I am serious about what I suggest in the title of this blog post, even though trying to grab readers’ attention is definitely a motive for putting it this way. There are things to be said by way of clarification that couldn’t go in the title. For one thing, I find the terminology of “high Christology” and “low Christology” problematic. For another, I think the extent of development in the New Testament period is seriously overestimated. That is not, however,... Read more
Call for Abstracts: Theology and Dystopia Edited by Scott Donahue-Martens and Brandon Simonson From the Greek dus- (“bad”) and topos (“place”), dystopia as a genre is often characterized by its use of post-apocalyptic and totalitarian imagery. Dystopia stands in contrast with its counterpart utopia, an equally far-off yet disparately ideal world. Both dystopian and utopian worlds abound with theological meaning, especially where they can offer insight into real-world human experience, belief, practice, and society. The editors invite abstracts for chapters on topics at the intersection... Read more
This post is about two anonymous sources of sayings attributed to figures who are regarded by their followers as prophetic leaders striving for a just order against forces of darkness in high places. When you put it like that, it becomes clear that QAnon is essentially an apocalyptic religion. I was initially inclined to call it a “secular” apocalyptic cult, but secular may not be the right word. The Q source that is referred to in New Testament studies is... Read more
This looks like a great call for papers: Secular and the Supernatural (PCA/ACA, Philosophy and Culture Area, panel/roundtable) deadline for submissions: December 30, 2020 full name / name of organization: Philosophy and Culture Area, Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association (Annual Convention, Boston, Massachusetts, June 2-5, 2021, http://pcaaca.org/area/philosophy-and-culture) contact email: [email protected] Synopsis: A number of anniversaries in 2021 — the tenth of the premiere of David Benioff and W.B. Weiss’ television series, Game of Thrones, Tom Perrotta’s novel, The Leftovers, and Terrence Malick’s... Read more
Back in 2007 I wrote this review of God’s Universe by Owen Gingerich (for those who may have wondered from the title how on God’s green Earth I hoped to review the entirety of God’s universe). I highly recommend the book. For such a tiny book (121 page that are each about half the size of an average-sized book), it covers a remarkable amount that is of significant, discussing both the history and philosophy of the interaction between religion and science. Among... Read more
When Donald Trump makes his claims about voting fraud and the election being “stolen,” he is using a tactic that is familiar to those who have made efforts to combat conspiracy theories and other misinformation about science, history, medicine, and politics. It goes something like this (with apologies for the language used—this isn’t my creation): An election was held that coordinated the collection of millions of data points (votes). These are not gathered centrally but are surveyed and studied by... Read more
In 2007 I read and reviewed an interesting book relevant to those interested in science and religious beliefs, namely Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast: The Evolutionary Origins of Belief by Lewis Wolpert. It is a very balanced treatment of a potentially sensistive topic, which is identified by the book’s subtitle: The Evolutionary Origins of Belief. In other words, the book represents a perspective from evolutionary biology on why we believe the things we do, how we come up with and accept beliefs, and among... Read more
We live in an era when we have become accustomed to information about the contents of foods, movies, CDs, and other things to be on the packaging. I’ve blogged before about what warning labels it might be deemed appropriate to put on Bibles. Compare these two, which you can find online along with a number of others, which I’ve set side by side here to contrast them more effectively: The question I want to tackle here is whether one of... Read more
I want to share this very cool upcoming lecture being held by the The American Association for the Advancement of Science: Imagining Different Worlds: Science, Ethics, and Faith in Science Fiction Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion Wednesday, December 9, 2020 5:00pm – 6:30pm REGISTER Science fiction imagines futuristic or alternate worlds, often exploring themes of science and technology, space exploration, and extraterrestrial life. The topics explored in science fiction are often at the interface of science and society issues. Origins of... Read more
Another blog post from a long time ago, on a blog far far away, written when I was still looking forward to watching Star Wars Episodes IV-VI again in light of Episodes I-III. Although having seen the prequels first spoils the surprise when Luke learns that Darth Vader is his father, knowing it beforehand creates a different sort of dramatic tension: Vader tortures Leia and pursues Luke, and the viewer watching the episodes starting with Episode I will ask “Are... Read more
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