Lyrics: There’s a garden in the valley There’s a beauty I could never conceive In this paradise I dream of I have known it though it’s never been seen I remember I was falling Someone took me by the hand I was burning in the sunlight Now in the shade I stand (Chorus) The Tree stands tall It’s mighty branches cover all No wind can bend It’s majesty will never end In it’s shadow no illusion In this place... Read more
Thanks to Rod at Political Jesus for pointing out that there will be a conference in July about science fiction and fantasy, held under the auspices of the Orthodox Church in America. It is called Doxacon. There’s something very cool about a sci-fi and fantasy conference which features Vespers and other elements of divine liturgy! In related news, we are working on having a one day conference in England in October on religion and Doctor Who. The provisional date is... Read more
David Hayward’s cartoon today depicts a church where questions are not permitted. There is also a church where explanations are not permitted, which I blogged about previously. In that case, it is in fact a result of somewhat awkward and unfortunate English composed by someone that is not a native speaker. The meaning is that tour guides are not to walk around the church giving explanations, since it is not a museum but a place of worship. The notion that... Read more
I had a conversation today with a colleague connected with the campus ministry that extended the invitation to Answers in Genesis to speak at their lunchtime gathering this coming Thursday. He appreciated my concerns and criticisms, and would love to have an alternative perspective represented at a future meeting. And so I am writing this to ask whether there are any biologists who are Christians, or Christian scholars whose work has focused on creation in the Bible, who are not... Read more
Jim West has posted some of his views on homosexuality from time to time, including posts which are so ridiculously illogical as to be bizarre. But when he says that someone who disagrees with him isn’t a Christian, he’s gone too far. The irony is that Jim embraces the work of historical minimalists with respect to ancient Israel – people whose historical conclusions lead them to dismiss the factuality of much of the material that conservative Christians assume to be... Read more
Here is the lineup for the Traditions of East Late Antiquity Exploratory Session that will take place at AAR in November: From Jerusalem to the Karûn: What can Mandaean Geographies Tell Us? Charles Häberl, Rutgers University “On the Creation of Adam”: A Greek/Syriac “Kephalaion” from Titus of Bostra’s Contra Manichaeos Timothy Pettipiece, University of Ottawa The Creation of Disaster: Ritual Error in the Creation Stories of Ptahil and Zurvan Jennifer Hart, Stanford University Pahlavi and Periodization: The Use and Value... Read more
If one compares the most recent Doctor Who episode “The Rings of Akhaten” with the episode “The Aztecs” from the very first season, an interesting change in the Doctor's outlook about religion and human sacrifice emerges. In “The Aztecs” the Doctor is emphatically opposed to Barbara's interference in an attempt to change history. It may be that that concern was largely pragmatic – paradoxes are created if you tamper with a past that you are directly connected with. But it... Read more
The Doctor Who episode “The Rings of Akhaten” is surely one of the best in the show’s history for those interested in seeing Doctor Who explore religion. Spoilers ahead! The episode begins with a charming scene (with the Doctor somewhat creepily spying on it) as a leaf blowing in the wind – yes, the leaf that was later “page 1” in Clara’s book – causes a man and woman to meet. Those two people will eventually become Clara’s parents. The... Read more
This is a recording of an excerpt from a class – a student asked a question about the divine name, and I answered providing a lot of background and contextual information. Read more
The above cartoon depicts the caricature of a doubter, and specifically of Thomas who became known as “Doubting Thomas.” But is skepticism in the face of seemingly incredible claims really inappropriate? Was Thomas the fool depicted in the cartoon above, or wiser than far too many gullible Christians today, whose unwillingness or inability to doubt in an appropriate way makes them liable to become the victims of charlatans? On this topic see also Steve Pankey’s post, “Doubting Thomas Didn’t Doubt” and... Read more
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