“Blessed are the pure in heart,” says Matthew 5:8 in the King James Version of the Bible, “for they shall see God.” Whenever I think of this particular beatitude, I always think of the title of a devotional essay or sermon by the great Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855): Purity of Heart is to Will One Thing. And, of course, I recall the famous words of James 1:5-8 — the first verse of which was of such pivotal... Read more
A friend sent the material below to me earlier today and, with that friend’s permission I share it here. Apparently, the FIRM Foundation blog has been down for the past couple days — I have no idea why — but I think that others should be aware of what has evidently been posted there of late, and also that what has been posted there should be made part of a more or less permanent public record: If... Read more
The Interpreter Foundation continues to flourish, much to the disgust of at least a few vocal critics: “Nephi’s “Bountiful”: Contrasting Both Candidates,” written by Warren P. Aston Abstract: In May 2022, George Potter published an article that makes the most comprehensive case to date that Khor Rori in southern Oman is the most likely location for the place “Bountiful” described by Nephi. However, despite its many positives, there are a number of reasons to question the suitability... Read more
I continue with my reading of Andrew Loke, Investigating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ: A New Transdisciplinary Approach (Routledge, 2020). Dr. Loke, a native of Singapore who is currently an Associate Professor at Hong Kong Baptist University, was a practicing physician before he returned to school first in the United States and then in the United Kingdom, where he earned a doctorate in philosophy and theology at King’s College London. Here is an interesting chain of logic from... Read more
I now resume my appropriation, for my own nefarious purposes — focused, as usual, on what I’m reliably informed are the two major themes of this blog (that is to say, on dishonest personal smears of people who don’t share my religious views and on food) — of material largely drawn from the online “List of Fine-Tuning Parameters” compiled by Jay W. Richards (though occasionally supplemented with things that I’ve culled from elsewhere). This is the fourth of... Read more
I had an enjoyable time this afternoon interviewing Tom Alexander on camera for our new “Six Days in August” film project. I’ve already interviewed Jim Allen for the effort, so we’ve now got some solid material “in the can,” as we, umm, cinéastes like to put it. It’s good to be getting underway! If you would like to support the project, we would welcome your help. Please go to the donation area of the Interpreter website and be... Read more
For the past two or three days, I’ve been spending a few evening minutes on Andrew Loke, Investigating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ: A New Transdisciplinary Approach (Routledge, 2020). The Singaporean Dr. Loke, an Associate Professor at Hong Kong Baptist University, practiced medicine for a while before going back to school in the United States and then on to to earn a doctorate in philosophy and theology at King’s College London. Thus far — I’m just finishing the... Read more
“Blessed are the merciful,” reads the King James Version of Matthew 5:7, “for they shall obtain mercy.” (Matthew 5:7) A few verses later, in the next chapter of the gospel of Matthew, a famous line in “the Lord’s Prayer” reads as follows: “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). An equivalent passage in the gospel of Luke has it this way: “And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that... Read more
By now, you may have heard about this story: “Church settles case with SEC over financial reporting: Ensign Peak Advisors, Church of Jesus Christ agree to pay penalty to settle investigation.” Although the episode has garnered national and international publicity, my sense is that most members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints aren’t paying much attention to it. Which, from my perspective, is perfectly fine. Still, some committed Latter-day Saint commentators do seem, in fact,... Read more
“Elias: Prophet of the Restoration,” written by Jan Francisco Abstract: The Prophet Elias is a puzzle, with a handful of pieces scattered through the standard works and the teachings of Joseph Smith. Rather than proving a point conclusively, this paper will put the pieces together to show a new picture of this important figure. The interpretation in this article weaves together the scriptures regarding Elias into a cohesive narrative, with the prophet Noah at the center. The pieces of... Read more
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