Fortunately I’m old enough that I can chime in and say with Hezekiah, ‘Well as long as things are well in my day…’ But James Crossley has gazed into his crystal ball and seems to imagine a day when, 20-30 years from now (when I have long since retired) that ‘reception history’ is the chief tool of biblical studies. Crossley writes

On the one hand, this could mean the end of NT/biblical studies as we know, with academics scattered around different university departments (film studies, English, French, religious studies etc). That certainly could be very interesting, though personally, I have found it much more beneficial being in a department where, for all the different interests, the common interest in biblical studies makes it far easier to learn all sorts of helpful things. On the other hand, and this seems more likely to me, biblical studies as a discipline could simply look very different in the future and could survive as a discipline. Another reason I say ‘more likely’ is because there is a massive biblical studies network. Most obvious is SBL and the recent issues with AAR might show how strong SBL and biblical studies actually is. Another reason I say ‘more likely’ is that there is obviously no collection of literature so deeply rooted and continually influential, or at least continually used, than the Bible in ‘the West’, not even Shakespeare (and even in ‘the West’ his influence has its limits). There has been a clear interest in the use of the Bible (and, of course, the Qur’an – scripture studies anyone???) in different departments and disciplines, from politics to critical theory. Study of the reception of the Bible is currently at least pretty crucial I’d have thought.

But James, what you call ‘reception of the Bible’ is already a discipline within theological faculties- it’s called ‘Historical Theology’.

Hence, though I am loathe, literally, to disagree with James or his prognostication (such disagreement causing me actual physical pain), what he sees as a future event is a present reality. There really is nothing new under the sun. Or in the crystal ball. New Testament studies will continue to be a subset of theological studies because, and I can’t emphasize this too much, the New Testament (and the Old) are theological through and through.

Or, to take the discussion to another level and to do it more provocatively; studies of biblical texts belong in theological departments rather than faculties focused on purely historical endeavors.  The Biblical texts are theological in nature and not historical.