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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Hired Staff Won’t Solve Church Problems
Yesterday I posted one of my short stories over on my Jevlir blog. For those who don’t read that blog (its readership is quite low), I wanted to write a couple of notes here. Many churches think they’ll find the solution to the problem of declining membership or financial problems by hiring just the right…
The Dominionism Debate Continues
Joel Watts and Peter Kirk are at it about dominionism, and now a book I publish, The Politics of Witness, is getting a place in the debate. I have a couple of problems with the title “dominionist.” First, in response to Joel, I think it is important to make distinctions between different viewpoints, even when…
Christian Carnival September 14, 2011 Posted
… at Beyond Belief.
Unity of Love – Unity of Hate
There are plenty of posts going up today commemorating the events of September 11, 2001. I do remember where I was. I was hoping to sleep in for some reason (usually late working or reading), and was awakened by being told there was something I just had to see. On the TV was a picture…
The Only Worshiper Who Got It
At today’s church service there was something I wish I had caught on camera. I’m not really quick, even though I have a reasonably good camera in my cell phone. Our pastor, Geoffrey Lentz, was preaching the final sermon of his Summer in the Psalms series, this time from Psalm 150. He talked about exuberant…
Bad Girls, Bad Girls
Rachel Held Evans, in her Sunday Superlatives links, provides a link to a post by Sarah Bubar on The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood blog titled The Bad Girl’s Club. In this post are featured four women for this “bad girl’s [sic] club”: Julian of Norwich, Ann Hutchinson, Margaret Fell Fox, and Phoebe Palmer….
Christian Carnival Posted
… at Thinking in Christ. Find out about such diverse topics as Rowling’s ethics of magic and dating the synoptic gospels.
Dominionists, Dominionisimists, Theonomists and Political Labels
If you’re expecting me to do a rundown on the definitions of all of these terms, then you’ll be disappointed. There’s plenty of writing trying to define the terms. Jeremy Pierce wrote the key post discussing “dominionismism,” titled simply Dominionismists. In it, he compares those who are concerned about dominionism with Birthers and Truthers. On…
Reading Acts Series on the New Perspective on Paul
I’ve written a bit about this before, but it’s hardly my main area of expertise. Philip J. Long has written a very nice introductory series on the New Perspective on Paul. Here are the links: Basics of the New Perspective – An Introduction What Was the Old Perspective? Judaism as a Religion of Grace Was…
BLT = Bible * Literature * Translation
There’s a new translation blog, and I’ve added it to my RSS reader. Check out BLT.
A Bone to Pick with Scholars and Experts
When I first started attending a United Methodist church, and the leadership figured out what my background was, I was soon invited to teach various classes around the church. I was fairly pleased with this, as I love to talkteach, and it gave me plenty of opportunities. My approach was to search for ever newer…
Kitteh vs. Piano
Link to Video HT: Why Evolution is True.
Dave Black (and Charles King) on Greek Teaching Methods
Dave Black notes the following: 9:04 AM This morning Kyle Davis, one of my teaching assistants, sent me a link to this excellent essay: The Method of Teaching New Testament Greek (.pdf). On the several takeaways I got from reading it, this one is perhaps the most important: Extensive memorization produces improved strategies for memorization,…
The September Biblical Studies Carnival Episode III Posted
… at Exploring Our Matrix. So many posts, so little time. Who can possibly keep up? But this blog is actually linked twice.
On Publishing Philippians: A Participatory Study Guide
This post will contain reflections both on the recently released Philippians study guide and the series of which it is a part. I generally write such reflections after each book my company releases. So be warned—there are products discussed here! When I first created this blog I was the only author in the participatory study…
When Robots Chat
This is too much fun: HT: The Agitator, who suggests they should be hired as commentators by MSNBC and Fox News. I agree.
The Biblioblogs Strike Back
James McGrath has posted episode two of the Biblical Studies Carnival, The Biblioblogs Strike Back. Fun!
Out of Context Comfort
When I was in college studying Biblical Languages, my mother told me of an encounter with a biblical scholar who had corrected her somewhat forcefully on the use of a text. She had claimed Isaiah 49:25, “… I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children” and done so…
Jon Morris at The Drowsy Poet
I thought I’d give a bit of plug to my young friend Jon Morris. Last night he played and sang at The Drowsy Poet here in Pensacola. He’s working up to recording a new CD. Jody and I had a great time for two hours with a number of friends and some interesting music. You…
On Roman Catholics and Scholarship
One of the great benefits of owning a publishing company is that there are always a number of smart people who will answer my e-mails. Thus, when I saw the brouhaha about Michael Patton’s post calling ‘Roman Catholic scholarship’ an oxymoron, I remembered immediately that I have just contracted Dr. Robert LaRochelle to write a…
One Reason Christian Leaders Fall – Overload
There have been any number of Christian leaders who have fallen recently, and while the publicity makes it appear that there are more and more, I suspect this isn’t anything new. One major reason for a failure in leadership is that we put too much trust in people. We give a pastor a great deal…
Bruce Epperly Series on Philippians
… at Bob Cornwall’s blog. Bruce Epperly is the author of Philippians: A Participatory Study Guide.
Comparing a Three and Four Year Lectionary
Will Humes, a Methodist pastor in Pennsylvania, is proposing a four year lectionary. Two major benefits he sees for this lectionary is that it would give the gospel of John a bigger place in the lectionary, and also inclusion of more wisdom literature. I have already briefly commented on this. What I’m planning to do…
Note on the Four Year Lectionary
I’m doing a few comparisons of the passages in the four year lectionary I mentioned the other day. I’m posting them on my lectionary blog.