I have been in a couple of libraries recently, and have been struck over and over again by the idea that they ought to be renamed “cathedrals of learning.” They are a kind of sacred space, which accomplish something not just by providing particular services or materials, but by being a quiet place set apart from the hustle and bustle around them, where we can think, meditate, and reflect. And so I felt I had to share Jeremy Smith’s blog... Read more
The quote comes from Richard Beck’s post “On (Not) Being Religious.” What do you think of this definition of Christianity? I have had many discussions about the definition of Christianity. What do you think of this one? Read more
I was asked recently how Luther died, and wanted to fact-check what I thought the answer to that question was. So I did what anyone would do – I typed the question in on Google. Here is the top part of the result: Am I the only one surprised that a question about “Luther” gives top results about Luther Vandross, and only after that results about Martin Luther? The consensus seems to be that Martin Luther died of a stroke, whereas... Read more
“I let go of the notion that the Bible is a divine product. I learned that it is a human cultural product, the product of two ancient communities, biblical Israel and early Christianity. As such, it contained their understandings and affirmations, not statements coming directly or somewhat directly from God. . . . I realized that whatever “divine revelation” and the “inspiration of the Bible” meant (if they meant anything), they did not mean that the Bible was a divine... Read more
I’m delighted to have the chance to review Rachel Held Evans’ forthcoming book, Searching for Sunday: Loving, Leaving, and Finding the Church. If you have read anything of hers before, this is classic Rachel Held Evans. You will laugh out loud, and you will cry. You will be moved by brutally honest stories about the church at its best and its worst, and will find yourself wondering how anyone could ever find Christianity attractive, and how anyone could ever find... Read more
April 1st’s Bizarro is funny, but also problematic. How can people who are engaging in constant conversation be “incapable of conversation”? But I am happy to see a depiction of an afterlife without cell phones. Can you imagine how long it would take you to get from one cloud to another if you were stuck behind a group of people texting as they walk? In connection with the present, do you find that cell phones mainly connect people or divide... Read more
ΘΕΟΙ ΤΟΣΑ ΔΟΙΕΝ ΟΣΑ ΦΡΕΣΙ ΣΗΣΙ ΜΕΝΟΙΝΑΣ ΘΕΟΙ ΔΕ ΤΟΙ ΟΛΒΙΑ ΔΟΙΕΝ ΘΑΝΟΝΤΕΣ ΜΟΝΟΙ ΤΟ ΤΟΥ ΠΟΛΕΜΟΥ ΤΕΛΟΣ ΕΩΡΑΚΑΣΙ The words above appear on a tapestry, which is still being made by Jacob at the start of this episode, but which we see in finished form later on. The first two lines express a desire for blessing from the gods, while the last (when corrected as above) says that only the dead have rest from war. That last line is... Read more
When I saw this graphic, I knew I had to share it. I actually raise this issue in a number of my classes, to highlight the difficult questions that are often simply ignored by those who use phrases such as “life begins at conception” as though they were indisputable. Life is present long before conception, and consciousness – if that involves a brain – is not there until well after. And so, far from being a clear-cut matter, the question of when... Read more
I was at Indianapolis Airport today, and noticed this banner: If you have ever been to Indianapolis, you will know the statement is true. Indianapolis is a very diverse city, and one which embraces and relishes that diversity. It is characteristic of many states, and not only Indiana, that its urban areas are “blue”'and its rural ones are “red.” The recent RFRA legislation reflected the values that predominate in rural areas of the state, and caused nearly universal dismay... Read more
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