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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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Polls and Headline Writing
. . . or how to lie with headlines. I get very annoyed with the reporting of polls. One way to create news is to incorrectly headline or even incorrectly describe polling data. For example, CNN uses the headline Poll: Romney & Gingrich Tied for Top Spot in reporting on the latest USA Today/Gallup poll…
Bruce Epperly Comments for the First Sunday of Advent (Cycle B)
Bruce Epperly has an excellent set of comments on the texts for Advent 1B at Process and Faith. In particular take a look at the discussion of our perception that God has abandoned us in the comments on Isaiah 64. But are we abandoned, and what would it mean? Perhaps, as later Jewish mysticism suggests,…
Loving C. S. Lewis and Hating Rob Bell?
Michael Patton, who often steps into controversial issues (which I do not mean as a criticism), asks why people love C. S. Lewis, but hate Rob Bell. His conclusion is that this is because Bell’s ideas that push the boundaries characterize his ministry, unlike those of C. S. Lewis. I must admit that I’ve read…
Paul Was a Sexist Simpleton?
Well, no, I don’t think so, but in one of the best demonstrations I’ve seen of how not to argue, that is a view attributed to others by writer Andrew Wilson on the New Frontiers Theology Matters blog (HT: 42). Within evangelicalism, four main lines of interpretation can be discerned. (Outside of evangelicalism, the response…
Jon Stewart Nails It on Penn State
The Daily ShowGet More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook (HT: Pisteuomen.)
My Wife is Giving Away Books
Copies of her own book Grief: Finding the Candle of Light, that is. She’s written an excellent post on dealing with grief in the holidays, and she’s offering a free copy of her book to the first three commenters. So head on over there and be one of those first three and get your free…
Christian Carnival Posted
. . . at Codex: Biblical Studies Blogspot.
Point It at Yourself First
One recommendation I make for Bible study is simple: Look for what speaks to, and yes convicts, you first. It’s very easy to read the Bible and find all the things that other people ought—or ought not—to do. This results in our practice of having lists of “clean” sins and “dirty” sins. Clean sins are…
Scot McKnight on Academic Freedom
Scot McKnight wrote an interesting post today on the need for academic freedom in religious schools. First let me note that I agree with the need for academic freedom, and that I am sympathetic with all three cases McKnight mentions, and have had personal correspondence with one of them. In addition, I like to promote…
Scot McKnight on Women in Ministry
I’ll be eagerly awaiting the inexpensive ebook of his lecture at Fuller. The summary is interesting.
Last Day for Victim No More! Giveaway
My company, Energion Publications is giving away a free copy of Shauna Hyde’s book Victim No More! through our Facebook page. All you have to do is comment on one of the threads related to the book there. This giveaway is related to Domestic Violence Awareness Month which ends tomorrow. Any comments on our Facebook…
Another Gutted Reading – Psalm 89
I’m looking at the readings for Proper 25A, and again I notice a large chunk of the Psalm removed from the reading, Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17, so 7-12 is left out. Now sometimes I see good reason for taking part of a Psalm, because one does need to keep the readings reasonable in length. As it…
Brannon Howse and Justin Peters Dissing Visions
The following video comes from Worldview Weekend, and is a conversation between Brannon Howse and Justin Peters. What’s interesting about this post is that pretty much every accusation they make against modern people who claim visions of or visits to heaven could be made against various Bible writers. In fact, they run into this difficulty…
Revelation Requires Interaction
In my book When People Speak for God I used the story of the one-ended telephone cord. Edward Vick makes the same point in much more profound language than I used. But even should someone intend to make known to me what I would otherwise never come to discover by myself, I shall not in…
Connectionalism and Dysfunctional Churches
I have made a few negative comments about conference dashboards keeping statistics on membership, apportionments, and other activities available to anyone who wants to read. I continue to question whether these numbers really tell the story of the health of the churches. There are, I believe, some very large and growing churches that have little…
Revelation and a System of Doctrine
I really enjoy the last few days of work on a pending book release, because I include an opportunity to read the final form of the book at a more reasonable pace and without the constant distraction of working on editorial changes. Well, I should confess that I’m also always going crazy with production issues,…
This Headline Says It All
Tithing Hits Record Low; Churches Spend More to Make Congregants Happy. While I don’t believe tithing is a command binding on Christians, my problem is not that it would demand too much, but rather that it demands too little, does so in the wrong way, and for the wrong reasons. But that’s another topic. And…
To the IRD: Democracy is Biblical?
Mark Tooley of the Institute for Religion and Democracy thinks that religious leaders should not be supporting the Occupy Wall Street movement: “Religious activists who have aligned with the Wall Street Occupation should model mature Christian discernment, not echo angry resentments that dream of a secular utopia.” That quote is highlighted at the top of…
Minutemen – Follow the Oil Tour
Get your own signed copy of Nick May’s new book Minutemen during his “Follow the Oil” tour.
O’Reilly vs Dawkins and Mocking God
The video below is a short exchange between Richard Dawkins and Bill O’Reilly. I’ve come to expect nonsense from O’Reilly, and I have a fairly low opinion of what Dawkins writes regarding theology, while considering his science writing second to none. Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com What caught my attention here was the accusation…
Battle over Inspiration or Interpretation
There’s an interesting article by Mark Galli on the Christianity Today web site, titled A New Bible Battle. Galli refers to the “old” battle, and Lindsell’s book. That battle was over inerrancy. But this new battle has to do with reading the Bible in what Galli calls “sub-biblical” ways, for example, as a self-help manual….
Discipleship Not About Numbers
… so says Dan Dick. All I can say is I agree. Go read!
An Amazingly Bad Article on THE MESSAGE
Well, not really so amazing. I’ve seen many like it, and it comes from the Worldview Weekend folks who have been spending their time being extraordinarily critical of other conservative Christian organizations. The article is titled BRIEF (AND BY NO MEANS EXHAUSTIVE) SUMMARY OF PASSAGES CONTAINED WITHIN “THE MESSAGE” BY EUGENE PETERSON WHICH DIRECTLY COMPROMISE…
Minutemen
(As of 10/2/11, B&N is offeringMinutemen for $8.76, 32% off the cover price) Nick May is coming out with his second book, Minutemen. (His previous title is Megabelt from Energion Publications.) This book is not at all like Megabelt. It’s the story of four young men whose relationships haven’t worked out (or are deteriorating) and…