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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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Immigration and a Police State
Does that sound too alarmist? I confess I’m always trying to find ways to write headlines that attract attention and I’m not very good at it. But I’m not sure that’s too alarmist for what’s going on in Arizona right now. I spent some time in Texas when I was in the Air Force, and…
Fouling the Water and Trampling the Food
That’s my post today on the Worldprayr blog. It’s based on parts of Ezekiel 34.
Review: Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: Hebrews
My primary training in biblical studies placed an overwhelming emphasis on historical study. The idea was to get at the original meaning of the text as it would have been understood by those who first heard or read it. I should note that amongst my professors there was some desire to look at reception, and…
Christian Carnival CCCXXIV Posted
… at Other Food. I like the brief comment from the editor on each post.
How Bible Translation Should be Done
J. K. Gayle has a couple of posts on translating the Psalms that are really quite helpful. The first one I read, which is actually the second, is The Difficulty of Psalm 90, in which he discusses some thinking and feeling that may be generated by hearing the Psalm and the first one, which I…
On Character, Discontent, and the Old Testament
I have somewhat of a tradition of reflecting somewhere on my blogs about books I am about to publish. So today I want to look at Allan R. Bevere’s new book The Character of Our Discontent. Allan is a primarily New Testament trained preacher who has decided to take on some major passages in the…
Do You Deserve a Light or a Heavy Beating?
I’ve probably mentioned a few times that I studied under Dr. Alden Thompson at Walla Walla University (then WWC). He’s the one who taught me Hebrew, though actually I joined his class in the second year, and also introduced me to Aramaic. But more importantly, he introduced me to what I believe is a very…
Fantasy in Death – and Reality
I recently read J. D. Robb’s Fantasy in Death and enjoyed the advanced technology. I told my wife when we had both read it that I felt that some of the technology described was at least possible and might well happen sooner than later. Well, it’s not nearly that type of capability–we’re still a long…
What Allegiance Comes First
Dr. Bob Cornwall posts his sermon today, on Acts 5:27-32, dealing with an issue that is quite controversial in the American church, though I think it should not be: Where is my first allegiance as a Christian? He tells stories of early Christian martyrs and refers to Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He concludes: Peter is asking us…
Gov. Crist Vetoes Merit Pay and Tenure Bill
You can find the full story in the Florida Times-Union. I am a supporter of merit pay, but in this case merit pay was tied to test results, which makes me much less happy. Even though I think pay should be based on merit everywhere, one must measure the merit in some realistic manner. I…
Adrian Warnock on the Doctrine of Scripture
And as you might expect, I’m disagreeing with him. In introducing a post urging people to read Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology (not a bad idea), he says: There is no more foundational subject than the doctrine of Scripture. All the current theological arguments that are causing such disruption in the Church today stem from a…
More on Florida HB31 and Inspirational Messages
I wrote about this before, and commented that it seemed to accomplish nothing–nothing, that is, except to possibly encourage some school boards to tangle with the federal courts. That version, however, has been replaced in committee. I’m going to do something I don’t usually do, and put in a “tear line” so this won’t get…
Florida May Remove Church-State Separation from Its Constitution
SJR 2550 was passed out of the Senate Judiciary committee today. It would remove the provision that prohibits state money being spent “directly or indirectly to aid any church, sect or religious denomination.” It would also prohibit discriminating against someone who wanted to spend state program money they receive at a religious institution, such as…
Orbiting the Hairball
United Methodist district superintendent (Grand Rapids District) Laurie Haller takes a cue from a book on surviving in a corporate environment to make some suggestions for United Methodist leadership in her post Orbiting the UMC Hairball 4-12-10. Amongst other things she notes: The whispered truth is that The United Methodist Church suppresses creativity and genius…
Seventh-day Adventists and Women in Ministry
Well, really only some Seventh-day Adventists, in particular, Pastor Doug Batchelor and the Amazing Facts ministry versus the Southeastern California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. As a former SDA, I still keep track of SDA doings, in this case through the Spectrum blog, and what interested me was the role reversal. We frequently see more liberal…
Of Lists and Understanding
A couple of days ago I linked to a post by J. K. Gayle which is in response to John Hobbins on the question of listing things one needs to read in order to understand the Bible. I mentioned that I might sound more like J. K. Gayle than John Hobbins when I got around…
Michigan Messenger on Militias
I’ve been very favorably impressed with the work of the American Independent News Network, of which the Michigan Messenger is a part. They seem to be about going out and researching and solid information gathering. As I’ve written many times, I’m less concerned about balance–an ephemeral concept in my opinion–than about thoroughness. If you gather…
Link to Roundup on Bruce Waltke
Brian LePort has a good roundup of commentary on this issue which also mentions Tremper Longman. (HT: sunestauromai)
Of ID, Evolution, Christianity, and Blasphemy
There’s quite a bit of discussion amongst the blogs that cover creation and evolution regarding the claim that ID is blasphemy. I got started on this with Jason Rosenhouse on the Evolution Blog, but he got started with an article in the University of St. Thomas Journal of Law and Public Policy by Peter M….
Who Do You Need to Be/Read to Understand the Bible
J. K. Gayle takes on John Hobbins’ question. Not precisely answers it. He takes it on. I have this post on my list of posts I want to respond to, but I haven’t yet had time. Let me simply state that there are few forms of writing to which I react more negatively than universally…
Bruce Waltke Resigns from RTS
Reformed Theological Seminary has announced that Dr. Bruce Waltke has resigned his position as professor of Old Testament at their Orlando campus. The blogosphere is pretty active on this story, including a story at Inside Higher Ed and a note on the BioLogos blog. The apparent starting point for this was a video of Dr….
Bruce Waltke Resigns
I’ve written a note on his resignation from RTS on my Threads blog.
Could We Have a Passionate Progressive Christian Revival?
In a guest post at Bob Cornwall’s Ponderings on a Faith Journey blog, Dr. Bruce Epperly of Lancaster Theological Seminary suggests just that. As a sample, he speaks of the conviction (nice evangelical word) he received from some words in a conversation: …we are involved in a type of spiritual warfare and that we, as…
Worldview Weekend on John Piper and Rick Warren
John Piper is a Calvinist, and I am so totally not, but I have a deep respect for him, in spite of many disagreements. That respect has been increased lately by his actions, both in taking a leave from his ministry and in inviting Rick Warren to speak at the Desiring God conference. It happens…