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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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Biblioblog Top 50 and Carnival
The top 50 is up, and Jim West is hosting the carnival with his usual snark. I’m #25 in the former, and not present in the latter. Enjoy!
Michele Bachmann Wants to Cut Veterans Benefits
Just in case you thought liberals were the only ones who wanted programs, but didn’t want to pay for them, consider this story from the Air Force Times (HT: Dispatches) regarding Michele Bachmann‘s suggested budget cuts. What I mean by wanting a program, in this case, is wanting the military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan,…
Troy Britain Tours Young Earth Creationist Dinosaur Park
He doesn’t like what he sees.
Grow a Scriptural Faith – For Your Kids
The joint blog through the book Almost Christian by John Meunier and his daughter continues with Parents Matter Most. I must recommend this series again, because both participants are making excellent points and being quite open about spirituality. You can follow the links in the various posts. A key takeaway line this time: Neither grows…
History of the Bible for 3rd Graders
I was surprised to be invited to teach a session on the history of the Bible to the third grade class at my home church. So what does one do with about a half an hour to talk about the history of the Bible with about 20 lively 3rd graders? I chose to create some…
The Multiple Personality Disorder of American Foreign Policy
A number of bloggers have been expressing their solidarity with the Egyptian people today. On that subject I’m going to suggest the words of two friends of mine, Allan Bevere and Bob Cornwall. Yet while I sympathize with the Egyptian people, I am going to comment on something else. Why is it that our moral…
How Liberal Christians Lose Credibility
This article interested me, if for no other reason than my tag line: Thoughts on Religion in the World from a passionate, moderate, liberal charismatic Christian. Now I should point out again that “liberal charismatic” was a tag bestowed on me by someone who didn’t like me, and my preference is “passionate moderate” as a…
Making It Hard to Read
Joel Watts suggests that we might need to make laypeople learn some of the more difficult theological terms, and he quotes an Economist study to support his contention. I would relate his comment to my own suggestion about the different ways of reading scripture. I don’t think we always want to read slowly and in…
Worship Worthy of Your Understanding of God
I started teaching a new Sunday School class today, or I should say it’s new to me. In our discussion one of the class members discussed who he understood God to be, and then commented that he couldn’t understand such a God requiring worship. His concept of God was rich and deep, so by this…
Life Application Study Bible Giveaway
For participation in a previous contest, Tyndale House has sent me a certificate for one free copy of the Life Application Study Bible (NLT), which they say is the #1-selling study Bible. I’m happy to be able to provide someone with a copy of an NLT. I’m going to do this a bit differently this…
Dave Black on Translations
I was thinking of quoting this comment from Dave Black myself, but Rod Decker beat me to it. We should give translators more respect!
The Value (or not) of the Spiritual Warfare Metaphor
My daily lectionary readings for the day included both Ephesians 6:10-24 and Mark 5:1-20. (I get my readings from The Voice.) It’s an interesting combination, because the Ephesians passage is the famous one about the armor of God and thus features in just about any discussion of spiritual warfare, while the passage in Mark, regarding…
Is Civility Our Greatest Need?
In the wake of the shootings in Tucson, much of the conversation has been about civility. I was just watching CNN as Wolf Blitzer interviewed Sheriff Dupnik of Pima County, Arizona. The sheriff was asserting that the caustic atmosphere created by people making caustic political comments contributed to making Jared Loughner go out at shoot…
The Bible and Abortion
John Hobbins is off to a promising start discussing what the Bible says about abortion. I’ll be interested in seeing his take on Exodus 21:22-25, and may post some thoughts of my own when the time comes.
Seeking Sinless Perfection
Image via Wikipedia Because I have some online watches for names of Energion Publications authors, I found the post In Search of Sinless Perfection, which quotes Alden Thompson. This comes from a Seventh-day Adventist background, but I must mention that I have been surprised by how much from my own SDA background simply translates into…
A Test to Determine if One is a Christian
Image via Wikipedia I’m pretty annoyed to have judges trying to make a determination of whether one is a Christian based on their knowledge. That reflects a very poor understanding of Christianity that probably comes from someone who has grown up Christian and doesn’t really understand someone who is a recent convert. The story is…
John MacArthur Discovers the Greek Word DOULOS
T. C. Robinson posted the promotional video, in a post titled John MacArthur Charges Bible Translators with Conspiracy, which I’ll embed here for reference: One must make some allowance here for publisher hype, but nonetheless I find the promo a bit cringe-worthy. One of the commenters asks what MacArthur did before he discovered the meaning…
Best Pew Bible?
Ken Schenck answers the question of what translation he’d endorse as a pew Bible. I must say that I give him the “Henry Neufeld award” for hedging his answer. For those of you who haven’t met me in real life, I’m known for giving long answers that provide plenty of verbal provisos or footnotes. At…
View on Justification
Andy Johnson of Nazarene Seminary has a nice overview. (HT: Cross Talk and Chrisendom)
Critical Views of OT vs. NT
I’ve noticed in conversation with a number of pastors over the last few years that many tend to take a more conservative view with regard to authorship of the New Testament than they do of the old. This is, of course, strictly anecdotal, limited to my own experience. For example, someone may argue vehemently for…
Almost Thou Persuadest Me
RJS at Jesus Creed has a post titled simply “belief” after the book by the same name edited by Dr. Francis Collins. In discussing the relationship between faith and reason, or perhaps faith and science, he poses the following questions: If someone approached you in a coffee shop and asked you what argument for faith…
More on Spiritual Fitness for Soldiers
I wrote earlier on this topic. Here’s another letter on the topic. I will only add that in my view there is simply no excuse for a Christian chaplain using the power of Caesar to attempt to get converts. I am strongly opposed to force and manipulation. This isn’t the gospel message and it misrepresents…
What Makes a Person Great?
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a great man. Said today, that is a rather unremarkable statement. Back in 1968, when Martin Luther King was assassinated, it would have sparked intense, even violent, debate. To some he was a troublemaker. To others, evil. To yet others, he was a danger to society. And to certain parts…
Bob Cornwall Reviews Commentary on Mark
… at Christian Century. Of all the book reviews available, I think commentary reviews are the most valuable.