As someone who has appreciated things that he has written in the past, I have kept hoping that Richard Carrier might eventually come around, see the folly of getting bogged down in that realm of nonsense known as mythicism, and return to the rigor and attention to detail expected in mainstream historical critical scholarship. If his recent blog post is anything to judge by, that is not to be. He uses Rabbinic sources uncritically, ignoring the wealth of scholarship on... Read more
This is the third installment in my blog review of A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Jesus, which is part of the blog tour organized by the publisher. In my experience, students are less daunted by or opposed to the asking of really difficult questions when those questions are seen to be posed or raised by the Bible itself, rather than seeming like “attacks” from those who might be hostile to the Bible or their faith. And so when the character of... Read more
Today in my “Faith, Doubt, and Reason” class we began our discussion of Don Quixote, and spent some time thinking about the nature of madness and how we determine or categorize people and their perception of reality. The story can serve quite easily as a parable of religious belief: a person who, as a result of stories that shape his worldview, sees ordinary people and objects as forces of darkness to be combated. But in fact, stories shape all of our... Read more
It has been a while since this has been circulated, and so I thought it about time to share it again… Read more
This post is about the last two parts of the very first broadcast Doctor Who story, variously called in its entirety “An Unearthly Child,” “100,000 BC,” “The Tribe of Gum,” and a few other names besides. The fourth part, “The Firemaker,” is the one I’ve chosen to use in the title. In parts three and four we see the Doctor express some remorse about placing his newfound companions in harm’s way. That element in the last season was a return... Read more
This is the second part of my blog review of A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Jesus by Bruce N. Fisk, the first installment of which I posted yesterday. For more about the blog tour of which this is a part, visit the blog tour web site. Norm’s adventure begins on an airplane, and with a great opening line. All throughout the book, Norm is in conversation with others, and as professors we know the importance of conversation. There is a danger,... Read more
First, let me share this great video again on the parallel phenomena of religious fundamentalism and nerdiness: I felt compelled to share the video, since I have been having a conversation on Facebook with a Whovian fundamentalist whose canon includes the 1996 special but rejects the current series. The fan in question also rejects my comparison of his stance to religious fundamentalism. The Oncoming Hope, Inter-Galaxy Portal and Fat Train have reflected on the season finale of the last season of... Read more
One of my recent posts asked just how far back in the show’s history the intersection with religion goes. I’d like to suggest that the answer is the very first episode – or the second if one considers each half-hour installment an episode. In this installment, “The Cave of Skulls,” we encounter early humans struggling with the making of fire – famously credited to the divine Prometheus by the Greeks. The Doctor, with matches (no sonic screwdriver yet) is spotted... Read more
Several other bloggers who are participating in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to Jesus blog tour which I previously mentioned would be taking place have already posted their contributions for today. Here’s mine. I suppose that the title was the hook that initially lured me in – reminiscent as it is of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. And it turned out to be a volume that could very well have (copyright issues permitting) carried the label “Don’t Panic!” on the front.... Read more
A commenter pointed out to me that the date chosen for the death of the Doctor by Lake Silencio, April 22nd, 2011, was significant, advising me to Google it. I did. That date was Good Friday this year. The same commenter also related the question about the Doctor’s identity to the classic one from the Gospels: “Who do you say that I am?” One could also compare the Doctor’s resolve to accept his own death after learning of the Brigadier’s... Read more
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