The Ongoing Adventures of ASBO Jesus had this gem of a cartoon today: And Irenic Thoughts shared this quote from Anne Lamott: “You can safely assume that you’ve created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.” Meanwhile Notes From Off Center shared an example of precisely that sort of thing. Read more

Today is the 125th anniversary of the birth of New Testament scholar Rudolf Bultmann. It is hard to think of another example of an individual who integrated as totally the attempt to address matters of Biblical studies, philosophy, theology and practice. This doesn’t necessarily mean that his attempt to do so does not also expose some of the difficulties of trying to do that. But if one thinks one should integrate one’s worldview and life as a whole in this... Read more

Just a quick post to draw attention to two web sites/new posts that were drawn to my attention in e-mails today. The first is by Jim Burklo at the Center for Progressive Christianity site, musing on the question “Who Is Your Jesus?” The second is a web site set up by the United Church of Christ about the relationship between science and religion, entitled “Not Mutually Exclusive”. Both are likely to be of interest to at least some blog readers. Read more

I have long had the habit of working to music. Today as I worked on my syllabi and checked corrections to a chapter I’ve contributed to a forthcoming book, I have been listening to an album featuring the music of Joseph Schwantner, with Evelyn Glennie as soloist. The final track is a piece called “New Morning For The World“, with the subtitle “Daybreak of Freedom”. The piece features a narrator reciting words from speeches by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King... Read more

I have a question for professors, students, former students and other people with opinions on this subject. If you’ve taught a one-semester course on the whole Bible, did you get students to read the whole Bible, or just some select passages? In the past I’ve done the latter, and I’m inclined to stick with that approach, since I’m afraid that any attempt to read the whole thing would involve much more skimming and much less attention to detail, resulting in... Read more

Another blog I read even though its author and I often disagree is Answers in Genesis Busted. Today that blog offered a response to my post that was in turn a response to several posts on Debunking Christianity. I love it when a bloggersation comes together! The AIGBusted post is about the “bankruptcy of liberal Christianity“. I responded briefly in a comment on that blog, and will try to expand my thoughts on the subject here. AIGBusted claims that “What... Read more

Imagine a school in which a number of children, year after year, refused to leave kindergarten. Eventually, being older and stronger, and hearing terrifying rumors about how children who progressed into higher grades eventually came to abandon some of the beliefs – nay, the certainties – they used to be certain of in kindergarten. And so, unable to get themselves to repeat kindergarten another year, they stage a coup, take control of the school and demand that everyone be taught... Read more

I’ve enabled comment moderation until the current spam storm is over – or more precisely, until the troll that has been wreaking havoc in this village returns to his place under the bridge. The irony is that this individual (who posted here under the name “Tom” but sent me an e-mail under the name Dennis Collis) e-mailed me to say the following: Hi Dr McGrath, I am not trying to derail your blog at all. John Loftus needs to get... Read more

I like reading blogs that challenge rather than reinforce my views (not that I don’t also like someone to agree with me, at least from time to time). One such blog is Debunking Christianity. Atheists like to challenge Christians by pointing out that they are atheists about almost all gods, and atheists just go one god further. That challenge could be reversed. I agree with atheists about a great many things, even in most cases rejecting many of the same... Read more

I’m seriously thinking about putting something like the following on my syllabi this semester. Let me know what you think… Midterm exam: 20%Final exam: 35%Term paper: 35%Attendance: 10%Doing the assigned reading and coming to class prepared to talk about it: priceless. Read more