The Atlantic, by Mike Mariani: The conviction that demons exist—and that they exist to harass, derange, and smite human beings—stretches back as far as religion itself. In ancient Mesopotamia, Babylonian priests performed exorcisms by casting wax figurines of demons into a fire. The Hindu Vedas, thought to have been written between 1500 and 500 b.c., refer to supernatural beings—known as asuras, but largely understood today as demons—that challenge the gods and sabotage human affairs. For the ancient Greeks, too, demonlike creatures lurked on... Read more

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I’m loving the work, and this is the IVP/RNS press release. The Second Testament will adhere to and apply the principles of translation found in John Goldingay’s marvelous translation, The First Testament, the big difference being that the Second Testament is Greek! Emily McFarlan Miller National ReporterMcKnight Inks Contract for New Testament Translation WESTMONT, IL— Scot McKnight, renowned scholar, speaker, and award-winning author, has inked a book contract with IVP Academic for a fresh translation of... Read more

Source: Washington (CNN)Justice Sonia Sotomayor in an interview with CNN’s David Axelrod said that Justice Brett Kavanaugh was welcomed into the Supreme Court “family” in the wake of his polarizing confirmation process. “When you’re charged with working together for most of the remainder of your life, you have to create a relationship,” Sotomayor said in an “Axe Files” interview airing Saturday. “The nine of us are now a family and we’re a family with each of us our own burdens... Read more

Amen. The Apostles’ Creed ends with a simple word. Ben Myers (The Apostles’ Creed) reflects on this last word: “To say amen to the creed is to sign my name to it. I confirm the truth of this: I authorize it: amen.” (p. 131) Amen is a word we all know … but not really. It is the appropriate way to end a prayer, but why? Four letters with no intrinsic meaning? It is more, however, than a ritualized ending... Read more

Source By Gricel Medina On November 13, 2018 As a child growing up in a poor immigrant community, my dreams were limited by what I saw around me. We were survivors, but we often struggled. It was a constant battle as we tried our best to make ends meet, yet never really seemed to make it. Education was the ultimate ticket out of the poverty cycle, but no one in my family had even finished high school. When my mother realized... Read more

Source By Mimi Haddad On November 15, 2018 Biblical Equality 101 Abuse Gender Justice Concerns Church History In 1995, economists discovered that 100 million females had vanished. Today, that number may be as high as 200 million according to Amartya Sen, a retired professor of economics and philosophy at Harvard. Sen received a Nobel Prize for his work, which prompted humanitarians and researchers to employ a gender-lens in their research and work. With one voice, they demonstrated how patriarchy is one... Read more

Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen. BCP Read more

Hello from Denver. Kris and I are at the annual meeting for the Society of Biblical Literature, which for us began with dinner with Richard Hays, speaker for the IBR Lecture. Common Core — is it enough? The Common Core Standards do not require reading complete long works of literature. Even by the time we arrive at the 11th and 12th grade set of standards for reading literature, the standards only refer to “stories, dramas, and poems.” There are, throughout the... Read more

 Ephesians in the Story of God (Conversation with Mark Roberts) – KR 110 God is uniting all things in heaven and on earth in Christ, restoring and renewing the whole creation. Scot and Mark unpack the Apostle Paul’s heart for the Ephesian church. The letter of Ephesians sheds important light on what God wants to continue to see happen in his larger story being told through his people. Interested in following Mark’s devotions for leaders? Find it here >>... Read more