One of the first stories I became acquainted with in the Mandaean Book of John is the story of Miriai. Since it is one of the excerpts from the book that had previously been translated into English, it was interesting to spend some time wrestling with some of the obscure terms and idioms in the passage. I’ve just posted a draft of my new translation of chapter 34 of the Mandaean Book of John on the Mandaean Book of John... Read more
So that’s how he did it… HT Ashley Holmes on Facebook. Click here to watch the same scenario unfold rather differently. Read more
Fred Clark began a recent post on his blog by pointing to a list of 76 things banned in Leviticus that someone posted online, and a subsequent self-scoring against the list posted at Tad’s Happy Funtime (click through to see where C3P0 gets a mention). Fred used this jumping off point to notice that pretty much all of us observe some of the things mentioned in Leviticus and consider them to be of ongoing validity, while regarding others as obsolete.... Read more
I’ve been meaning to blog about this since it first turned up on Matthew Paul Turner’s blog (subsequently getting mentioned at IO9 and Greenflame). Superheroes are regularly situated at the intersection of religion and science fiction – see Steve Wiggins’ recent post on Alien Deities as one example – but not always quite as blatantly religiously as this. Artist Igor Scalisi Palminteri turned statues of religious figures into statues of superheroes. Click through to see the series, Hagiographies, on Palminteri’s Facebook... Read more
Today I was asked by a cartoonist to remove one of his cartoons from my blog. Unfortunately, the cartoon reached me in a form that was circulating online with no indication of who created it or where if anywhere it was published. The cartoonist in question is Dan Reynolds, and having removed his cartoon with much regret and apology, I am now linking to his web site, in the hope that you may pay it a visit and enjoy Reynolds’... Read more
It seems like it should be an article from The Onion. But it isn’t. A spokesperson for the Church of England apparently really has said that the legalization of same-sex marriage in the U.K. is the biggest threat the church has faced in its 500-year history. The irony is unmissable – except apparently if you are a spokesperson for the Church of England. The article in The Independent on the subject is worth reading to the very end, where a... Read more
This is absolutely hilarious (and watching it while consuming a beverage may be hazardous to whoever or whatever is across from you). Enjoy! HT David Meadows and Honey and Locusts Read more
I feel the need to comment on the irony in recent events involving Matt Arnold, a Republican running for the University of Colorado Board of Regents, as reported in today’s Inside Higher Education. Arnold claimed to have a Masters degree which was never awarded since he never submitted his final thesis, although apparently he did the coursework. Arnold said in a statement, I was more interested in getting on with my life than trying to, quite frankly, waste more time... Read more
The Biblical Studies Carnival rounding up posts from the biblioblogosphere for May 2012 is finally here, and it has a South Park theme. Click through to enjoy it! Read more
Yesterday my church, Crooked Creek Baptist Church in Indianapolis, Indiana, in the United States, celebrated its 175th anniversary. There was a special program book about the church’s history, including drawings of the early log cabin building, and a bookmark insert with a list of the pastors that have served the congregation. The service incorporated guest musicians (as well as us regulars), and reading of messages of congratulations from our Representative, Andre Carson, and our Governor, Mitch Daniels, as well as... Read more
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