Featured Posts
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
Social Notes (see all)
All Posts
On Saul and David – for World Prayr Blog
I wrote a post on Saul and David for the World Prayr devotional blog. It ties into my series in some ways.
Christ the King Sunday
I sometimes complain about the way lectionary passages are cut off before difficult passages, so I thought it might be nice to mention the truly wonderful selection of the gospel for Christ the King Sunday today. The gospel passage is Luke 23:33-43. At our “Lectionary at Lunch” gathering, led by Geoffrey Lentz, a number of…
Raising the Retirement Age
I received an e-mail a couple of days ago from the Daily Kos urging me to sign a petition pledging that I will never support raising the retirement age or privatizing social security. I’m afraid that this is one petition I will pass up. Since I’m in my mid-50s, I’m not that excited about seeing…
1 Chronicles 14:1-16:3 (The Ark Again)
I’m continuing my notes on 1 Chronicles, working from the Cornerstone Biblical Commentary volume on 1 & 2 Chronicles by Mark J. Boda. One of the strengths of this particular commentary is making the themes of the book and the connections between the various passages very clear. The chronicler presents his theology in the form…
Received: James, Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament
I registered in time for the blog tour for the Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, and I received my copy of the commentary on James by Craig Blomberg and Miriam J. Kamell today. I’ll be reading it through and posting my comments here during the week of the blog tour, Dec. 15-22. I am…
On the Myth of Adolescence
When I first looked over the list of David Alan Black’s books I kind of skimmed past The Myth of Adolescence. I have no adolescent children and didn’t really care to read about the matter one way or another. Over time I took a further look at his article, Want to Reform Your Youth Ministry?…
Ignorant of Church Domes
I think the combination of ignorance and bigotry expressed by opponents of this church is both said and somewhat frightening. (HT: Dispatches)
Quote of the Day on The Agitator
I think it’s a good one. I part ways with many liberal and moderate friends over Citizens United. I simply cannot see that having the government regulate the political speech of any citizen or group of citizens will have a positive effect. Learn to live with freedom of speech. It may be messy, but it’s…
Of Olbermann, Fox, and Commentators
I’ve been rather interested in the reaction to Keith Olbermann’s couple of day vacation. There was quite an outcry when Fox’s parent corporation donated money to the Republicans and at the time I wondered just who imagined that such a corporation would actually be neutral on such issues. Where they give their money is a…
Responding to the New Atheism
Laura at Pursuing Holiness has a good post on a Christian response to the New Atheism. I agree largely with Laura, though I would comment on a couple of details. First, a common objection I hear to the new atheists is that they are too vocal and forceful. I think this criticism is not well…
Uzzah and the Ark – 1 Chronicles 13
I’m continuing with brief notes on the Cornerstone Biblical Commentary volume on 1 & 2 Chronicles by Mark J. Boda. I previously provided an overview and some notes on the coverage of 1 Chornicles 1-9, and 1 Chronicles 10-12. As I mentioned in my previous post I wanted to make some specific comments on 1…
Recognizing the Importance of Interpretation
Though I disagree with the term “inerrant,” in all other ways I think Keith Matthison is right on target. I would add that you can be just as firm regarding the basis for your interpretation and why you believe it is right and other interpretations are wrong, without saying that your opponent simply doesn’t believe…
A Prescriptive Grammarian Goofs
I enjoyed a post by Geoffrey Pullum at Language Log today for several reasons. (The post provides notes and links to reviews of Strictly English: The Correct Way to Write… and Why It Matters. You’ll see soon why I don’t include a purchase link for the book.) First, prescriptive grammarians get on my nerves and…
Review: The Girl Who Played with Fire
I read this book on the recommendation of a friend, and quite frankly at the start I was a bit unsure that I was entirely happy with the idea of reading it. It takes about a third of the book for the plot to get moving. I’m used to this from some British mysteries, which…
Unbinding What Rules?
A while back Dave Black linked to a review of Genesis Unbound by John Sailhammer. The review is by Andrew Kulikovsky and is on the Answers in Genesis site, titled Unbinding the Rules. The interesting thing for me about this review is that despite being very negative, it made me much more anxious to read…
1 Chronicles 10-12 in the Cornerstone Biblical Commentary
I’m continuing with brief notes on the Cornerstone Biblical Commentary volume on 1 & 2 Chronicles by Mark J. Boda. I previously provided an overview and some notes on the coverage of 1 Chornicles 1-9. I have only a few comments on these three chapters, but I’m covering them in a separate post because I…
Another Political Quiz
I could have sworn I was a left-leaning libertarian, and certainly more moderate than this one makes me: My Political ViewsI am a right social libertarianRight: 3.77, Libertarian: 5.64Political Spectrum Quiz Though this part doesn’t surprise me a bit: My Foreign Policy ViewsScore: -7.02Political Spectrum Quiz And this was a bit further left than I’d…
Oktoberfest Biblical Studies Carnival Posted
… at ξἐνος. Lots of interesting stuff to peruse.
Biblioblog Top 50 Posted
… and I have clawed my way back onto the list, at a miserable #43. Ah well, it helps if one actually blogs!
1 Chronicles 1-9 in the Cornerstone Biblical Commentary
I previously gave an overview of the Cornerstone Biblical Commentary on 1-2 Chronicles, but I’ve been spending more time with it since, reading the Hebrew text along with the commentary. While I do appreciate the NLT text on which the commentary is based, I’m not reading this for the NLT text, but rather for the…
Review: Cornerstone Biblical Commentary on 1-2 Chronicles
I’ve posted a review on my Participatory Bible Study Blog.
Review – Cornerstone Biblical Commentary 1-2 Chronicles
I previously reviewed the Cornerstone Biblical Commentary on Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy on my book blog and have posted a number of notes about it on this blog. So when I had an opportunity to review the volume in the same series on 1 & 2 Chronicles, I jumped at it. I would say many…
Common Ground on Genesis
On the Spectrum blog there’s quite a lot of discussion of the age of the earth and a search for common ground. The problem with the phrase “common ground” is that it can mean many different things. Two recent articles on the age of the earth had quotes that caught my attention. As far as…
Profitable Scriptures
It’s been about six weeks since my last post, and unfortunately that’s actually a fairly short gap for the way I’ve kept this blog up. But the two Old Testament passages this week (Jeremiah 31:27-34 and Psalm 19 or Psalm 119:94-107) as well as the epistle caught my attention. In the modern church we read…