#CFP Special Issue of Interdisciplinary Literary Studies on Hybridity and Star Trek

Last updated on: June 20, 2020 at 1:50 pm By James F. McGrath

Via RelCFP: Special Issue of Interdisciplinary Literary Studies: A Journal of Criticism and Theory We invite essays that investigate the concept of hybridity within the Star Trek universe. Accepted essays will be published in a Special Issue of the peer-reviewed journal Interdisciplinary Literary Studies (Penn State University Press). Please submit essays of no longer than 7,500 words to http://www.editorialmanager.com/interlitstudies/. Select “Special Issue Article” before uploading your manuscript. Deadline for receipt of essays is October 5, 2020 Possible topics include hybridity and: The Anthropocene The body, embodiment... Read more

“Certainty is Hubris and Arrogance Masquerading as Discernment”

Last updated on: June 19, 2020 at 1:10 pm By James F. McGrath

Ashley Darling wrote something so poignant, insightful, and on-target that I wanted to draw attention to it. Here is an excerpt: Certainty is not what we should seek as Christians. It is comforting but diametrically opposed to faith. Certainty is merely hubris and arrogance masquerading as discernment. One might say that they know the earth is only 6000 years old. Others might say that they know the second coming of Christ will occur this or that way. But they don’t,... Read more

Spiritual Resistance

Last updated on: June 17, 2020 at 1:39 pm By James F. McGrath

Here are some excerpts from Paul Lakeland’s inspiring manifesto published in Commonweal: The many current crises in our world all have something in common. Whether they are humanitarian or economic, whether they are threats to democracy or to creation, there is a common thread running through them. Each in its own way exploits and thrives on division—between the rich and the poor, humanity and the rest of the natural world, citizens and immigrants, the relatively safe and the deeply desperate.... Read more

The Works of the Flesh are Obvious (Unless They are Theological)

Last updated on: June 22, 2020 at 6:18 am By James F. McGrath

Paul’s discussion of the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit in his letter to the Galatians was pretty important in my trajectory as an interpreter of the New Testament epistles of Paul. I remember reading his lengthy discussion of salvation not being by works, only to arrive at his list of works of the flesh and to find myself baffled by his statement that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.... Read more

White Christianity and Disney Princess Theology

Last updated on: June 20, 2020 at 7:49 pm By James F. McGrath

I shared a version of the quote above on Facebook and the response and discussion was fascinating. I realize it is Father’s Day, but I will say that I am perfectly comfortable as a male and as a father to talk about how I and how North American white Christianity might be like Disney princesses. It will be no stranger than the fact that, unplanned as far as the coincidence with the holiday is concerned, my Sunday school class will... Read more

The Shared Origins of Monotheism, Evil, and Gnosticism (Enoch Seminar 2020 Presentation)

Last updated on: June 19, 2020 at 7:30 pm By James F. McGrath

Above is the short version of a longer paper I wrote for the Enoch Seminar being held soon on the theme “Concepts of Evil in Second Temple Judaism and Christian Origins.” My paper proposes what I believe is a genuinely new theory regarding the origin of Gnosticism, informed in particular by my work on Mandaean sources but also the extensive work others have done on the texts from Nag Hammadi. The thesis, in a nutshell, is that there is... Read more

Paul APB 9

Last updated on: June 18, 2020 at 4:24 pm By James F. McGrath

This is the next to last in my Apostle Paul APB series. The acronym was too great a punny double entendre to not use and highlight. APB in popular parlance is an “all points bulletin” notifying the police and others to be on the lookout for someone, which connects nicely with Paul’s arrest as well as the quest for the historical figure of Paul. APB also stands for A Polite Bribe, the title of Rob Orlando’s movie about Paul (as... Read more

Jehoiakim Questions

Last updated on: June 18, 2020 at 6:40 am By James F. McGrath

I have two related questions for friends with relevant academic expertise (and anyone else who may be interested). I posted them on Facebook yesterday but feel as though they are likely worth posting here as well. The first is for those who work on Hebrew Bible, ancient Israel, and/or ancient Egypt. According to 2 Kings 23:34, the Egyptian Pharaoh installed Eliakim Josiah’s son as king and changed his name to Jehoiakim. Why might a Pharaoh have made that name change,... Read more

Flood Fractures in Genesis

Last updated on: June 17, 2020 at 6:52 am By James F. McGrath

Paul Davidson wrote an exploration of source critical work on the flood story (or better stories) in Genesis a while back, which I’ve been meaning to share. In it he writes: The flood story provides an ideal text for identifying the compositional history of Genesis because of how obvious many of its editorial seams are. Carr’s model — that the Priestly text, written to replace an earlier version, was instead combined with that earlier version — explains very well the text... Read more

#CFP Special Issue of the Journal Religions on “Christian Theologies of Jews and Judaism”

Last updated on: June 10, 2020 at 12:51 pm By James F. McGrath

For nearly two millennia, Christian views of Jews and Judaism were almost exclusively critical and even hostile. In the first four centuries of the Common Era, Christians increasingly defined themselves in opposition to Jews. This antipathy was manifest in an extensive range of polemical literature whose main arguments became entwined with formative Christian self-understanding. Beginning with the Christianization of the Roman Empire after the fourth century, Jews faced not only polemics but also legal discrimination. While sometimes tolerated in medieval... Read more

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