Evolution of a Moral Sense
One of the interesting things I’ve noticed over the years is that scientists who are also believers often tend to resolve theological issues in ways that make the theologians uncomfortable. I can’t call myself a professional theologian, because contrary to what most church members seem to think, theology and Biblical studies are different fields, and…
Lectionary Texts for Transfiguration – Cycle A
I want to make just a few remarks on the texts selected for Transfiguration Sunday, February 3. I like to find common themes in the lectionary texts even when they don’t seem all that coherent. In this case, the texts are quite carefully chosen. First is the story of the transfiguration from Matthew 17:1-9. There…
A Just Claim?
9We are confident concerning you, loved ones, that you have the greater salvation. That’s why we speak in this way. 10For God is not so unjust that he would forget your works and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints and continuing to do so. 11But we want each…
Dimly in a Mirror
Every Bible student should go see this. Really!
A Liberating Theology
Liberation theology gets improperly defined and beaten up on a regular basis. Some complain that it ignores the spiritual element, ignores Jesus as savior, and tries to ignore sin. It’s fairly easy to make this case out of the Bible. There is, after all, Romans 13, in which Paul tells Christians to submit to the…
Sub Ratione Dei on Scot McKnight
A good first look at McKnight’s book A Community Called Atonement.
Obama at Ebenezer Baptist
The entire text is available on Levellers, and it’s a good one. Head over there and read it. I have the same reservations that Michael Westmoreland-White indicates, but that doesn’t detract from the quality of the speech.
The Bible, Christianity, and Me (Briefly)
I have seen a few comments lately from both sides of the spectrum about just where the Bible should stand in relation to Christianity and to a person’s personal beliefs. It seems that not only are Christians willing to define the role of the Bible for other Christians, but non-Christians try to explain to Christians,…
Isaiah 49:5 – An Insignificant Variant
So why do I want to talk about an insignificant variant? The answer is simple. In many cases the reliability of Biblical texts is stated simply in terms of the number of variants that exist in the manuscripts. This number is quite high, but most of these variants are not significant. They may involve identical…
Thinking about Hell
. . . in fictional form on my Jevlir blog.
Isaiah 49:2 – Mouths and Sharp Swords
One basis I use for comparing Bible translations is the way in which idioms are handled. It’s difficult to measure this precisely, because you have to consider several things: Is the idiom as used comprehensible to modern readers? Does it mean the same thing to modern as to ancient readers? Is there a reasonable English…
And Why Shouldn’t They?
A Canadian training manual for diplomats includes the United States on a list of countries where prisoners are at risk of being tortured.
Of Cowboy Hats and Graduations
Well, I am fully aware of the irony of my posting this right after I write a post about getting more substantive, but I really can’t resist. Besides, the tip of my (floppy) hat goes to Eddie Arthur, so it’s really all his fault. It seems that Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary wants to wear different…
Belarus Jails Cartoon Publisher
MSNBC has the story of a 3 year sentence in Belarus for publishing the Mohammed cartoons. There seems to be a lot of support for the notion that people have the right not to be offended. I’d suggest they grow up instead.
Quoting the Old Testament in the New – Psalm 40:6
Note: I will be using the English verse numbering throughout. Hebrew verse numbers are one greater in this chapter, thus this is Psalm 40:7 in Hebrew. In reading Psalm 40 several times, since it’s the lectionary passage for this week, I noticed a few things that I would have missed in just one pass. One…
Translating Psalm 40:7-8
Aside from numbering problems, Psalm 40:7-8 appears to be quite straightforward on first reading in Hebrew (where it is verse 8-9). The numbering problems include chapter numbering (39 in the LXX), and verse numbering (8-9 in Hebrew, 7-8 in English). Of course, we all know that verse numbering is not inspired; it is often positively…
Which Theologian Am I?
Always presuming, of course, that I’m not myself. I can’t resist these quizzes. This one is Peter Kirk’s fault. Which theologian are you?created with QuizFarm.com You scored as Paul Tillich Paul Tillich sought to express Christian truth in an existentialist way. Our primary problem is alienation from the ground of our being, so that our…
Apes, Lies, and Chick Tracts
There’s a propaganda piece that has been showing up in Florida, possibly as part of the fight against evolution in new proposed educational standards. It comes from a site with which I’m fairly well acquainted–Chick Publications. One sickening piece of propaganda from that organization is titled Apes, Lies, and Ms. Henn. It is obvious that…
Ross Perot Disses McCain
There may be something less significant than Perot’s opinion of McCain, but I can’t think what it would be. Still, I did give you a link to it! Such is the value of infamy.
Origen Censors Scripture Reading
In the prologue to his commentary on the Song of Songs, Origen recommends that certain portions of scripture, in particular the Song of Songs, should not be read by people who are not sufficiently mature: “But solid food is for the mature” and requires such people as listeners who “have their faculties trained by practice…
Factcheck.org Deconstructs the Democratic Debate
This comes via Newsweek. I’m really enjoying Factcheck.org. I hope to spend some time checking up on them, but thus far they seem rather even-handed. I’ll keep watching. This is the type of journalism I would like to see on the presidential campaigns.
Ambiguity in 2 Corinthians 2:5
This is a brief note expanding my query about ambiguous passages. I have discussed passage that are ambiguous in Greek, but where translating them ambiguously in English results in a different range of options from those a Greek reader would likely perceive. This passage seems to me to be a case in which one must…
Paying People to See EXPELLED
Given the advance publicity, and now reviews from some friends who have seen the movie, I have almost entirely negative expectations. That is not surprising, considering that I’ve sold out to the Darwinist ConspiracyTM, and no longer believe in God.* :-; However, it seems that the upright and theologically correct** folks who produced the movie,…
Bypass the Electoral College?
Wayward Fundamentalist Christian has a post about a movement by some states to bypass the Electoral College. This would be accomplished by a simple expedient that I had never thought of–state laws awarding their electoral college delegates to the winner of the national popular vote. (Here’s a NYT reference for those who may prefer that…