The depiction of a figure seated on a cloud and wielding a sickle in Revelation 14 is striking for several reasons. Is the figure supposed to be Jesus? If so, some may find it unsettling to imagine him taking on a role that is reminiscent of the Grim Reaper. And since it is Halloween, I thought I would comment on this point that came up in my Sunday school class this past Sunday, since it seems so appropriately seasonal. (Then... Read more
I thought it might be a hoax, but the Walt Disney company web site confirms that it is acquiring LucasFilm and will be making new Star Wars movies, with George Lucas as creative consultant! The official Star Wars blog has more information about this, and its implications, as well as the long and winding history of Star Wars episodes VII, VIII and IX (and apparently at one point also X, XI, and XII!), which are more-or-less known to have been... Read more
After some consultation, I think that it is to be agreed that the hashtag to use for those tweeting about the upcoming AAR and SBL joint annual meeting is #sblaar Adding the year seems unnecessary. And while putting the AAR ahead of the SBL seemed preferable for alphabetical reasons, the resulting hashtag #aarsbl – which would presumably then be pronounced “arse bull” – seemed less preferable than the thankfully nearly unpronounceable #sblaar Spread the word! Read more
Here’s a round-up of some blogging on several topics of longstanding interest: Michael Pahl is leaving Cedarville University due to his views, which are at odds with those of that fundamentalist institution. The university’s president has also resigned. Doug Chaplin asks how any institution with the views Cedarville stipulates in its statement of faith can call itself a university. And the implications of the university’s statements need to be reflected on. They said, Dr. Michael Pahl has been relieved of... Read more
If you are a family member, friend, or other regular blog reader anywhere along the East Coast or in another area affected by Hurricane Sandy, do check in to let me and others know you are alive, when you have the opportunity, and when time and surroundings permit, feel free to share your experiences. A number of major web sites are down as a result of Sandy, including the Huffington Post – and so their UK branch provided this hand-drawn... Read more
There’s an alleged photo of Hurricane Sandy drawing near to New York. I wondered about its authenticity, but I still shared it on Facebook, and then had it pointed out to me that its a fake: It is apparently a mash-up of two photos. If you want real (and for that reason even more impressive) images of Hurricane Sandy, check out CNN’s time lapse image of the storm from space. And then there is also the photo below which George... Read more
Here is a round-up of what’s going on at this year’s Society of Biblical Literature and American Academy of Religion annual meetings on the subject of the Mandaeans and their literature (including one by yours truly): S18-134: Nag Hammadi and Gnosticism 11/18/2012 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM Room: S505a – McCormick Place Revisiting the Relationship between the Mandaean Book of John and the New Testament James F. McGrath, Butler University During the first half of the twentieth century, there were... Read more
If you are an iPad, iPhone, or iPod user, and you are attending the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion and/or the Society of Biblical Literature in November, you have been impatiently awaiting the promised iOS app for your device dedicated to the event (just as we did around this time last year). Well, the wait is over! I discovered today that the app is now available for download. Click through to download it – or just search for... Read more
This cartoon from The New Yorker came to my attention via Facebook: The comments on the Facebook page were interesting, with many pointing out that the perspective of Genesis is that God did create jobs for Adam and Eve: gardening. But is it the job of God or government to create jobs for human beings? And if the human beings in question are required to work in specific jobs they cannot choose for themselves, isn't that Communism? And if it... Read more
Hurricane Sandy has been called “Frankenstorm” and this photo of Grand Central Station will communicate to any New Yorker how seriously it is being taken: If everyone comes out of this OK, I predict that someone will name their newly-founded heavy metal band Fränkenstörm… To everyone I know in the path of the storm, stay safe, and keep in touch with those of us who are worried about you, when you are able to. Read more
Select your answer to see how you score.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In