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

I’ve finally gotten around to converting my conference papers from this year into pdf files and making them available online. Here are the links: Mandaean Polemic Mark’s Missing Ending Feedback is always appreciated! Let me know if for some reason a link doesn’t work. Read more

My sister sent me a link to this video, and I think many readers may appreciate the way it illustrates how communication can go wrong (admittedly not always with such amusing results)… It reminded me of a commercial from a while back that made the same point using different song lyrics (which I wasn’t too surprised to find is also available on YouTube): Read more

[NOTE: In sharing the text of the unsolicited e-mail below, I did not expect so many to find this post via search engines and potentially miss the broader context of discussion on this blog. For those interested in this topic, I would like to also strongly recommend that you read my post on how I know Barack Obama is not the antichrist]. Here’s the text of an unsolicited e-mail I received. Given the interest in the “Obama as antichrist” notion,... Read more

Michael Dowd and Connie Barlow, responsible for the book Thank God For Evolution, have now begun a newsletter called The Evolutionary Times. In related news, the Clergy Letter Project now has its own YouTube channel. And the latest Global Spiral is out from Metanexus, including articles on subjects like Christian physicalism and post-metaphysical theology, as well as an excerpt from Keith Ward’s most recent book (about which I hope to resume, and finish, blogging soon). There’s also video and audio... Read more

Here are members of the Butler Children Orchestra and the League of Extraordinary Musicians performing “Mythos” by Soon Hee Newbold, in a concert I missed the Saturday I was away at SBL: Read more

I had a very interesting conversation at SBL with an old friend and a friend of that friend. I entered the conversation (already in progress) with an abrupt question (from the friend’s friend) about whether I thought the Bible was “the Word of God uniquely revealed” (or something to that effect). As I tried to think of a balanced, witty, insightful and profound reply, my friend chimed in and said “Just answer, no thinking about it, yes or no…” (or... Read more