There is material in Hebrews 4-5 that is particularly striking when considered in relation to some of the classic creedal formulations of Christian orthodoxy, as well as other popular ways of Christian thinking about Jesus. We reached this section Sunday in my Sunday school class, and I wanted to share some thoughts on the passage. To say that Jesus was tempted in every way that other human beings are seems incompatible with the view that Jesus was an omniscient divine... Read more
I just saw that John Green has shared the text of his commencement address, delivered at the graduation ceremony at Butler University this year. It was great, and so I encourage you to click through to read it! Read more
I had a librarian mention to me that they had heard about a scholar whose blog got not merely quoted but responded to and interacted with in a peer-reviewed journal article. I quickly responded by saying that I know the blogger in question – Mark Goodacre, who blogged about his experience recently. Blogging is just one part of the changing face of scholarly communication. We need to be proactive in thinking about how the etiquette and protocols of what we... Read more
If you are a Doctor Who fan, you have surely heard the news that some copies of the season 7 Blu-Ray shipped early, meaning that a few lucky people in the United States who pre-ordered them now have access to the season finale, “The Name of the Doctor,” before it airs next Saturday. If you have been looking for torrents of the episode, or trying to find it on Usenet or Rapishare, your searching is over. Here is a link... Read more
The vigor with which some people defend their beliefs online – refusing to do basic research, offering completely unpersuasive off-the-cuff arguments, and denigrating their opponents – has long puzzled me. Losing your faith (or, if you are an atheist, losing your lack of faith) can seem like a terrifying prospect, to be avoided at all costs. But what most people are defending isn’t their “faith.” It is the details of their worldview, their belief system. And the fact that examining... Read more
I apologize that it has taken me a while to mention the recent passing of Geza Vermes, the renowned scholar of ancient Judaism and the historical Jesus. I had wanted to mark his passing not merely by linking to what others wrote, but by trying to round up and share some of his writings and videos that can be found online. Alas, other things got in the way. So I direct readers to the blog posts about his life and... Read more
We were told that, in the episode of Doctor Who “Nightmare in Silver,” Neil Gaiman aimed to make the cybermen scary again. It is arguable that he accomplished that, not only by making the cybermen a little scarier, but also making them part of something even scarier than they are. Spoilers ahead! Some speculated about whether the ending of the last episode might lead to the kids in Clara’s care being included on an adventure. We did not have long to wait.... Read more
Congratulations to Butler University's 2013 graduates! I wish you every success in the future! Please keep in touch! Read more
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Retelling Romans: Introduction
I have long said I wanted to write a “blogmentary” (blog commentary) on Romans. I think what I really wanted to do, above all else, is try retelling Paul’s letter to the Romans so that it can be heard afresh by a modern Christian audience. One big challenge for Christian readers of the Bible is the tendency to know who the “good guys” are in stories and assume that we are them. And so we assume that we’re the Samaritan, or... Read more