In case you missed it, I’ve posted the winners of the giveaway. Disappointed you didn’t win a set of Theologian Trading Cards here at Exploring Our Matrix? I might still have to pick one more winner, since the winner of the Elisabeth Schussler-Fiorenza signed card and set had not been in touch to provide an e-mail address. But either way, there is another chance to win – over at Tony Jones’ blog! For this one, you need to write a... Read more
From a “Rationalist Christmas Card” HT Hemant Mehta Read more
The episode of Fringe “Black Blotter,” which aired last week, fascinated a lot of people because of its LSD-augmented aspects, and in particular its surreal tribute to Monty Python (with an Empire Strikes Back moment worked in for good measure). There has been a connection between religion and psychedelic drug use for as long as people have been experimenting with the latter, and so it is perhaps unsurprising that religious topics and themes were prominent in the episode. If you... Read more
The beautiful choral piece “O Magnum Mysterium” composed by René Clausen, performed here by the Anderson University Chorale. Read more
I have been struck by the language some atheist bloggers I read have used in recent days, in reference to how they felt about President Obama’s speech/sermon in Newtown. Alienation. As a progressive Christian, and as someone who has studied Biblical studies, theology, and philosophy of religion, I often feel something that could be described as “alienation” when I hear others use religious language, even in my own church. But I am part of a diverse congregation, and am a... Read more
If you’re still looking for last-minute gifts, keep in mind that you can give someone a Kindle book and it will be delivered to them as quickly as you want it too. Set it so that the notification e-mail arrives Christmas day if you like! All of my books are on Kindle, for those who may be interested: The Burial of Jesus: What Does History Have to Do with Faith? Religion and Science Fiction The Only True God: Early Christian... Read more
First, let’s have some appropriate music to go with this post: Now, on with the post! Tony Jones has suggested in a blog post that I am wrong in what I wrote about the massacre of the innocents. He is wrong about my wrongness, and this post is to explain why. The heart of the problem is that he is approaching the question as a theological one, not a historical one. That is the danger, I suppose, we all face... Read more
The time is up for entries in the giveaway – now it is time to pick winners! Using Random.org the following comments and commenters have been selected at random as the winners of one of the three sets of Theologian Trading Cards with a signed card each: 5 Kevin A. Wilson (Kevin Vanhoozer signed card) 29 “James” (Elisabeth Schussler-Fiorenza signed card) 94 Kevin Fiske (N. T. Wright signed card) Please get in touch quickly via e-mail to jfmcgrat AT butler... Read more
Bob Cargill created and shared this checklist: I think Bob is right about some things and sort of wrong about some things. I think he is right when he says that the skewed prioritization has to change, and that there is reason to be hopeful that it is indeed changing. I think he is sort of wrong when he placed God at the top of the list with a check next to it. Of course, conservative Christians of the sort... Read more
And here’s a reminder that not all of Jesus’ followers sound like that. Some, I think, sound rather more like he did. A friend shared this quote on Facebook: praying together as a class in school isn’t christian. and the pledge of allegiance is NOT christian. and plastering bible verses on walls of public buildings is not christian. and nativity scenes in the public square is not christian. saying “merry christmas” is not christian. and reading the bible out loud... Read more
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