is free (to use) for noncommercial purposes.  I think it unlikely you will find any open source software now existent that will open such an esoteric file format.  By the time Windows 3.0 came along and made it an actually viable platform, the .bmp file format came with it and relegated .msp to almost pink unicorn status.

*You can try and manually convert the image to something software in Linux can use.  If the image is raw (uncompressed) and you can identify where the image data starts in the file, you could probably use a text editor that supports binary and some clever search and replacing to convert the file into .PBM.  If you are at all inclined to programming, writing a program to convert it shouldn't be difficult.

A: I were able to crack the file format:
0x00: 4-Byte ASCII File Header (the "DanM" string you saw in the beginning of the file, this is different for Windows 2.0)
0x04: Width (16-Bit Little Endian Integer, on default Windows 1.0 images this is 592)
0x06: Height (16-Bit Little Endian Integer, on default Windows 1.0 images this is 768)
0x08 - 0x1F: Information we don't really care about (mostly 0x00 null characters)
0x20+: Raw 1-bit monochrome pixel data (Big Endian)
To view these images in rawpixels.net you need these settings:

*

*Width: 592 or whatever 0x04 is

*Height: 768 or whatever 0x06 is

*Offset: 32

*Flip Horizontal: No

*Flip Vertical: No

*Invert: No

*Pixel Format: Grayscale

*Ignore Alpha: No

*Alpha First: No

*BPP1: 1

*BPP2: 0

*BPP3: 0

*BPP4: 0

*Pixel Plane: Packed

*Alignment: 1

*Subsampling Horizontal: 1

*Subsampling Vertical: 1

Using this information it will be easier to program software that will convert the file into a more modern format (BMP, PNG, TIFF, JPG). I don't have Ubuntu btw, I have Windows 10 so I really should not be on this community anyway lol.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Identification of vocalizers was examined using an auditory-visual matching-to-sample task with a female chimpanzee. She succeeded in selecting the picture of the vocalizer in response to various types of vocalizations: pant hoots, pant grunts, and screams. When pant hoots by two chimpanzees were presented as a "duet", she could identify both of the vocalizers. These results suggest that researchers have underestimated the capability of vocalizer identification in chimpanzees. The chimpanzee correctly chose her own pictures in response to her vocalizations only by exclusion, and she did not show vocal self-recognition. The effect of acoustical modification (pitch shift and filtration) on the performance suggested that pitch is an important cue for the vocalizer identification.
We thank Dr. Noriko Inoue-Nakamura for providing us with recordings of pant hoots made in Africa. This study was supported by the Human Frontier Science Program (principal investigator, Dr. Vittorio Gallese), and a Grant-in-Aid for COE Research (no. 10CE2005) and a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (no. 13410025) to S.K. by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan.


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Home World Australia: YouTube blocks TV presenter's channel due to misinformation about Covid
Australia: YouTube blocks TV presenter's channel due to misinformation about Covid
Australia Fights against the delta variable. Millions of people have been locked down for weeks, but the virus situation remains under control. And on the fifth continent, too, there is a growing problem of misinformation when it comes to Covid-19. In a wonderful move I did Youtube Now Sky News Australia has blocked the TV channel.
The reason given by the video platform is that the channel has repeatedly violated the guidelines against false medical information. As reported by the Guardian, among other thingsThe presence of Covid-19 in the videos has been questioned.
In addition, viewers were advised to take money whose usefulness could at least be doubted. It was also related to the agent hydroxychloroquine, which has significant side effects and low efficacy against the virus.
Sky News Australia's YouTube channel has around 1.85 million subscribers. Initially, the ban is valid for one week. If a channel is blocked three times within 90 days, the ban becomes permanent. Sky News described the act as an "attack on freedom of thought".
YouTube did not disclose which videos were specifically denounced. However, the lockdown came a day after another media controversy. It was about commentator Alan Jones. He had criticized the lockdown measures on Sky News TV and described the NSW health chief as a "village fool".
Also Brisbane is in strict lockdown
Australia has long been able to contain the pandemic largely by closing its borders, quickly imposing lockdowns in the event of an outbreak and extensive contact tracing. However, only about 13 percent of the population is fully vaccinated against the coronavirus and the number of infections is increasing for a month due to the highly contagious delta variant.
See also World Population Report: Without specifying a special body
With Sydney The country's largest city has been on lockdown for weeks. However, restrictions so far have not slowed the spread of the virus there. The police now want to crack down on people who don't adhere to the curfew. Brisbane has also been in tight lockdown since the weekend.
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Hannibal Mcgee
"Food trailblazer. Coffee geek. Friendly alcohol enthusiast. Hardcore reader. Proud troublemaker. Pop culture advocate."
Boris Johnson running for political office
Climate protection: The government does not know how the electricity imported to Germany is generated
UN Secretary-General Guterres appointed for a second term
A hospital was also bombed: 16 people were killed by missiles...
2022: What to expect in the new year


(1) If an individual proposes to engage in contracting in the individual's own name, or a fictitious name where the individual is doing business as a sole proprietorship, registration or certification may be issued only to that individual.
(2) If the applicant proposes to engage in contracting as a business organization, including any partnership, corporation, business trust, or other legal entity, or in any name other than the applicant's legal name or a fictitious name where the applicant is doing business as a sole proprietorship, the applicant must apply for registration or certification as the qualifying agent of the business organization.
(a) An application for registration or certification to qualify a business organization must state the name of the partnership and of its partners; the name of the corporation and of its officers and directors and the name of each of its stockholders who is also an officer or director; the name of the business trust and its trustees; or the name of such other legal entity and its members; and must state the fictitious name, if any, under which the business organization is doing business.
3. The application for secondary qualifying agent must include an affidavit on a form provided by the board attesting that the applicant has authority to supervise all construction work performed by the business organization as provided in s. 489.1195(2).
(c) The board may deny an application for registration or certification to qualify a business organization if the applicant, or any person listed in paragraph (a), has been involved in past disciplinary actions or on any grounds for which an individual registration or certification may be denied.
(d) The applicant must furnish evidence of statutory compliance if a fictitious name is used, the provisions of s. 865.09(7) notwithstanding.
(e) A joint venture, including a joint venture composed of qualified business organizations, is itself a separate and distinct organization that must be qualified in accordance with board rules.
(3)(a) A qualifying agent must be certified or registered under this part in order for the business organization to operate in the category of contracting in which the qualifying agent is certified or registered. If any qualifying agent ceases to be affiliated with a business organization, he or she shall inform the department. In addition, if the qualifying agent is the only certified or registered contractor affiliated with the business organization, the business organization shall notify the department of the termination of the qualifying agent and shall have 60 days from the termination of the qualifying agent's affiliation with the business organization in which to employ another qualifying agent. The business organization may not engage in contracting until a qualifying agent is employed, unless the executive director or chair of the board has granted a temporary nonrenewable certificate or registration to the financially responsible officer, the president, a partner, or, in the case of a limited partnership, the general partner, who assumes all responsibilities of a primary qualifying agent for the business organization. This temporary certificate or registration shall only allow the business organization to proceed with incomplete contracts. For the purposes of this paragraph, an incomplete contract is one which has been awarded to, or entered into by, the business organization prior to the cessation of affiliation of the qualifying agent with the business organization or one on which the business organization was the low bidder and the contract is subsequently awarded, regardless of whether any actual work has commenced under the contract prior to the qualifying agent ceasing to be affiliated with the business organization.
(b) The qualifying agent shall inform the department in writing when he or she proposes to engage in contracting in his or her own name or in affiliation with another business organization, and he or she or such new business organization shall supply the same information to the department as required of applicants under this part.
(4) When a certified qualifying agent, on behalf of a business organization, makes application for a business tax receipt in any municipality or county of this state, the application shall be made with the tax collector in the name of the business organization and the qualifying agent; and the license, when issued, shall be issued to the business organization, upon payment of the appropriate licensing fee and exhibition to the tax collector of a valid certificate for the qualifying agent issued by the department, and the state license numbers shall be noted thereon.
(5)(a) Each registered or certified contractor shall affix the number of his or her registration or certification to each application for a building permit and on each building permit issued and recorded. Each city or county building department shall require, as a precondition for the issuance of the building permit, that the contractor taking out the permit must provide verification giving his or her Construction Industry Licensing Board registration or certification number.
(b) The registration or certification number of each contractor shall appear in each offer of services, business proposal, bid, contract, or advertisement, regardless of medium, as defined by board rule, used by that contractor or business organization in the practice of contracting.
(c) If a vehicle bears the name of a contractor or business organization, or any text or artwork which would lead a reasonable person to believe that the vehicle is used for contracting, the registration or certification number of the contractor must be conspicuously and legibly displayed with the name, text, or artwork. Local governments may also require that locally licensed contractors must also display their certificate of competency or license numbers. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to create a mandatory vehicle signage requirement.
(d) For the purposes of this part, the term "advertisement" does not include business stationery or any promotional novelties such as balloons, pencils, trinkets, or articles of clothing.
(e) The board shall issue a notice of noncompliance for the first offense, and may assess a fine or issue a citation for failure to correct the offense within 30 days or for any subsequent offense, to any contractor or business organization that fails to include the certification or registration number as required by this part when submitting an advertisement for publication, broadcast, or printing or fails to display the certification or registration number as required by this part.
2. Claims to be insured in any offer of services, business proposal, bid, contract, or advertisement, but whose performance of the subject work is not covered by a general liability or workers' compensation insurance policy.
(6) Each qualifying agent shall pay the department an amount equal to the original fee for registration or certification to qualify a new business organization. If the qualifying agent for a business organization desires to qualify additional business organizations, the board shall require the qualifying agent to present evidence of his or her ability to supervise the construction activities of each such organization. Approval of each business organization is discretionary with the board.
History.—ss. 9, 17, ch. 79-200; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-318; ss. 29, 49, ch. 82-179; s. 6, ch. 83-160; s. 86, ch. 83-329; s. 2, ch. 84-322; ss. 10, 20, 21, ch. 88-156; s. 23, ch. 90-109; s. 37, ch. 91-137; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 3, ch. 92-55; s. 67, ch. 92-149; s. 13, ch. 93-166; s. 1, ch. 93-239; s. 263, ch. 94-119; s. 5, ch. 96-298; s. 73, ch. 96-388; s. 1127, ch. 97-103; s. 9, ch. 97-228; s. 30, ch. 98-419; s. 6, ch. 2003-257; s. 31, ch. 2009-195; s. 108, ch. 2010-5.


From hand stretched ciabatta to the traditional Kentish favourite the huffkin, we bake a fantastic array of rolls suitable for any occasion. Our brioche and ciabatta are also approved by the Craft Guild of Chefs, giving you an extra level of confidence in the quality of our breads.
Perfect for those times when a full-size baguette isn't practical, our crispy-crusted quick bake demi baguette has a lovely, soft, typically French interior.
Plant based diets are increasing in popularity and we have developed a unique vegan bun. Our recipe includes a touch of potato to create a light eat. A quality bun to be enjoyed by all.
Light, rustic and hand-finished, these baguettes are reminiscent of the very best in France. Perfect for sandwiches, bread baskets or anywhere else that you would use a great quality traditional baguette.
The ultimate southern BBQ style rustic burger bun with a dash of red malt in the dough. They have an authentic wrinkled top to make them stand out from the sea of "perfect" buns out there.
The ultimate southern BBQ style rustic burger bun with a dash of red malt in the dough. Exactly the same recipe as our Alabama Grillhouse Bun but with the addition of poppy and sesame seeds give them an extra nutty flavour.
Multigrain sub loaves made with malted wheat for a rich flavour. Ideal for sandwich bars & takeaways. Approx 23" long for cutting and toasting.
These rolls look fantastic with a really farmhouse rustic appearance and are absolutely packed with flavour. Each roll is made with a multigrain flour as well as chia and poppy seeds, which makes for a superb flavoursome eat. Chia seeds are well known for their apparent health benefits and are a particularly good source of Omega 3.
A malted version of our popular cross between a ciabatta & panini roll. Gives a lovely malted flavour that compliments a variety of fillings.
Our ciapaninis are equally as gorgeous simply thawed and filled. Alternatively add your favourite fillings and grill for a lighter panini style sandwich.
A flavoursome, oven-baked Italian bread with a big heart, simply made with water, strong flour, salt, yeast and a generous dash of fragrant extra virgin rapeseed oil. Serve it on the side or stuffed with glorious delicacies like sausage burgers, or team it with tagines, polenta chips or poached chicken fillets.
Hand-shaped to perfection with a rustic floured finish and cranberries for extra zing, tangy and sweet. Far too good to reserve for Christmas, so we're making it all year round. Ideal for filling and spectacular with soups.
A delicious traditional roll from Kent, made with regionally sourced stone ground flour. This very rich bread has excellent keeping qualities and is perfect for filling for that extra special taste.
The huffkin is one of the few proud survivors of Britain's local baking traditions having been made by Kentish bakers for generations. The rich bread is made with stone-ground flour and requires slow proving to provide the soft crumb and crust. The indent in the middle was traditionally made by the baker's thumb and naturally coming from the Garden of England would often be filed with pitted cherries though these days it is more commonly found with any savoury filling for a substantial and historic snack.
Our rustic sourdough roll has a crunchy, crisp crust and a perfectly soft interior. With its mildly sour flavour and light, airy texture it can be enjoyed as a sandwich, burger bun or an accompaniment to meals.
Brown sub loaves for sandwich bars & takeaways, 23" long for cutting and toasting.
A tomato/olive ciabatta, gloriously yeasty with a crisp, floury crust and traditional open texture. It toasts beautifully and forms the perfect base for bruschetta.
White sub loaves topped with sesame seeds, ideal for sandwich bars & takeaways, approx. 23" long for cutting and toasting.
This versatile hand pulled ciabatta-style panini is equally at home served cold or from a traditional panini press.
This medley of individual Mediterranean focaccia rolls are all hand-dipped in extra virgin rapeseed oil that has been infused with herbs to give a fragrant aroma and a deliciously crispy crust. Black olive with Italian oregano.
This medley of individual Mediterranean focaccia rolls are all hand-dipped in extra virgin rapeseed oil that has been infused with herbs to give a fragrant aroma and a deliciously crispy crust. Sundried tomato with basil.
Our large ciabatta roll is generously sized for sharing, the perfect accompaniment for Italian food as well as crisp salads, hearty soups and stews.
All our ciabattas are made with a 24–48 hour fermented Rye sponge dough, individually hand-pulled and double fermented in the traditional way to ensure each ciabattas has the same amazing flavour, open texture and crust but each one still remains "an individual". The way good bread should be.
This medley of individual Mediterranean focaccia rolls are all hand-dipped in extra virgin rapeseed oil that has been infused with herbs to give a fragrant aroma and a deliciously crispy crust. Plain focaccia with rosemary.
This round version of our popular ciabatta roll is the perfect shape and size for gourmet burgers.
An authentic French country roll, hand-shaped with a rustic floured finish. Great for filling or served with soups.
Made the old fashioned way under the guidelines of the Real Bread Campaign. Carries the authentic 'Real Bread' mark.
Traditional English cottage loaf-shaped roll, topped with cracked wheat for a wonderfully nutty flavour.
2–3 minutes for a fresh and crusty roll.
Traditional English cottage loaf-shaped roll, lightly floured and delicious tasting. Perfect for accompanying a ploughman's platter.
Made with the greatest care from the best ingredients, this versatile product provides an excellent base for many fillings.
This authentic sourdough bread makes a delicious sandwich or is terrific as a gourmet burger bun for 6 or 8oz burgers.