On Facebook, in response to my post about the “Galileo Gambit,” Dudley Chapman recalled a saying to the effect that they laughed at Galileo and they laughed at Thomas Edison, but they also laughed at Bozo the Clown. I’ve found that quote in several places around the internet. Dudley added “The job of science is to figure out who is Edison and who is Bozo.” That may or may not be his own addition, but it makes a good point.... Read more
A nice explanation of twelve tone music (serialism) by Vi Hart. It is highly entertaining in its own right, with a healthy dose of sci-fi geekiness, in addition to being an insightful and clear explanation of this distinctive development in 20th century music. And if you do not appreciate this sort of music, please give this a listen – it might change your mind. It has an incredible twelve-tone version of Mary Had a Little Lamb, and great use of... Read more
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Evangelicalism has never, ever been about just “the Bible alone.” Sure, the slogan has been used in Protestantism. But the Reformers knew that the Bible is never alone, and provided commentary on it. And often times the provision of commentary – one thinks of the infamous Schofield Reference Bible – has influenced an incredibly large segment of Christianity in a direction that is problematic from the perspective of the very texts being commented upon. And so should we be worried... Read more
There have been several interesting posts related to the study of the Gospels in recent days. Mike Kok blogged about the old form critical view of the Gospels as sui generis. Tim Lewis mentioned an article by Kyle R. Hughes (available online) about the possibility that the Pericope Adulterae could be from the L source. That suggestion could fit nicely with Dennis MacDonald’s view of the Synoptic problem. Mike Kok also drew attention to a new blog, Gospel Renegades. It features... Read more
Open Parachute has a great post about the Galileo gambit or Galileo fallacy, the notion that having one's ideas opposed somehow demonstrates that they are correct. Here is a takeaway quote: The real lesson from Galileo is not to oppose the “establishment” or current scientific consensus – but to rely on evidence. It was this argument of his, which today most of us accept and see as almost self-evident, that describes Galileo’s real contribution to the progress of science.His argument... Read more
Richard Rohr writes in The Huffington Post: You deserve to know my science for interpreting sacred texts. It is called a “hermeneutic.” Without an honest and declared hermeneutic, we have no consistency or authority in our interpretation of the Bible. My methodology is very simple; I will try to interpret Scripture the way that Jesus did. This is precisely what Christians should mean when we speak of interpreting the Old Testament in the light of Christ. Ironically, then, it is... Read more
Fred Clark has a post about the fact that conservative Evangelicalism's language gives the impression that there is only one direction in which one can move too far. He writes: Gatekeepers police the fortified boundaries of evangelicalism, but only on the “liberal” border. There is no conservative border… The tribe only has “liberal” boundaries. Conservatism is unbounded… That’s not to say that most white evangelicals are comfortable with Wilson’s Neo-Confederate nonsense. They’re not. But the subculture lacks any useful vocabulary... Read more
On my trip to Chicago yesterday, I got to snap my very own photo of some misused quotation marks: This was at a rest stop on I-65. Despite what the sign might lead one to believe, the men’s room was open, and not merely “open.” Read more
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I received an e-mail recently from someone whom I banned for trollish behavior, which seemed to me to be wasting the time of not only myself, but also other commenters. The individual in question was demonstrably dishonest, and refused to interact with evidence. The e-mail illustrates the same persistent claim or belief that the individual in question had presented evidence for their own viewpoint, and that others had not adequately responded, when the reverse is true. I’m not sure whether... Read more