I’m grateful to Mike Bird for sharing the above video. Christianity is a diverse global phenomenon – indeed, so diverse that Eastern Christians will be celebrating Easter on May 5th this year! And so sharing this song, with words characteristic of the Orthodox branch of Christianity, on the day that Catholics and Protestants celebrate Easter is a reminder both of our unity and our disunity. Happy Easter, even so! Read more
Phillip Long has posted an appeal for submissions for the next Biblical Studies Carnival – the last chance, as the end of the month is almost here! Read more
Thanks to Hemant Mehta for reminding us that it is not only Easter tomorrow, but also “Jesus, Take The Wheel” Day. I am pretty sure no one will be observing the occasion. But be careful out there, just in case. Read more
Doctor Who returned to our television screens today with the episode “The Bells of St. John,” offering a wonderful bringing together of old and new. Spoilers ahead. The bells of St. John turned out to be an interesting detail. While most of us were busy thinking about the famous nursery rhyme, the St. John Ambulance logo on the TARDIS provided the key. The Doctor is living in Cumbria in 1207 in a monastery. He is still seeking solitude and quiet,... Read more
I’ve made this point before (see especially my article for Religion Dispatches from 2008). But since Jim West has written a blog post suggesting that liberal Christians neglect exegesis when it comes to subjects such as same-sex relationships, I thought I would respond to him here, just as I have in a comment on his blog: We on the left have seen how a focus on exegesis rather than overarching principles has led to the defense of slavery, the forbidding... Read more
What exactly is the symbolism behind the custom of eating ham at Easter – of eating a non-kosher food to celebrate a story that is set against the backdrop of the Jewish Passover? Read more
A quote from the latest post in Fred Clark’s ongoing review of the Left Behind series gets at the heart of his evaluation: This is a pattern in these books. We’re told that Buck Williams is a master journalist, but since the authors couldn’t be bothered to learn what good journalism looks like, we’re shown that Buck is a clumsy hack (“like saying the Great Wall of China is long”). We’re told that Nicolae is a great orator, but since the authors couldn’t be bothered to... Read more
Doctor Who returns this evening! Feel free to pass the time talking here! Read more
Today's Non Sequitur cartoon fits how some understand Good Friday perfectly: Among our oldest traceable concept of gods are the personalities we once assumed to be behind the forces of nature. How do we find a way to get rain when we need it, or divert illness away from ourselves? Placate the deity. And how does one placate a person? Flattery and gift-giving. Hence sacrifices and outpourings of lavish praise at the core of so many religious traditions. There is... Read more
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