Science Fiction and Philosophy: From Time Travel to Superintelligence, edited by Susan Schneider (Malden: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009), is a fantastic book that does not simply relate science fiction and philosophy to one another, but in fact shows that the two are significantly overlapping domains. Philosophy thrives on thought experiments, and has done since antiquity, as the excerpt from Plato’s Republic demonstrates. When modern philosophers have written thought experiments, they have often taken the form of what are in essence science fiction... Read more

Mike Whitenton has received a copy of The Only True God and promises a review will follow soon. Another blogger also offers some thoughts and impressions. On related notes, Chris Brady posted on the question of a Targumic background to John’s Logos concept, while Joseph Hoffmann has a post on the Godhead brought to you by the number 3, and Michael Bird touched on the Nicene Creed. Read more

I received an e-mail this past week about another subject, this time the reference in John 20:6-7 mentioning the cloth that had been on Jesus’ face. I suspect that one reason (perhaps the main or only reason) for the Gospel mentioning the detail is because it could be argued that, if someone had moved the body, they would either have left the cloth on Jesus’ face or, if it had fallen off, would not have bothered to pick it up,... Read more

I had someone e-mail me recently with a question about whether Romans 14, with its teaching about the “strong” and the “weak”, provides good guidance for Christian who have come to realize that there are good reasons to accept biological evolution, and are now wondering whether to keep this to themselves or speak out about it in their churches. I thought I’d share what I wrote in reply, since it might be relevant to others. I suppose the place to... Read more

For some reason yesterday I found myself imagining fundamentalists overseeing the final judgment, giving a “final exam” to make sure that only the truly saved get into heaven. It would have two questions: 1) Give your testimony of how you asked Jesus into your heart to become your personal Lord and Savior. 2) Construct a story that incorporates all the elements from (a) Matthew 28:10,16-20 and Luke 24:36-53 OR (b) Matthew 2:1-23 and Luke 2:1-40, leaving nothing out and containing... Read more

Jared Calaway has inflicted/blessed me with a meme that has been making the rounds in recent days. It was started by Ken Brown, and I thought I’d share what he wrote when he did so (since it includes both the rationale and the rules): As I’ve been preparing to apply for PhD programs, I’ve been thinking about those books and scholars who have most influenced the way I read scripture, and I’m curious which books have done the same for... Read more

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It seems unlikely that at any point in the past the vast majority of inhabitants of the United States were devout Christians with a personal faith, as opposed to nominal Christians for whom their Christianity consisted largely of a “tribal identity” including churchgoing and assenting to some doctrinal beliefs and moral precepts. Does it not seem ironic, then, that the notion of American having once been a “Christian nation”, and nostalgia for that bygone golden age, is found largely among... Read more

I won’t predict a hiatus, but there is going to be, at the very least, a lull in my blogging in the near future. I have a conference in July in Oxford on the Mandaeans, and some preparations for that and other writing projects that I hope to work on before then. I may try to use that time to re-post some posts from quite some time ago. If I decide to do that, then there may not even be... Read more

Yesterday I saw the movie Bedtime Stories. It is a delightful tale that provides helpful insight into the value of stories, of myths and fables. If you haven’t seen it, you may want to do so before reading this post – there won’t be any spoilers per se, but in offering some suggestions about the movie’s message and significance, I may give things away that are better discovered in the course of watching. The movie’s message, in my opinion, is... Read more