Featured Posts
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What Is Biblical Literacy?
We complain about it, write about it, claim it’s important or even critical, design programs to create it, but what is it? I don’t mean that none of us know what we mean when we say “biblically literate” or “biblically illiterate,” but do we all mean the same thing? I don’t think we do, and…
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Fences: Mending or Rending
The following is a sermon I presented at the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Pensacola on September 11,2005 and originally posted here on September 13, 2005. I’m reposting it because when I went to look for it, I found that the original post had somehow been truncated, and also because there is a one word at a…
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Experiencing the (Baptism of the) Holy Spirit
This is a topic where I tend to make just about everyone uncomfortable. Long time readers may recall a previous discussion of speaking in tongues, and my own experience of it. Those who expect me to be intellectually oriented and rational are uncomfortable with mystical experiences, and many who are comfortable with the mystical experiences…
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Isaiah 31:4-5 and Prophetic Revelation through History
Isaiah 31:4-5 has presented a rather substantial exegetical, critical, and even translation problem to a number of commentators. The difficulty can be illustrated by comparing the translation of this verse in the REB: This is what the LORD has said to me: As a lion or a young lion growls over its prey when the…
And Yet Christians Speak of Persecution
I am continually annoyed when Christians claim to be persecuted in this country. I know that we are, from time to time, inconvenienced and troubled, but it seems to me that calling ourselves persecuted simply devalues the term. I’ve lived where persecution was a reality, as in fleeing ahead of someone intent on killing you…
Here’s When the Democrats Annoy Me
It appears that Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) will get a seat on the Homeland Security Committee, according to the Washington Post. If anyone is wondering how I can vigorously oppose the war in Iraq and still consider not voting for Democrats, this is an excellent example. (I have the same problem with the Republicans and…
Bruce Metzger Dies at 93
Bruce Metzger, Bible translator, languages scholar, and one of the foremost experts on New Testament manuscripts has died of natural causes at age 93. (HT: Better Bibles Blog). The story is available here. Metzger made numerous contributions, including working on editions of the Greek New Testament, a book on the New Testament Text, and a…
Welcome One Woman’s Search for Understanding
Please welcome One Woman’s Search for Understanding to the Moderate Christian Blog Aggregator and blogroll. You can start from her most recent post Spirituality and Health on a topic close to many of us.
Akismet and Disappearing Comments
I’ve been using Akismet for months now, and I have been nothing but happy until last night, when I found that some perfectly good comments were never posted. On reviewing my last 15 days spam, I found all four of the missing comments and “de-spammed” them, but unless the user had e-mailed me, I might…
Political Battles and Teamwork
In a church I used to attend there was a gentleman, already gone on to glory by the time I arrived, but whose presence still lingered. Whenever there was an argument in the church council about how to proceed, it was certain that his memory would be invoked at some point. There were two reasons…
Kenny Pearce on Bible Translations
[Gleaned from the Christian Carnival CLXI, which you should go check out.] Kenny Pearce has written an excellent post on Bible translations. I say “excellent” based on the obvious standard that he agrees with much of what I say! 🙂 He talks about a spectrum of translations using what he calls “a degree of literalness.”…
Hebrew Teacher Dismissed Because She’s a Woman
This is incredible. The post on the Christians for Biblical Equality blog is dated January 25, but I just came across it today. My own advisor at the MA level was a woman, Leona Glidden Running, who was both a godly woman and a wonderful teacher. It’s incredible to me that this sort of travesty…
And then there was Herman Cummings . . .
I encountered a comment by Herman Cummings on the Florida Citizens for Science Blog. I’m sorry, well, no I’m not, but I just really couldn’t resist. Here’s a guy who claims to be the foremost expert on Genesis. I kid you not. I quote from his web site: I am the foremost terrestrial authority on…
1 Corinthians Audio Series
I’m posting my 1 Corinthians audio series on the Pacesetters Bible School Newsletter blog, with the first entry here. You can follow this series either through the “1 Corinthians” keyword or the “Bible Pacesetter Podcast” keyword. The latter is mildly misleading because this podcast is not registered with iTunes, and appears only on the Pacesetters…
Are Anti-Abortion and Pro-Choice Compatible?
John at Locusts and Honey responds to SimplyComplexJen on this topic. John’s basic argument is that an abortion involves taking a human life without that person’s consent, i.e., the consent of the unborn child, and thus one cannot oppose abortion personally and yet support permitting it legally. Frankly, I think John has left out most…
Interview with Neil deGrasse Tyson
MSNBC has an excellent interview with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. It comes in five sections on the web site, but let me just quote one little thing to whet your appetite: Q: It’s always more newsworthy if a scientist is puzzled by something. A: But we’re always puzzled by something. And that fact is never…
Jesus the Logician Project
Joe Carter at evangelical outpost is trying to relaunch his Jesus the Logician project. I think it’s an interesting idea, and an index that I would like to see, though writing this type of material would not be my cup of tea. Thus I will simply put in this plug for those who might participate,…
Evolution Sunday Meditation
Why do I consider an “evolution Sunday” a good idea? Well, the fact is that I have some mixed emotions. I like the idea of a Sunday dedicated to religion and science, and the specific meeting point right now is evolution. No other scientific theory is eliciting the type of attack from the number of…
Upgrading to WordPress 2.1
I’m about to do it. I’ll comment on this thread when it’s done.
Was Priscilla the Author of Hebrews?
Ruth Hoppin, author of Priscilla’s Letter, is the author of the month on the Religion Forum. There is a mildly interesting discussion going on there, though it could use some additional debate, so check it out.
Was Priscilla the Author of Hebrews?
Ruth Hoppin, author of Priscilla’s Letter, is the author of the month on the Religion Forum. There is a mildly interesting discussion going on there, though it could use some additional debate, so check it out.
Space Exploration and Energy
The Evangelical Ecologist points to some interesting material on the possibility of getting fuel for energy from the moon. It seems to me that space exploration will really take off when we find an economic reason to go there. Spin-off technology is just not that likely to light up people’s life, and fundamental research is…
Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin
This is one of those automatically controversial topics. Jordan J. Ballor made an entry on it at Power Blog bearing the same title as my post. I don’t have a major problem with the intention of this article. Loving the sinner, but hating the sin is a very Christ-like thing to do. The problem I…
Making Medical Decisions
I found this article on MSNBC very interesting in terms of the number of doctors who feel that they can somehow impose their moral choices on their patients. I do have some problems with the methodology involved in the survey and the conclusions drawn–the former don’t clearly support the latter. Nonetheless, these attitudes raise some…
Moderate Christian Blogroll: Thoughts from the Shower
Please welcome a new member to the Moderate Christian Blog Aggregator, Thoughts from the Shower. Since I had time this morning to give an extra look to the site, let me call your attention to Anne’s two most recent posts, Speaking Life and Doctrinal Statements, both of which should interest many on the moderate blogroll.
Word Study Dangers: The Process
Several years ago I was in an online chat on religion, and one of the other members discovered that I read Hebrew. I actually forget how he accomplished it; that wasn’t the topic and I didn’t tell him. In any case, he said, “Wow! You read Hebrew!” I acknowledged that I do. “I’ve been wanting…
Moderate Christian Blogroll: Quiet Paths
Please welcome the newest member of the Moderate Christian Blog Aggregator and blogroll, Quiet Paths. Hopefully I’ll get around to another roundup (say that several times fast!) very soon, and include something form them.