There are many reasons to read John Grisham novels not the least of which is to figure out why so many Americans do read him in an age of non-reading! Of course some of his novels are much better than others. When you are as prolific as John, this is bound to be the case. All of them are readable (yes I’ve read all of them except some of the children’s books), some of them are real page turners, some... Read more

Courtesy of Mark F. Read more

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Courtesy of my friend Mark F. Read more

Here is a fascinating blog post, which I am reposting here, by my friend Philip Jenkins. See what you think. BW3 Alternative Scriptures: Finding the First Scrolls June 12, 2017 by Philip Jenkins I began this “Alternative Scriptures” series by noting the discovery of a “Dead Sea Scroll” type manuscript in the Genizah of a Cairo synagogue, in the 1890s. Tracing the probable history of that document tells a fascinating story. This “Zadokite Fragment” originated either at Qumran or another... Read more

Theological systems, while not bad in themselves, can often lead to very strained interpretations of Biblical texts. Read more

The Botanic Garden in Dublin was one of the first places we went, having gotten on our feet, May 19th, not least because my wife is a botanist and a flower lover, and besides, the Garden is right next to the famous Grave Digger’s pub, which in turn is next to the famous Dublin cemetery where many an Irish bard lies resting, e.g. W.B. Yeats, and where better to put a pub than next to the entrance to the cemetery,... Read more

I’ll bet you can’t read this translation of the Bible, unless of course you are a native of Ireland. Yep, that’s Gaelic which is a living, spoken language, and required to be learned in Irish schools. It’s their native tongue. It is a language that, with variations, was also spoken in Scotland and Wales and Brittany. And it has everything to do with all things Celtic, which is the culture. Americans, who don’t know any better, sometimes associate Celtic culture... Read more

It tells you a lot about Ireland, that the symbol of the country is a musical instrument (who does that), a harp facing in one direction whilst the symbol of its most famous beer– Guinness is the same harp facing in the other direction— music and beer. While that doesn’t say it all, it tells you a lot about Ireland. And that harp is actually in Trinity College library, in the Long Room. Two decades ago, Sean Freyne, a very... Read more

Ah Ireland, a country the size of Indiana, and with the population of New York City. And one of the most green and beautiful places in the whole world. No wonder they call it the Emerald Isle. Ann and I went on a sentimental journey to Ireland for our 40th anniversary last month. Sentimental not because we had been there before, even while living in England for 3 years. No we went because we had been told again and again... Read more