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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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Defining Biblical Inerrancy
One of the problems I have with the word “inerrancy” is that it is understood in very different ways. If I were to ask most people in my home church what biblical inerrancy means, they would probably conflate it with certain literalistic renderings. I disagree with the doctrine of biblical inerrancy, even as laid out…
Romney and Baptizing the Dead
It appears he had his atheist father-in-law baptized after death. Interesting! I think we should respect people’s decisions as they made them while they could still communicate with us. On the other hand, it suggests Mitt Romney really does believe what he claims–about his faith at least.
Democrats Running Anti-Romney, Pro-Gingrich Ads in Florida?
From what I’ve found I’m not sure if these are largely against Romney, which could at this point be explained as getting a head start on the general election (though I doubt that), or actually pro-Gingrich. (Report in the Boston Globe, hat tips Stones Cry Out and American Thinker.) I pointed out in a comment…
Hearing the Voice of God
Bob Cornwall has some great meditations on the lectionary texts for Epiphany 4B, which relate to the topic of When People Speak for God. The emphasis is on hearing. I maintain that hearing is most often neglected. We often debate about whether the word is inerrant while ignoring whether our understanding of it can ever…
Shane Raynor: How Not to Speak for God
He has some very good suggestions.
Correction on GPS Devices and Warrants
Jeremy Pierce corrected an error in my original post on this topic via a comment. I’m linking here to a clarification at The Volokh conspiracy, which I think makes the difference clearer. The original argument that this wasn’t a search was, in fact, quite ridiculous in my view, but I incorrectly reported that a warrant…
Search Warrants Required for GPS Devices
… that police put on your vehicle, according to the Washington Post. I welcome this ruling, and am very pleased to see it was unanimous. In fact, I think the government agencies who thought they could get by with this should be ashamed of themselves, and the a unanimous court ruling shows how far outside…
When NOT to Read the Bible
When driving? (HT: Kouya Chronicle)
Bruce Epperly Comments on Epiphany 3B
Bruce Epperly comments on the lectionary passages for next Sunday (Epiphany 3B), which are extraordinarily well suited for a process theologian. Well worth checking out!
Blackout on Wikipedia Tomorrow
I’m not going to be blacked out here, but I thought I’d just mention that I also oppose the bills (PIPA, SOPA) that are going through congress. Our representatives simply have no idea whatever what a reasonable burden is. Their view is that if a multi-billion dollar corporation or a large government agency could handle…
Rachel Held Evans on Evangelical Celebrity
I think she has two excellent points, the first about the danger of thinking of oneself as a celebrity (evangelical or not!), and the second about the value of structured prayer. I’d add a note on the value of structured Bible study, which also forces one to leave one’s comfort zone and one’s own desires…
Badly Written Laws Badly Applied
I sometimes watch Law and Order on TV (not faithfully), and I’ve often thought “how creative!” as one prosecutor or another invents a way to apply the law to something they’d like to “get” someone for. (Quite a sentence, but I’m going to leave it.) At the same time I’ve hoped real prosecutors in the…
An Exemplary Post on Translating the Word Nefesh
I’m linking to this post by Joel Hoffman not just for its content, which is indeed excellent, but also because I think it shows how to discuss translating a word from one language to another. A couple of notes: 1) He’s discussing how to translate the word in a specific instance, not some general “what…
Free New Testament Commentary Ebooks
The regular Kindle prices are great, but Baker is offering selected commentaries free for one day on Jan. 9 (past, alas!), Jan. 16, and Jan 23. Today’s is on James. More at Evangelical Textual Criticism.
Book Note: The Well Tempered Clavicle
I am only a moderately intense follower of the Xanth novels, but this one looked like fun (I usually get around to them eventually), so I checked it out. The humor is still there. There are too many puns for me, though I do enjoy many of them, and this one was on the topic…
Book Note: Turning to God
I asked my pastor for a good book on the basics of Christian conversion and he handed me William Barclay’s little book Turning to God. It’s a small book, with just 103 pages of reasonable size text. It’s not complex. The vocabulary is straightforward. I wouldn’t recommend it for speed reading, but you don’t need…
Jesus vs. Religion – Really?
There’s a video that’s been making the rounds of the Christian blogs, in which pits Jesus against religion. Here it is: There have been a number of posts that are critical of it as well, including a good one by John Byron, and a longer, but still interesting one at The American Jesus. Another…
Even-Tempered Response to Mark Driscoll
Eddie Arthur provides an even-tempered response to a recent interview by Mark Driscoll.
Christians Behaving Vilely (Rhode Island Edition)
43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the…
Quote of the Day – William Barclay
The greatest converting influence of all is a life which clearly and obviously is possessed of a power which can cope with the human situation in all its problems, in all its tragedy, and in all its pain. — William Barclay, Turning to God, p.41
Ken Schenck on Women in Ministry
Ken Schenck outlines his reasons for supporting complete equality in ministry, and he even uses the t-word — trajectory, as I did in my previous post. The arguments are related to those used by Kubo, but Schenck goes into some detail on the specific texts rather than just laying out the approach. I think all…
Alan Brill Interviews David M. Carr
… and a mighty interesting interview it is, including discussion of how authors, readers, and texts were understood in the ancient world.
Peter Enns on Evolution and Evangelicals
Peter Enns has a good post on what we should expect to learn from the Bible, especially Genesis 1 & 2, regarding origins. Good, as far as it goes. The problem that I see is that too few interpreters are going all the way. He has a new book out on the topic, Evolution of…
Bruce Epperly Interview on Philippians
Bruce Epperly, author of Philippians: A Participatory Study Guide, was interviewed today on WGTS. I’m listening to this right now and it’s great! He’s applying spiritual disciplines from the book to daily life.