The Bible and Culture

If you have not been hiding under a rock, you will have noticed that a lot of bad things have been going down in Syria in the last year. Lots of innocent persons killed, lots of mayhem and destruction. Most of it inflicted by governmental forces of President Bashar Assad. One of the great neglected subjects when it comes to American media coverage (see the article in U.S.A. Today May 11 by Stephen Starr, however, which is an exception), is the plight of Christians. Also MIA in American … [Read more...]

One of the more important and neglected extra canonical but very early Christian books is the Didache. There is now a gigantic Hermeneia commentary on it, so one would expect more discussion of this interesting early Christian document. Here below is some of that discussion by my friend Larry Hurtado. The Didache and Careful Reading by larry hurtado In the course of preparing an invited contribution for the Oxford Online Bibliography project on "Worship, New Testament and Early … [Read more...]

(The following info from Larry Hurtado shows the ongoing furor over Campbell's take on righteousness). More Engagement with Campbell on “Justification” by larry hurtado Running a little behind in tracking journals, I've only recently noted that a recent issue of Journal for the Study of the New Testament (vol. 34, 2011) is devoted to a robust debate over Douglas Campbell's book, The Deliverance of God (which Campbell also discussed with me in response to an earlier posting on this … [Read more...]

(Here's a fine reminder of the value of the voluminous work of Martin Hengel. See what you think. BW3). New Testament Chronology and Christian Origins by larry hurtado In the course of writing an essay this past week in which I'm trying to work up a conceptual model for early Christianity, I had occasion to read again Martin Hengel's pithy gem-essay: "Christology and New Testament Chronology," in his book, Between Jesus and Paul (London: SCM, 1983), 30-47. Since grad students and … [Read more...]

The newly minted PhDs are in the forefront of the picture--- Adesola Akala, David Shreiner, and Mark Awabdy. You may recognize a few other souls in the picture. Your's truly is on the back row wearing his puffy hat and lots of Durham and Jerusalem red. … [Read more...]

Finding good concerts with stars of the 60s and 70s who still play and sing well is of course becoming more and more difficult. Too many of them are in the morgue, or at least they sound like they are dead, and I'm grateful I've managed to avoid most of those kinds of concerts. But when the opportunity arose to see a clean and sober Bonnie Raitt back on top of her game, and on top of that, an opening act of Marc Cohn who still sings and plays wonderfully, even after he was shot in the head in … [Read more...]

( I don't normally do more than offer links and small quotes as requested from the NY Times, but this article strikes a major nerve and is so important that I am making a one time exception....) The Flight From Conversation By SHERRY TURKLE Published: NY Times April 21, 2012 WE live in a technological universe in which we are always communicating. And yet we have sacrificed conversation for mere connection. At home, families sit together, texting and reading e-mail. … [Read more...]

(Here is a fine homiletical research piece by one of my students in Asbury's ACE program. See what you think). Whether a cram sermon writing session on Saturday night or a well thought out sermon series prepared over weeks’ time, pastors, at least the good ones, hope their Sunday morning messages do not fall on deaf ears. A greater hope may be that those who have come did not just “hear the Good News,” but are so inspired to go out and apply the content of the morning … [Read more...]

James Howell is the senior ministry at my home church-- Myers Park UMC in Charlotte. See what you think of the following post. http://revjameshowell.blogspot.com/ … [Read more...]