2018-02-13T15:22:41-05:00

Last updated on: February 13, 2018 at 3:22 pm   By

The X-Files episode “Kitten” does something that many episodes in the rebooted series have done, namely delved deeper into the backstory of major characters to explore how those experiences shaped them. In this case, the focus is on Walter Skinner. The episode begins with experiences Skinner had in Vietnam, seeing his friend and fellow soldier John “Kitten” James exposed to an experimental chemical, and witnessing how it changed him from being terrified and overwhelmed with fear to a savage killer... Read more

2018-02-13T00:14:40-05:00

Last updated on: February 13, 2018 at 12:14 am   By

The season one finale of Star Trek: Discovery brought the major arcs of the season to a satisfying conclusion, while also leaving us eager to see what happens next. Spoilers ahead! Early in the episode, we see that Michael Burnham is not simply going to go along with Captain Georgiou from the Terran Empire, who says that her information is giving the Federation a fighting chance, and asks whether Michael is with her or against her. Michael says she is... Read more

2018-02-05T22:39:05-05:00

Last updated on: February 5, 2018 at 10:39 pm   By

I had the opportunity to make a guest appearance at one session of this year-long workshop for local artists, talking about creation in the Genesis 2-3 creation account as received and interpreted in Christian and Gnostic sources. The works that the artists have produced in past years have been incredible, and I have no doubt that the same will be true in February 2018. And so I am sharing the announcement so that you can mark your calendars and hopefully attend! Read more

2018-02-10T09:40:57-05:00

Last updated on: February 10, 2018 at 9:40 am   By

This call for papers for the AAR annual meeting in November is worth sharing here, falling as it does at the intersection of religion and science fiction: Transposition of Religious and Theological Concepts Through Worldbuilding I am working to organize a panel proposal for this year’s American Academy of Religion conference for the Religion and Science Fiction Unit. In particular, I am looking for fellow panelists interested in presenting papers on the topic “Transposition of Religious and Theological Concepts Through Worldbuilding.”... Read more

2018-02-08T19:38:04-05:00

Last updated on: February 8, 2018 at 7:38 pm   By

I recently shared a poster for one of our calls for papers. Time for another: You can also find the text of the call for papers on both the SBL (Digital Humanities) and AAR (Traditions of Eastern Late Antiquity) web pages. Online Resources and Traditions of Eastern Late Antiquity This joint session with the AAR section Traditions of Eastern Late Antiquity will include both a selection of invited papers and proposals. We are accepting papers that explore online resources relating... Read more

2018-02-09T07:02:20-05:00

Last updated on: February 9, 2018 at 7:02 am   By

I recently spoke with Jim Lebans of the Canadian Broadcasting Company about religion and the singularity. Here is the program they put together: It is fascinating to hear the result, as they brought together not only my own conversation but that of other academics into a fascinating combination. On their website they add: Superintelligent machines as prophets or gurus Another way to imagine our relationship with the superintelligent machines is to think about the gods of mythology. As Theologian James McGrath points out,... Read more

2018-01-31T19:41:59-05:00

Last updated on: January 31, 2018 at 7:41 pm   By

Workshop: Linked Data and Syriac Sources Amsterdam, 12–13 March 2018   With the generous support of the Van Moorsel en Rijnierse Foundation, the Eep Talstra Centre for Bible and Computer (ETCBC) will organize a workshop on Linked Data and Syriac Sources, related to its CLARIAH Research Pilot Project LinkSyr: Linking Syriac Data. In the Digital Age, more and more sources of information are becoming available online, including annotated text databases, encyclopedic resources and geographical tools. Linked Data is the method to... Read more

2018-02-05T22:39:24-05:00

Last updated on: February 5, 2018 at 10:39 pm   By

Someone said to me recently that they are not sure that we are happier with our new technology than we were decades ago playing in the dirt. It struck me that when I was playing in the dirt as a child, I was often imagining that I had technology like what we now have. This led me to think a little more about the state of our current lives and how technology, play, and childhood – among other things –... Read more

2018-02-05T22:43:13-05:00

Last updated on: February 5, 2018 at 10:43 pm   By

The latest episode of Star Trek: Discovery has so much about it that is fantastic, from its earliest moments to its final seconds. Much of the story focuses on the presence of the emperor of the Terran Empire in the mirror universe, who is having trouble adjusting, as she refers to how recently she and Michael dined on the entrails of Saru’s brethren, but now she defers to one. But the heart of the matter will persistently be whether those... Read more

2018-02-05T08:27:59-05:00

Last updated on: February 5, 2018 at 8:27 am   By

The digital poster above is seeking to promote the call for papers for the American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting that will be held in Denver, Colorado in November.  Here is the complete text of the call for this one particular session that is being organized by the Traditions of Eastern Late Antiquity program unit, of which I am one of the chairs: “Hatin’ on Jesus” in the East We welcome paper proposals that explore how non-Christian religious communities in... Read more

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