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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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John Meunier Provides a Hauerwas Two-fer
And a well worthwhile read it is (or they are).
From the Top of a Sidebar
Why a Missionary? Because God says so… This is from Michelle’s blog, And She Went Out …. It’s a good quote. Michelle is the host for this week’s Christian Carnival.
Dan Dick on Make-No-Wave Church
… at Make-No-Wave United Methodist Church. For what it’s worth, I think the young pastor was absolutely right to push. May his tribe increase! (HT: John Meunier)
Biblioblogger Carnival and Rankings
The carnival is up at You Can’t Mean That, and the Biblioblogger rankings, from which I have fallen in disgrace due to lack of blogging (I would guess-no blogging=no traffic!) are up at Free Old Testament Audio.
Quote of the Day – Greg Boyd
Responding to a quote from Mark Driscoll: I frankly have trouble understanding how a follower of Jesus could find himself unable to worship a guy he could “beat up” when he already crucified him. Read the whole article, Revelation and the Violent “Prize Fighting” Jesus.
Coloring Outside the Lines
I’m borrowing my title from Dave Black’s latest essay, because I’m talking about the same subject and I’m about to publish the second edition of his book, Why Four Gospels?. (I suggest reading Dave’s essay first. It’s short!) I just spent a weekend with Dave as he spoke at First United Methodist Church here in…
Quote of the Day – On Accurate Doctrine
From John Wesley, via John Meunier, where you can read more of the context: But still a man may judge as accurately as the devil, and yet be as wicked as he. Hmmm!
The Package They Carry
I found this image via the Vietnamese commerce web site Thuonggiaviet.com. I don’t read Vietnamese at all, but I occasionally read the site using Google Translator, a mildly challenging proposition. I tracked the image to the artist, John Strieder, on deviantart.com. I’m not posting it here, despite the fact that I found it on a…
Common English Bible: First Impressions
I did not react very favorably to the announcement of the Common English Bible, because I didn’t really see the benefit of this particular version and its placement. From a ministry point of view my question is just who will be reached by this Bible version, not just in evangelism and outreach but in discipleship…
Worship Song Rant
I loved this post by Jeremy. Enjoy!
August 2010 Biblical Studies Carnival Posted
… at Zwinglius Redivivus. It does not include me, but I can’t think of anything I wrote recently that I would have nominated, so I can’t complain. Also, I won’t be quoting John Calvin favorably, so this may not be remedied in the immediate future. (If you don’t get the Calvin thing, go and actually…
Biblioblog Rankings for August Posted
… at Free Old Testament Audio. And I have now dropped to #30. Freefall!
Copyright Trolls
Laura at Pursuing Holiness notes one and presents a course of action. I think bloggers often move past fair use, but news outlets and going way too far the other way.
New Meaning to Language Police
This story gives new meaning to the idea of language or grammar police. (HT: The Agitator)
Five Sites I Read Because I Disagree
These are five significant sites I read because of the things on which I disagree with the writer(s). That doesn’t mean I disagree with everything, but rather that I was attracted to the site and continue to read primarily because of my disagreement. I read a number of news sources and some individual blogs on…
Speaking of Inerrancy
(I’m crossposting this from my Participatory Bible Study blog. It’s too short to bother with extract and link.) I found this post by Roger Olson via my reader (HT: Chrisendom) and it reminded me of my own recent post Inerrancy – Romancing the Term. Though my experience is largely outside of academia, I can relate to much…
More on Inerrancy the Term
I found this post by Roger Olson via my reader (HT: Chrisendom) and it reminded me of my own recent post Inerrancy – Romancing the Term. Though my experience is largely outside of academia, I can relate to much of what Dr. Olson says. Inerrancy is not understood in the pews of any church I…
Gifts to Build the Body
T. C. Robinson has a post on the gifts of the Holy Spirit in Galatians 5:13. He makes several points that I think are important, but I did not draw from that particular passage, though I did draw from Galatians 5:22-26 with the fruit of the Spirit. T.C. points to the importance of 1 Corinthians…
Staying Alive in Seminary
For many, cemeteryseminary is a difficult spiritual experience. That’s why many refer to it as cemetery. Danny at Boston Bible Geeks is on his second post of a three parter (I think) regarding improving seminary. I want to underline one of his points, which is his #1 in the second post of the series. It’s…
The American Patriot Bible is a Bestseller!
I gave my first impressions of this Bible last year. You can probably guess my viewpoint from the title: Another Reason to Hate Study Bibles. Today John Byron of The Biblical World comments on the American Patriot Bible reaching bestseller status on Amazon.com. With the number of Americans these days who are effectively equating being…
Appealing to Grace
While there is much violence in the Old Testament (and a certain amount in the New), the basic ideas of grace are still expressed regularly. Nowhere is this clearer, in my opinion, than in the appeal to salvation history in passages of judgment and of exhortation. The Old Testament passage and the Psalm for Proper…
Astonishingly Stupid
From the New York Times editorial today: But many of Mr. DeLay’s actions remain legal only because lawmakers have chosen not to criminalize them. Such wisdom! This is obviously why we need the mainstream media to keep us all straight. (HT: Volokh and Pursuing Holiness)
Christianity by Force or Manipulation
There is very little that offends me more than the idea of manipulating people into Christian events or trying to convert them by force.
Choosing a New Church
No, I’m not choosing a new church. In fact, I really like my home church, First United Methodist Church in Pensacola. But today I received an e-mail from someone who asked me to share a blog post with my readers. I get few enough such e-mails that I normally at least read them, though I’m…