The student who presented today in my class on the Bible shared this meme image: That Jesus dies is a spoiler only in the sense that the sinking of the ship is a spoiler for those who watch the movie Titanic. But what is noteworthy in the attempts at humor is the penchant for this to be thought of as the crucial moment in the Bible’s narrative, the turning point in history. And as a result, for some, it is viewed... Read more
Here’s the abstract of a second paper that I will be presenting at SBL in November, in a session on “Intertextuality and the Art of Persuasive Argumentation” organized by the Intertextuality in the New Testament Section: “Reading a Letter Quoting a Hymn Quoting Scripture: Intertextuality and Persuasion in Philippians 2:6-11” The passage in Philippians 2:6-11 has been subjected to detailed scrutiny from a number of perspectives, often focusing on distinct but not ultimately unrelated questions: Is it quoting an already-existing... Read more
This seemed worth posting again, since this week brings together Jesus’ death (foreseen, according to the Gospels, as clearly as that of a redshirt in a landing party) and the wearing of red to show support for marriage equality. Some people are having to explain that you can be in favor of marriage equality as a Christian. For others of us, it is a natural extension of our following Jesus’ example to be concerned that others have the same rights... Read more
Apparently the term “Maundy Thursday” comes from the Latin phrase “mandatum novum” meaning “new commandment.” The reference is to John 13, which features the story of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet, followed by his statement about a new commandment he has given them, to love one another. We actually reached this passage in my class on the Gospel of John yesterday, and had an interesting discussion about whether this commandment is “new,” and if so, in what sense. 1 John... Read more
In some segments of Christianity, shouting “Amen!” is encouraged, and at times even requested with a phrase like “Can I hear an 'Amen'?” This isn't a Biblical way of using the word. But even if it were, it would still be problematic. It is asking for immediate assent to what is said, based on enthusiasm or assumptions, rather than on careful reflection and investigation. I was struck recently by the contrast between this sort of 'Amen' and the exclamation 'Aha!'... Read more
This cartoon by David Hayward might seem anti-Biblical to some. But that’s only because they’ve missed that the Bible itself directs attention away from its pages elsewhere. As Paul puts it, “The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” And yet many in our time bizarrely associate Christianity with letter-fixation. Read more
Like John Byron, I have yet to see any episode of the History Channel miniseries “The Bible.” But I found the time to watch Stephen Colbert’s treatment of it on The Colbert Report and you can appreciate the humor completely without having seen the miniseries. Here’s a sample available on YouTube. Click through to watch the whole segment. Read more
Doing the right thing may cost people friends. That has always been the case. Particularly in view of my post earlier today, expressing the wish that more Christians would stand up for the marginalized and practice courageously inclusive love, instead of standing against science or engaging in other such distractions, I felt the need to comment on the image that I’ve seen a few times on Facebook, in which people have said that it may cost them friends, but they... Read more
I am grateful to Michael Zimmerman and others who have pointed out that the $10,000 prize offered to someone who proves evolution before a judge is (1) just the same guy who has made this offer in the past, (2) an offer from someone who does not understand what evolution is, (3) an offer that he backtracks on, and (3) the guy seems to be completely out of his mind. Click through to read Michael Zimmerman’s Huffington Post article about... Read more
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