Featured Posts
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Sorrow Like My Sorrow – Lamentations 1:12
Can we really understand the suffering of another person or they ours?
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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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Bob MacDonald on Psalm 119
Psalm 119 is one of my favorite (at least top 10) passages in the Bible, especially since I had to memorize it (in the KJV) back when I was about 12 years old. Bob MacDonald is writing a series on it in Hebrew that is well worthwhile following. Start with his first post.
Jubilee and Care for the Poor
I was struck by a comment made by David W. Baker in his commentary on Leviticus (Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy [Cornerstone Biblical Commentary]), p. 194-195: … Protection of life and dignity through a shared distribution of wealth was also known and practiced in the early church at Jerusalem (Acts 2:44-45), though not in relation to any…
Quote of the Day – Balentine on Ritual in Leviticus
From Samuel E Balentine, commenting on the tamid in Leviticus 6:13 and elsewhere in Leviticus (Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching), p 65: … All religious rituals are more than practical or even symbolic acts, as important as these may be. At their core, rituals are a form of liturgical exegesis that engages…
Pat Robertson on Haiti
I’ll let Polycarp (The Church of Jesus Christ) comment on it. I’ll just say perhaps he should be more careful ascribing motivations to God.
Some Mideast Churches Vote to Ordain Women
Read the full story on The Christian Post. This is an interesting development, especially considering the region involved.
On Haiti
When I heard that there had been an earthquake in Haiti, my immediate thought was “Oh no!” I haven’t really known what to write about it. I can analyze it theologically, but that won’t change the body count and my odds of getting it right don’t seem all that good. I think I will just…
A Good Paraphase
It makes a good reminder!
More on the Khirbet Qeiyafa Inscription
Douglas Mangum has some important new links and notes, particularly on the tendency to try to build too much on the reconstruction of a single inscription. The cautions that apply here could be well applied to most discoveries, and generally are not, and likely will not be. Caution and deliberate consideration are valuable!
New Perspective on Paul and the Book of Hebrews
Nijay Gupta has a short interview with Gordon Fee regarding his new commentary on Galatians (HT). Since I have an extremely high regard for Gordon Fee’s work in general, and for his commentary on 1 Corinthians (which I cite frequently) in particular, I’m certainly planning to get my hands on a copy of his work…
A New Biblioblogs Ranking Incarnation
Jeremy Thompson has taken up the task with a script. There immediately follows the inevitable question of just who is a biblioblogger. I had only been on the previous list for two months when it went belly up–or not, as the case may be, so I’m not sure if I’m a “real” biblioblogger or not….
Your Brain on Inerrancy
This video is cute and edgy and well-produced. It has all the characteristics that make a good YouTube video. Since I also don’t accept the doctrine of inerrancy, what is the problem? I think it perpetuates the equation of biblical literalism, the verbal dictation view of inspiration, and the doctrine of inerrancy. I have a…
Parents are Key to Science Education
Jonathan Smith, Vice President of Florida Citizens for Science (of which I am a board member) presents a column on science education in Florida today in the The Ledger (Lakeland, FL): A key quote: Parents are the ones who must endeavor to help shape their children’s future by guiding them down the paths of interests…
Small Offense Provokes Much Violence
Yesterday I posted an aside regarding the attempted murder of the Danish cartoonist who drew the cartoon that provoked violent responses in the Muslim world. Today I saw this news story regarding reactions to a Malaysian court ruling that non-Muslims could use the word Allah. Behold how much violence a small matter kindles! I am…
Oldest Hebrew Inscription Found
The biblioblogosphere is alive with discussion of the released photo, line drawing, and preliminary translation of what appears to be the oldest example of Hebrew writing to date. I found it originally through Evangelical Textual Criticism, but have since read quite a number of posts about it. I’m afraid, however, that I must be missing…
Poor Offended People Want to Murder Someone
I agree with this note which calls this column, titled Prejudiced Danes Provoke Fanaticism, execrable. Freedom of thought requires the freedom to offend, and being offended does not justify violence.
The Passion in Gold and Diamonds
I dislike criticizing ministries and their leaders for several reasons: There’s a bandwagon approach, in which everyone piles on a vulnerable leader and repeats the stories There’s a tendency to lack discernment about rumors, i.e. everyone repeats what is said about someone, especially someone who deserves criticism, but doesn’t do good fact and context checking…
Masculinity Crisis?
Rachel Held Evans says some things I wish I had said about the so-called masculinity crisis in the church. I guess I’m one of those “dudes who are still sort of chicks.” (Read the post if you don’t get it.)
Is Christianity the Best Deal in the Universe?
So says Ann Coulter, paraphrasing an accusation made against Brit Hume when he suggested that Tiger Woods should become a Christian: With Christianity, your sins are forgiven, the slate is wiped clean and your eternal life is guaranteed through nothing you did yourself, even though you don’t deserve it. It’s the best deal in the…
Congratulations to James McGrath
He has been appointed to the newly revived Clarence Goodwin chair of New Testament Language and Literature at Butler University. My only question is how a university allows a chair like that to remain unfilled for 60 years. Thanks is very much due to the person who discovered the omission.
Christian Carnival CCCIX Posted
… at RodneyOlsen.net. Go check out the first Christian Carnival of the new year. (No, I didn’t contribute anything this week.)
Looking the Part – on Worldprayr
No, that’s not a misspelling. @worldprayr is an international prayer organization started on Twitter. Since many of us have been following this organization for some time on Twitter, we’re used to calling it by it’s twitter ID. I wrote a post for the World Prayer Blog which was published today. It is titled Looking the…
News Flash – I am Very Conservative
Despite the subtitle of my other blog, Threads from Henry’s Web, which reads “Thoughts on Religion in the World from a passionate, moderate, liberal charismatic Christian”, it appears that on this blog I am very conservative. So saith N. T. Wrong, and who am I to argue? He says this in a new Biblioblog Top…
A Good Politician
Uses social media. Receives request for help. Personally shovels driveway. Kudos! More on CNN (HT: Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire).
Mere Christians
Jim Skaggs has an interesting post on this at One Eternal Day. I am generally in agreement, though I tend to emphasize practice over belief in terms of essentials. It appears Jim is a Seventh-day Baptist, which interests me as an ex-Seventh-day Adventist. Adventists received the doctrine of the Sabbath via the Seventh-day Baptists. I’m…