A new open access journal has been launched: Studies in Late Antiquity. http://www.ucpress.edu/blog/25223/studies-in-late-antiquity-launches-first-issue/ This is different from the book series with that title that I blogged about a while back. I learned about both from the same source, however, and so tip of the hat to Jim Davila. Read more
It was recently drawn to my attention that the fact-checking and debunking website Snopes links to a blog post of mine, on the subject of the hoax that regularly circulates about chariot wheels allegedly being found in the Red Sea. It struck me not long after that that hoax is in fact an example of “fake news.” Fake news has been around in matters related to religion for a long time. The fake story that Charles Darwin repudiated evolution on his... Read more
Ben Stanhope shared the following image he made depicting how ancient Hebrews understood their physical world: I might quibble about minor details – for instance, I think that when Genesis talks about the waters gathering together into one place called “seas,” it has in mind the Mediterranean and adjoining seas in the midst of the land, and not oceans as yet unexplored around the edges. But on the whole, I appreciate this artistic rendering. See also other depictions of ancient Hebrew... Read more
Jacob Prahlow has shared the latest Biblical Studies Carnival. Phil Long has details on upcoming carnivals, including an opportunity for you to volunteer to host one! Read more
I am sure that you can Google “filioque” if you don’t get the joke. Try “Pope Francis” and “Bartholomew I” if you don’t recognize the two individuals in the image… Read more
If the Star Wars movies had been commenting on very recent events, this is how things might have unfolded. Here’s the interesting question: If the prequels had gone in this direction, how would the original trilogy have to be revised? What would be different, and how might those differences offer commentary on our current political and information realities (and falsities)? Read more
On March 27th at 6:30pm, Butler University will host a screening of Martin Doblmeier’s new movie An American Conscience: The Reinhold Neibuhr Story. To RSVP or for more information, visit EventBrite. Read more
On this Ash Wednesday, I am happy to have the chance to blog about a book that is different, I think, from any other that I’ve reviewed. I was sent a review copy of the adult coloring book Coloring Lent. I confess that, while I have been aware of the growing popularity of this genre, I haven’t been participating in it. And so I was not sure what to expect. Looking inside, I found the outlined artwork striking, and also the contents.... Read more
The faculty of Princeton Theological Seminar have issued a statement about president Donald Trump’s approach to refugees, immigration, and a number of other matters more generally. Here is the opening paragraph: We, the undersigned, believe that because God is sovereign over all creation and because all human beings are embraced by God’s all encompassing grace, the god of Donald Trump’s “America first” nationalism is not the God revealed in our scriptures. Regardless of our specific political persuasions we agree that... Read more
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