“Religious beliefs cannot remain what they were before the rise of modern science any more than ancient scientific beliefs can. It would be absurd to insist that ancient religious beliefs should remain unchanged when our whole view of the universe has changed radically” (Keith Ward, The Big Questions in Science and Religion (West Conshohocken: Templeton Foundation Press, 2008) p.4). Read more

The Bad Astronomy blog over at the Discover magazine web site mentions me and links to my post on “Evolution and Indoctrination“. To think that if Jim West hadn’t posted what he did, none of this might have happened… Read more

The Dharma Wants You site is still recruiting for the Dharma Initative. To register you first take a test. There is someone talking in places in a language I don’t understand. Presumably there are clues to be found on the site. One thing you can do after registering is create your own quiz. Click here to take the one I created. Read more

Jesus Creed reflects on apostasy from orthodoxy. Metacatholic points out a Christian reconstructionist web site about Palin. Debunking Christianity has a game theory approach to Genesis 3. It is problematic, but also interesting, and certainly worth a look. For a rabbinic approach, check out the wonderfully-named Sefer Ha-Bloggadah. As I wait for my book to become available, I’m glad that documentaries and blogs are keeping interest in the burial of Jesus alive. Sandwalk asks whether science should speak to faith. Read more

Here are links to all the substantial posts I’ve written about LOST (so far): LOST: The Island and the PeopleReligion and Morality in an Infinite MultiverseLOST in a Parallel UniverseLOST in a Zoroastrian MultiverseLOST TheoriesLOST Tabula RasaLOST and SolitaryLOST Mothers of the ChosenWhy the Red Sox Always LOST the World SeriesDeus ex Machina LOST BooneLOST Exodus from Season 1LOST WhispersLOST Teddy BearLOST Book of the LawNathan the LOST Prophet?LOST BodyLOST in a Hot Air BalloonOceanic Flight 815 Was Shot DownLOST:... Read more

Today in my class “Heresy” (about extracanonical early Christian literature) we looked at the infancy Gospels of James and Thomas. The former had stories nad traditions that were familiar to several students. The latter was, as always, a surprise and a bit of a puzzle for them. But how can one not find fascinating a story in which one readsthings like the following? The teacher became exasperated and hit him on the head. Jesus got angry and cursed him, and... Read more

The Butler University library has been working to provide resources to help students identify and appropriately use reliable sources in their studies and independent research. I mentioned once before the library’s helpful plagiarism tutorial. Since then, my friend and colleague Brad Matthies has created another online course about sources, which helps students discern between different types of publications and different degrees of reliability. I hope other educators and students will find them useful. Read more

I’m continuing watching old episodes of LOST, and am about two-thirds of the way through season 2. In the episode “The Whole Truth“, I was struck to notice (I hadn’t before) that the pregnancy test Sun took was made by Widmore Labs. So when Kate asked ironically “Who carries a pregnancy test with them on a plane?” it wasn’t a throw-away line. We were supposed to ask ourselves that question seriously. And the answer we’re to come up with once... Read more

My colleague Dave Mason created a blog connected to his new book, The End of the American Century. Since he has now posted his first blog entry, I thought I’d try to send him some traffic and give him a baptism of fire into the wonderful world of blogging. His first post is entitled “Bankrupt America“. If the subject of the book/post sound interesting, why not pay his blog a visit and take a look? Read more