The Bible and Culture

Let me say from the outset,  I like John Dickson's work. He is one of my favorite Aussie Christian writers, and his  Christ Files DVD and guide book are great.  Here we will be reviewing however his latest little salvo on humility--- just out in May 2011.  Weighing in at 208 pages and with pictures no less, it is an easy read, on a complex and compelling subject.    John begins the book with typical humor saying he thought of entitling the book 'Humility and How I Achieved it'  and relates the ta … [Read more...]

Here is a recent post of my friend and NT colleague Larry Hurtado on his blog--- in regard to the continual kerfuffle about Secret Mark, my view is--- it's a forgery.  BW3------------In a posting a few days ago on this site, I commented on the recent conference on "Secret Mark," observing that from reports not much seems to have changed on any side.  I then  reiterated some observations of my own, which are independent of (and were published originally prior to) the current co … [Read more...]

Not all words are created equal.  Some have more weight and importance, and more theological or ethical freight than others.  This is just as true in Greek as it is in English.  In Phil. 2.8 we find the use of the verb tapeinoo in the middle or reflexive sense talking about something the Son of God did to himself.  We normally translate it--- 'he humbled himself'.   You can look high and low, and you will have a hard time finding 'humility'  listed among the virtues in the Greco-Roman world's lis … [Read more...]

Folk rock music carved out its own niche in the larger work of pop and rock music in the late sixties and into the seventies.  Drawing on the folk protest movement of the 50s and 60s it took on the mantle of rock music without leaving the harmonies, acoustic instruments, and often the message laden lyrics behind.   Sometimes picking up elements from country music as well,  it has been a diverse music form, distinguishable from straight pop, hard rock, heavy metal, jazz rock, and various other mus … [Read more...]

THE BEST REVIEWED SUMMER MOVIES OF THE LAST 40 YEARS.    This list can be found on Rotten Tomatoes site.  It is interesting in various ways.  I have seen all these movies except one (can you guess which one I missed) and I understand why the critics liked the vast majority of them.  You will notice that many of them are children's movies or animated features, or movies that required a lot of CG or special effects.  You will also notice that Avatar (quite rightly) doesn't come close to making the … [Read more...]

See anyone you recognize in this picture??  And why is that guy in the middle wearing Red Sox gear at a Reds vs. Yanks game. … [Read more...]

They are everywhere in the Mediterranean world.  In famous places and obscure places. In high places and low places. In easy to get to places and in hard to imagine places.  The remains of the Roman world--- aqueducts, tombs, roads, bridges forts, cities.  You name it, they are still hanging around in ruined form, and in some cases (like bridges) they are still being used.  Here are some of the more interesting items I have found in museums in Turkey recently that fall into this category.   What … [Read more...]

If you've never been to Paris, in some ways the most romantic and right-brained of all Western cities, you have missed a lot.   I have to say, it has a lot of charm, though some would say 'Paris is only spoilt by its being inhabited by snobby Parisians'. Well,  like all caricatures,  there is some truth in that, but there are also some very nice Parisians who don't hate Americans on first sight.   This movie is a mere bagatelle, or even a short baguette--- in an hour and 38 minutes it gives us va … [Read more...]

If you ask Muslims what's the main reason to take a trip to far eastern Turkey in the vicinity of Mt. Ararat they will not immediately say--- 'let's go find the ark'.   In fact, they may be far more likely to say, let's go see the Pasha's Palace which is in the same neighborhood. They have a passion for the Pasha, so to speak.   The Pasha's Palace is an Ottoman palace which was still being constructed up to about 1738.  It is situated high above the city of  Dogubeyazit ( or as I prefer to call i … [Read more...]