If God held all truth in his right hand and in his left the everlasting striving after truth, with the risk that I should always and everlastingly be mistaken, and said to me ‘Choose!’ in humility I would pick the left hand and say, ‘Father grant me that: Absolute truth is for thee alone.’ — Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, Eine Duplik (1778) in Gesammelte Werke, ed. Paul Rilla (Berlin: Aufbau, 1954-8), vol.8, pp.505ff. Read more

Review of Andreas J. Kostenberger and Scott R. Swain, Father, Son and Spirit: The Trinity and John’s Gospel (New Studies in Biblical Theology 24; Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2008).Since other reviewers have summarized and/or outlined the book, my aim in this review is to engage the content of the book more substantially in detail. “Anachronism should be avoided” (p.21). These words from by Kostenberger and Swain offer a crucial warning regarding the subject of “the Trinity and the Gospel of... Read more

I suspect that many regular readers of this blog already have a sense of why the subjects of creationism, evolution, and science education are important. But the blog Undeception does an excellent job of explaining why the subject is important for Christians. Take a look! Elsewhere in the blogosphere, Ted Ohio touches on the subject too, while Wade G. reflects on connecting science and religion. Read more

NT Wrong has announced that I have been dethroned from the top place in his Top 50 Bibliobloggers ranking. I’ve slid down all the way to 3rd place this past month. That’ll teach me to spend so much time working on my conference papers… Congratulations to Ben Witherington and Mark Goodacre, who took first and second place this month! Read more

Today in Sunday school class we began our series on the person of Jesus. We began by briefly discussing what historical study can and cannot do, and our tendency to project our interests and values onto Jesus. Rather than follow that with a survey of the New Testament writings relevant to the subject, or the creeds, we began by simply bringing up questions that we hope to look at and to which we are seeking answers. Some of the topics... Read more

Most LOST fans are presumably aware of the e-mail announcements that LOST producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof have purchased the Dharma Initiative, which was hurting badly as a result of the financial crisis. There is now a new web page for “Dharma Special Access”. There is no content yet, but you can in the mean time show what a truly die-hard fan you are by checking back there, say every 108 minutes… 4 + 8 + 15 + 16... Read more

I often post warnings about scam e-mails, but the one I just received is really quite remarkable. It came from the address [email protected] with the title “Christian Aid Grant No. (CAG: 21 5 A 68)”. The gist of the e-mail is that, in an effort to combat poverty, I will be given 850,000 pounds Sterling. While I concur that a generous gift to that effect would indeed be gratefully received and would indeed keep poverty at bay, it is precisely... Read more

David Ker seemed troubled that the Beliefnet Belief-O-Matic quiz he took categorized him as a Liberal Christian. David should be pleased, and perhaps help me find my way back to the true fold. The same quiz thinks I’m a Neo-Pagan! At least if that one doesn’t appeal to me, I have liberal Quaker and Reform Judaism to fall back on as close second and third options. In other news, Michael Bird has shared an interesting piece on why professors blog. Read more

I apologize that the link to my conference paper on Mark’s missing ending did not work initially. I think the length of the file name may have been the problem. I’ve shortened it and it seems to be working now. The new link address is http://blue.butler.edu/~jfmcgrat/McGrath – Missing Ending of Mark (SBL 2008).pdf Let me know if this one doesn’t work either! Read more

Thanks to Jim West for drawing attention to an article in the Tuscaloosa News about the Mandaeans and the humanitarian crisis they face. The Mandaeans do not accept converts, their numbers are dwindling, and they are being scattered as refugees and immigrants to various parts of the world. Without converts and without a community of Mandaeans that can provide spouses and families to continue their faith traditions, their continued survival is placed in jeopardy. This is not the first time... Read more