Good Friday represents the end of the story a historian can tell about Jesus as a historical figure. He lived, he was executed, he was placed in a tomb. Historians can elaborate on these points and many others in important ways, but cannot take us further. Historians can help us study what early Christians believed about Jesus in the days and years that followed. Historical study is relevant to understanding the earliest Easter beliefs, but cannot give us Easter as... Read more
Here is an edited and expanded version of what I wrote on Facebook the day before yesterday when I shared my blog post: According to classic theism, God doesn’t change. God is omniscient and doesn’t learn. The Gospels are clear that Jesus changed, grew, and learned. Where does that leave us? It is possible to experience an encounter with God in and through Jesus, to be convinced that (as Paul put it) “God was in Christ.” It is even possible... Read more
I am helping to circulate an interesting call for papers, which will be of interest to those who study both science fiction and ethics. Conference: Camps, (In)Justice, and Solidarity in the Americas Commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the Guantánamo Bay Detention Camps January 28-31, 2022, University of Graz, Austria https://camps2022.com/call-for-papers/ While the 20th anniversary of the detention camp in Guantanamo Bay provides the main impetus for the conference, the conference is “thinking” camps in broad terms and is thus seeking... Read more
Let me start by highlighting that my WFYI radio appearance yesterday is now available on their website for you to listen to. I am in the second half of the show. Next, and directly related, Andy Cassler has voiced some objections to my book or at the very least expressed dissatisfaction coupled with curiosity because I do not address the divinity of Christ in my book. I would point out that the matter of concern is not something that we... Read more
Today I will appear on my local public radio station, WFYI, 90.1 FM if you are in the Indianapolis or central Indiana area. I will be on the program All IN which begins at 1 pm. If you are not in Indiana never fear, you can tune in online. Whether listening online or on the radio, you will have a chance to submit questions if you would like to. Lest any of you think that, if you are not in... Read more
It has been a while since I’ve written about the intersection of technology and religion. Although I have a lot of other interests that I have been focusing on, this has not ceased to be an ongoing interest of mine, and it is one that I will continue to return to. In the meantime, here are some things I’ve come across or had drawn to my attention elsewhere, not only about AI and religion but also technology and education and... Read more
Therefore, since it is loyalty that sets us in a right relationship with God, our allegiance marks an end to hostilities. Through our Lord and King Jesus we have been granted mercy and undeserved forgiveness. We take our stand in this, even daring to boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. Not only that, we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering teaches us perseverance, which develops character, which fosters hope. Hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been... Read more
I have been wondering for a while what to blog about for Palm Sunday. It is one of those events that is far more complicated when considered historically than most would realize who celebrate it. Jesus’ triumphal entry (as it is called) has people shouting “Hosanna.” The cry for salvation features in Psalm 118, known as one of the Hallel Psalms. It was used at major festivals including but not limited to Passover. The waving of palm branches, on the... Read more
I promised to return to the lyrics of the parody song “Fifty Ways to Forge a Gospel” I wrote several years ago and explain all the references in it. Here is that post. The annotated lyrics follow, with my comments in square brackets. The names, as in the original song are mostly chosen by rhyme. But each line has an allusion to an actual canonical or extracanonical work that could be considered a “forgery” in one of the many senses of... Read more
It makes for natural sermon fodder but is very puzzling as part of the narrative of Gospels. How does one make sense of the several stories in the New Testament Gospels, in both Luke and John, in which Jesus is not recognized? It is great preaching material: Just ask how often we fail to recognize Jesus, in those whose humanity we fail to recognize, in the poor and marginalized, in the breaking of bread and fellowship. But that kind of... Read more
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