Scientists are using DNA to re-introduce formerly extinct species. How about re-introducing some dinosaurs? But where? Just a few days ago, we were asking if de-extinction was possible, and today, we’re a huge step closer to bringing recently extinct species back to life. Researchers have announced that they’ve grown early-stage embryos of the gastric-brooding frog, a species that has been extinct since 1983. At yesterday’s TEDxDeExtinction event, University of New South Wales paleontologist Michael Archer announced the advance by the so-called Lazarus... Read more

John Piper recently upgraded a rather narrowed comment he made during the papacy of Benedict XVI, and here are his words: A few years ago, I was asked on camera what I would say to the Pope if I had two minutes with him. I said I would ask him what he believed about justification. The video ended with me putting the question to the Pope and then responding as follows: “Do you teach that we should rely entirely on the righteousness... Read more

From HuffPo, by Greg Carey: This Sunday Rob Bell spoke at San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral and openly endorsed marriage equality. Grace Cathedral is the Episcopal Cathedral of the Diocese of California, and I thank Julie Harris, Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications, for alerting me to his message (audio here). Bell was speaking to the Cathedral’s Grace Forum in an appearance presented in partnership with his publisher, HarperCollins. In response to a question regarding same-sex marriage, Bell said, “I am for marriage. I... Read more

James V. Brownson, professor of New Testament at Western Theological Seminary (Holland MI), in  Bible, Gender and Sexuality: Reframing the Church’s Debate on Same-Sex Relationships challenges traditional thinking about homosexuality what values sustain the Bible’s statements about sexuality (his big idea is the kinship bond of “one flesh”) and he also challenges the boundaries traditional thinking has affirmed. Thus, in the previous post he sketched patriarchy, one flesh, procreation and celibacy — four traditional sustaining points — and he found... Read more

One of the more interesting developments in New Testament studies is called “empire criticism” and one of the finer expositions of the approach can be found in John Dominic Crossan’s God and Empire: Jesus Against Rome, Then and Now. The “now” bit is about America. A careful analysis of what “empire” means and how Rome was an empire and how America (USA) is an empire, and how they differ … not to be found in this book. Instead, there’s a level... Read more

This short story is by Jonathan Ketcham ([email protected]). The woman at the Circle K In a Circle K deep in the heart of Texas stood a young broke woman, holding everything she owned in two bags, and after what had happened to her, desperate. Her parents were done with her, with nothing left they could do except point her to something, somewhere else. She had no car, but the station was full of them waiting to fill up. Her parents,... Read more