Potentially one of the most important archaeological discoveries in recent history:   http://news.discovery.com/history/archaeology/intact-packed-etruscan-tomb-found-151204.htm     Read more

    Robert Boylan, the Interpreter Foundation’s very impressive man in Ireland, looks at an Old Testament passage that has sometimes been deployed as a weapon against Mormonism:   http://scripturalmormonism.blogspot.com     Read more

    “Sabbath, in the first instance, is not about worship.  It is about work stoppage.  It is about withdrawal from the anxiety system of Pharaoh, the refusal to let one’s life be defined by production and consumption and the endless pursuit of private well-being.” Walter Brueggemann     Read more

    John 15:1-8   The imagery, in this passage, of vine and branches is inescapably reminiscent of Jacob 5.   For a (large) anthology of very good articles on that astonishing chapter, see The Allegory of the Olive Tree: The Olive, the Bible, and Jacob 5 (1994)     Read more

    A nice bit of analysis from Stephen Smoot:   http://www.plonialmonimormon.com/2015/11/does-helaman-1316-plagiarize-view-of.html#comment-form     Read more

    My wife and I went last night with our friends Dan and Tamara Oswald to the Christkindlmarkt at This is the Place Heritage Park in Salt Lake City.  We washed Wienerschnitzel, Weisswurst, Rotkohl, Spätzle, and cinnamon pretzels down with gespritztem Afpelsaft, and, in the bracing open air, browsed the shops and listened to live Christmas music.  Thus inspired, I offer Number Five in my series of seasonal musical pieces:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1WHNcnHo4A   Like so much wonderful music, Still, Still, Still comes from Salzburg.  (Among... Read more

    Many stories out of the Middle East are discouraging, depressing, and painful.   Some, though, are inspiring.  Here’s one that I posted quite a while ago.  It seems important to bring it up again, since I’ve recently encountered (easily refuted) claims that Christian churches aren’t permitted in Muslim countries.  It refers to an incident quite distinct from the one shown above:   http://www.butterbin.com/muslims-offered-human-shield-protect-christians-holy-day-story-will-restore-faith-humanity/     Read more

    John 14:27-31   Apart from noting that Jesus’ declaration that “the Father is greater than I” has substantial theological significance (indicating, for instance, an important distinction between Father and Son), I really can’t see, once again, how I can improve very easily on the text itself, which I offer here — for the sake of freshness — in the New International Version:   27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you... Read more

    For the fifth day of the Christmas social campaign “A Savior is Born,” Alex Boyé performs “Little Drummer Boy” differently than you might have heard it before.  Please listen to it to the end:   https://www.mormon.org/christmas/alex-boye     Read more

    Craig Matteson calls to my notice an example of what I take to be Islamists attempting, in a very rude, aggressive, and uncivil way, to shut down a speech to which they object at Goldsmiths College of the University of London:   http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/12/04/see-how-ex-muslim-handles-muslim-disrupters-during-university-presentation-oh-youre-intimidated-go-to-your-safe-space/   It’s appalling and entirely inappropriate.  The disruptive audience members should have been ejected immediately.   I’m sure that I disagree quite comprehensively with the positions and attitudes of the Atheist, Secular, and Humanist Society, and that... Read more