A commenter (whom I can only assume is a troll, since they twice assumed that I might not have seen Star Wars!) suggested that the scene in which Darth Vader force chokes General Motti in Star Wars Episode IV might be inspired by the doubting Thomas story in John 20. And so I thought it deserved to be converted into some images, which I am sharing below. I’m curious which looks most like Jesus is force choking Thomas. But I... Read more
Chris Heard wrote recently about his effort to “gamify” a course he teaches. Here's a snippet: Here’s the elevator pitch: My Religion 101 course, also known as “World of Biblecraft,” functions like a cross between Farmville, Minecraft, and the World of Warcraft, where students earn XP and level up by exploring the Bible.Students enter the World of Biblecraft as first-level Bible readers, called Joiners. As students complete various class-related activities, they earn experience points (XP). As they hit certain XP... Read more
A couple of courses I teach, such as “Religion and Science,” count towards the Science, Technology, and Society program here at Butler University. And so I thought I ought to circulate this job advertisement connected with that program: Instructor Science, Technology and Society Program Butler University announces an Instructor position in its Science, Technology and Society (STS) program, beginning Fall 2014. The position is non-tenure track, with an initial contract of two years, and the possibility of reappointment. Teaching load... Read more
I am grateful to Stephen Carlson for directing my attention to Required Religion on Tumblr, which is gifs depicting the experiences of a religion professor. There are so many I can relate to, such as this one, depicting how a professor feels when students won’t talk: And this one, “How I feel when I find mistakes in the syllabus mid-semester”: But this one (click through) made me laugh out loud. So did this one. And a whole bunch on this... Read more
From Chuck and Beans, a cartoon series which has many more holiday-themed ones, including this:Â Read more
Hemant Mehta explains his view on the historical Jesus, miracles, and what the implications are for atheism: Interestingly, even Neil Godfrey agrees with Mehta on one point, that if you aren’t an expert in the field of historical Jesus studies, then it is better to be agnostic about it rather than hold firmly to a view you cannot defend. Of course, Godfrey is wrong about Ehrman’s book being the first tackling of mythicism in the field, just as he tends... Read more
Via Matthew Paul Turner. One advantage of being Baptist is that you don’t have to be like other Baptists. One disadvantage of being Baptist is that you often hang your head in embarrassment at other Baptists, and have to explain “I am/we are not at all like those other Baptists.” Read more
I've shared this cartoon before, but with Halloween approaching, I thought I'd share it again: If you are looking for a low-budget idea, then bubble wrap and spray paint as it appeared in The Ark in Space is probably the way to go. But if you have more time and money to devote to it, there are whole websites and blogs dedicated to Doctor Who costumes. Â Â Read more
“Churches should be the most honest place in town, not the happiest place in town.” — Walter Bruggeman Pete Enns shared the above quote in a post that highlights the psalms of lament. The Bible, taken as a whole, doesn’t suggest that human beings ought to simply believe, or keep their doubts and complaints to themselves, or never question. Job is praised for questioning and his friends condemned for giving pat orthodox answers. The Psalms are full of complaints and... Read more
Tickets go on sale tomorrow for theatrical showings of “The Day of the Doctor,” the 50th anniversary Doctor Who episode, in 3D. The Fathom Events website will be selling tickets, and you can check out their list of places where the special episode will be showing. It doesn’t look like those attending the AAR and SBL conferences will get to see it in a movie theater… Read more
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