This is a reminder that today is the last day to participate in the Theologians Trading Cards giveaway here at Exploring Our Matrix. Click through to read the rules and leave a comment to enter. You can enter as many times as you want, just by leaving a comment on that post (not this one). And obviously the more often you enter, the greater your chances of winning one of the sets in the random drawing. But there is another... Read more
Jerry Coyne recently shared this Bizarro comic: I think the cartoon illustrates nicely some of the problems involved in thinking about God in such anthropomorphic terms. Coyne adds the comment: The whole nature of God for these people (and for many, many Americans) is that of a personal God, something with the characteristics of a human. To deny the ubiquity of this concept of God belies profound ignorance of religion. Either many theologians are ignorant in that way, or simply... Read more
I made some recordings, when practicing before church today, of music I would be playing during the service. The first is a jazz arrangement of “Angels We Have Heard On High,” arranged by Phillip Keveren (published in the volume Yuletide Jazz): The second is a medley from the “Charlie Brown Christmas Special” which I played as a prelude before the service began: Read more
In the wake of tragedy, we may view things differently. While some at church this morning spouted offensive platitudes (despite the pastor’s explicit mention of the pain they cause and their inappropriateness), I found myself thinking about the text of the sermon, about the massacre of the innocents in Matthew 2. In the story, it is God who alerts Herod to the birth of a king in Bethlehem. The star is obviously not a real star, since it could not... Read more
While some Christians might resist the perspective of an atheist, I think the cartoon makes a point that most will agree with. Treating “God” as the cookie-cutter answer irrespective of what the question happens to be is as foolish as using “God” as the answer to every question on a crossword puzzle. You might be able to have put a letter in every square. But you will have missed the point and much else in the process. Read more
Some mythicists might consider it a major achievement that Rene Salm got invited to speak at the Society of Biblical Literature meeting this year. They would do well to keep in mind that Simcha Jacobovici was also invited to be on the program. 🙂 But more seriously, the only people who get really excited to be on the program are (1) young scholars needing to build up their resumes, (2) established scholars who depend on being presenters for their university... Read more
Quite a number of people are discussing t-shirts like this one (or the wider use of the sentiment expressed on it) in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy: I am glad that fundamentalists are finally being a bit more honest about what they mean by “God.” They clearly do not mean an omnipresent being who cannot be excluded from any place. It’s quite a different notion from that encountered on more than one occasion in the Psalms, for... Read more
I thought this cartoon, which was shared on Facebook, offered a cute perspective on Biblicism. If someone knows who created it, please let me know so that I can give credit where credit is due. Read more
Rev. Jeremy Smith posted some thoughts in response to those who claim that God being “uninvited” from schools has something to do with the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. Randal Rauser did the same. I would go even further than they do, even further than I did in my previous post on the topic. The shooting in this elementary school was not carried out by some elementary-age child who had rebelled against God and, as a result, decided to kill lots... Read more
I am posting a reminder about the giveaway of sets of theologian trading cards as well as signed cards. To enter, leave a comment on that post (not this one). I suggested there the possibility of playing a game with the cards. What might a Theologians Customizable Card Game look like? Could it be like Pokemon? “Arius used Thalia against Athanasius. It's not very effective…” Click through and suggest your rules for how to play a game using the cards.... Read more
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