Eighth International East-West Symposium of New Testament Scholars

Last updated on: June 14, 2019 at 1:49 pm By James F. McGrath

The Eighth International East-West Symposium of New Testament Scholars is part of the international outreach efforts of the SNTS to support global education in New Testament studies. This particular conference took place at Caraiman Monastery in Busteni, Romania and focused on New Testament anthropology. I found it a wonderful experience, and shared photos while there – the scenery was breathtaking, in addition to the conference itself being directly helpful to my research. In this post, I want to recap some... Read more

Jesus and Nonviolent Resistance

Last updated on: June 14, 2019 at 9:06 am By James F. McGrath

I was asked a while back about the notion that Matthew’s Gospel presents a “third way” between passivity on the one hand and violent resistance on the other. This viewpoint gets mentioned from time to time, but still seems not to be as widely known as it deserves. I have long suggested that a backhanded slap would be something reflecting a power difference, rather like the way a lord might strike a servant in an episode of Downton Abbey. But... Read more

#CFP Special issue of Transformative Works and Cultures: Fan Studies Pedagogies (deadline 1/1/20)

Last updated on: June 14, 2019 at 9:31 am By James F. McGrath

The call for papers below is likely to be of interest – and the journal Transformative Works and Cultures is one that most people who share my interests in popular culture and fandom ought to follow, shall we say, religiously… Special issue of Transformative Works and Cultures: Fan Studies Pedagogies (deadline 1/1/20) The expansion of fan studies as an academic field, and the growing visibility of fandom and fan activities in popular culture, have led to more instructors using fannish activities... Read more

Ståle Kleiberg, David and Bathsheba

Last updated on: June 13, 2019 at 5:44 pm By James F. McGrath

Even if I did not teach a course on the Bible and music, even if I did not have a growing research as well as teaching interest in the intersection of religion and music, I would probably have shared this work with you. I discovered Ståle Kleiberg’s music through the Naxos Music Library, I believe. I’ve been listening constantly to his music since that happened, and when I saw that he has a treatment of the story of David and... Read more

God’s Grandchildren

Last updated on: June 11, 2019 at 4:18 pm By James F. McGrath

I watched most of Rachel Held Evans’ funeral as it was made available on YouTube, and I found some thoughts her sister shared to be inspiring, but also challenging to a common trope in Evangelicalism which says “God has no grandchildren.” I’ve repeated that saying, I think, on more than one occasion. I know I assented emphatically to the sentiment. But Rachel’s sister talked of believing on behalf of someone who cannot at that moment believe, of hoping on behalf... Read more

ReligionProf Podcast with Jessica Reed

Last updated on: June 11, 2019 at 4:12 pm By James F. McGrath

This week’s ReligionProf Podcast features Jessica Reed, who is a colleague of mine at Butler University and a poet whose work explores the realm of science through poetry in ways that are fascinating and profoundly moving, illustrating the range of ways that we as human beings can engage with and explore knowledge of the natural world and ourselves and our place in it. I highly recommend that you buy her book World, Composed. You won’t regret it! It is a... Read more

Redeeming the Christian Faith

Last updated on: June 11, 2019 at 6:45 am By James F. McGrath

The Christian faith is about redemption – or at least, it is supposed to be. But in our era, the word Christian itself is in need of redemption. As Miguel De La Torre wrote recently, “We are a nation that has made humanitarian aid a crime, and has made fidelity to the Bible a felony.” But those who have done that have done so not thinking it is an attack on Christianity, but in the name of Christianity, thinking that they are... Read more

ΘeoCon 2019

Last updated on: June 5, 2019 at 9:50 am By James F. McGrath

Matt Brake shared the call for submissions for ΘeoCon 2019, and I want to do likewise, not least so as to remind myself to submit something! Here’s what he shared: Hello All Theology (and Religion in general) and Pop Culture Lovers! There is no doubt that pop culture mediums have challenged and inspired us in the best of ways. ΘeoCon welcomes you to the place where theology and morality meet pop culture and where faith meets fiction. In a comic-con style... Read more

#CFP Pop Culture Undergraduate and Graduate Showcase

Last updated on: June 7, 2019 at 12:41 pm By James F. McGrath

Call for Papers: Undergraduate and Graduate Student Showcase Special showcase featuring undergraduate and graduate student work Due date for consideration: June 30, 2019 Publish date: October 2019 The Popular Culture Studies Journal is an open-access academic, peer-reviewed, refereed journal for scholars, academics, and students from the many disciplines that study popular culture, as well as the fans and general public with an interest in popular culture texts, practices, and industries. The journal serves the MPCA/ACA membership, as well as scholars globally who... Read more

Survey: “Social Axioms – mediating factors between needs and behaviours”

Last updated on: June 7, 2019 at 12:40 pm By James F. McGrath

I have known Cătălin Mosoia for many years. If any of you know my CV well…well, that’s kind of weird. But if it is nonetheless true, you may recognize his name as it appears on it, as a result of an interview I gave which was published as: “Entuziasmul fără cunoştiinţe este o problemă serioasă pentru religie”, in Cătălin Mosoia, În dialog cu…despre ştiinţă şi religie (Bucharest: Curtea Veche, 2007) 129-139. Cătălin asked me if I would be willing to participate in a... Read more