Pauline Viviano has a bit of fun at my expense over on the America website(www.americamagazine.org/blogs/client). She’s “reviewing” my commentary on 1 & 2 Kings, but instead of actually discussing my book, she mocks typological interpretation and my use of it in particular. She knew what I was up to without reading more than a few pages: “It was clear after the first few pages of this commentary that every number ‘3’ in the books of Kings was going to be... Read more
Pauline Viviano has a bit of fun at my expense over on the America website(www.americamagazine.org/blogs/client). She’s “reviewing” my commentary on 1 & 2 Kings, but instead of actually discussing my book, she mocks typological interpretation and my use of it in particular. She knew what I was up to without reading more than a few pages: “It was clear after the first few pages of this commentary that every number ‘3’ in the books of Kings was going to be... Read more
With advances in medical technology, it’s possible to keep people alive longer than ever before. This certainly has its wonders, but it’s really an ambiguous achievement. It means that death more and more is the result of decisions about treatment and ending treatment. We can keep someone breathing artificially, a heart beating artificially; we can maintain blood pressure and other functions through medication. Even if we decide not to use aggressive treatments, it’s a decision ; and if one decides... Read more
A TLS review of several recent books on bio-computing contained old news for some people, but new news for me. The latest wrinkle in computer technology has been to use biological material – DNA – rather than silicon for information storage and processing. One USC scientist was able to create a bio-computer that can play tic-tac-toe. Read more
Conflicting incentives are built into the American health care system. On the one hand, many patients depend on insurance companies to pay their bills, and come into a health crisis with a “no expense spared” mentality. On the other hand, doctors and hospitals, despite the millions they pull in, are practically hemmed in by limited resources and personnel – only so many nurses, machines, rooms, and medications are available. Patients come for a free lunch that doctors know they can’t... Read more
Death is an enemy of life in the obvious sense that it brings an individual’s life to an end. But it’s an enemy of life in a broader sense to. Death interrupts life, everyone’s life, life in the broadest sense. Death turns festivity to mourning. Death prevents us from bringing our projects to an end, an end that gives our projects their meaning. If a close friend or spouse dies, suddenly the world is emptied of one of the few... Read more
Bediako, Mbiti, and Lamin Sanneh are all African theologians who reject Christendom. By “Christendom” they mean a system where the Christianity is domesticated and put into the service of state or imperial interests. While this has been a reality within the West, and it is bad. But it is simplistic to describe Christendom as nothing more than this. Christendom is as much about the church vigorously challenging imperial policy as it is about the church supporting it. Though these theologians... Read more
Bediako cites a report from Voice Weekly about a conflict concerning drumming in African Christian worship: “A sharp conflict recently erupted between the Christian churches and the traditional authorities in teh Ghanian town of Akim Tafo over violation by the churches of a ban on drumming during a traditional religious festival. During the two weeks preceding the Ohum religious festival, drumming, clapping of hands, wailing, firing of musketry, and any other noises likely to disturb the gods is not permitted.... Read more
Kwame Bediako summarizes the trends of African theology under two headings: liberation and study of indigenous religions. He focuses on the latter, emphasizing that this study is a theological enterprise, and not simply cultural anthropology. He also suggests that this emphasis of African theology provides a case study in theology of culture. It seems that African theology is helping to remind us that “theology of culture” is not a specialty of some culturally-interested theologians; all theology is theology of culture. Read more
Philippians 2:17-18: But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me. Christians sometimes misunderstand joy. We think of joy as an emotion, and we think emotions are deeply hidden within ourselves. Our feelings are ours, and ours alone. A moment’s reflection shows us that... Read more
Leithart
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In