Featured Posts
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Sorrow Like My Sorrow – Lamentations 1:12
Can we really understand the suffering of another person or they ours?
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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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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.
Psalm 29 (Baptism of Jesus) Year B
Whenever this Psalm comes up, I have to link to my short story, written from the Canaanite point of view, A Killer of Kings. This story has now been included in a collection, A Living Psalter: Creative Reflections on the Psalms, edited by Geoffrey D. Lentz.
When Campaign Finance Reform Has the Reverse Effect
Radley Balko (The Agitator) has an interesting article on actions of the Institute for Justice, which is helping some folks in Mississippi challenge the laws on spending to advocate for a political cause. The idea of such laws, of course, is to provide for openness and accountability in politics. In this case, however, it provides…
Connecting the Scriptural Dots – From Then to Then … to Now
When it came time for third year Greek at Walla Walla College (now University), I had Dr. Sakae Kubo, who had just become dean of the School of Theology. Taking a Greek class with Dr. Kubo was an experience. I credit him with bringing my Greek to the level that allowed it to stick with…
Mounce on Matthew 2:8, May, and Might
A good discussion, especially of the aorist adverbial participle followed by an imperative.
Facsimile Bibles Online
BLT lists some excellent facsimile Bibles available online.
Study the Bible – Nutshell Version
From C. Michael Patton. This approach is a bit different from my own, but will provide a valuable basis to examine the way you approach the Bible. I am somewhat skeptical of the “timeless theology” phase, even though it’s necessary.
Book: Snuff (Terry Pratchett)
How can I say enough good things about Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books? The fact is, I can’t. If you have any liking for fantasy and humor, you need to get involved in this series. The most recent one (at least that I’ve gotten my hands on) is Snuff, and the only new thing I’d have…
Book: Fatal Error
J. A. Jance is one of my favorites in the mystery/thriller category, and Fatal Error is up to her best standard. I enjoyed every minute of the book. I didn’t feel like speed reading through anything, and I never felt that she’d left out part of the story, which is a rare thing for me….
Book: Bones of Empire
William C. Dietz is one of my second-tier authors, i.e. he’s not in my top five, but I’ll pretty regularly pick up one of his books. In Bones of Empire he continues the story previously told in At Empire’s Edge, and I actually found this book more engaging than the other. We get some politics,…
I Can Haz – the Ontological Argument
… or not. I’ve always thought the ontological argument for the existence of God was pretty silly, so I can’t resist linking to the kitteh version.
Is the American Church in Prison?
Christians in many countries face imprisonment, but is it possible the American is imprisoned metaphorically by our way of thinking? Eric Carpenter thinks we are, and suggests some things to rethink.
The Problem with Stories
I like stories. I believe we think largely in stories. I have a separate blog where I write stories. I have published two collections of stories from my blog. I like stories—got it?! But I also really enjoyed the talk I’m embedding below by Tyler Cowen, who blogs at Marginal Revolution about the dangers of…