2011-06-13T23:13:52-04:00

This post isn’t about singing harmony on a Lady Gaga song, but about turning a favorite conservative Christian passtime into a fun blogging activity. The discrepancies between the accounts of Judas’ fate, what happened to the 30 pieces of silver, and how the “Field of Blood” got its name are well known. If you aren’t familiar with them, read them for yourself in Acts 1:18-19 and Matthew 27:1-10. Those who are determined to have the Bible contain no contradictions no... Read more

2011-06-13T22:34:52-04:00

Apparently yesterday was Chick Corea’s birthday. I’m a fan, and actually saw him with his Elektric Band live as a teenager. Here’s some music for your enjoyment from the Elektric Band era. Read more

2011-06-13T15:03:07-04:00

As I try to meet deadlines and get ready for travelling, there may be a lull in new blog posts. There have been lots of posts that I’ve noticed or which I have had drawn to my attention, which I wanted to comment on, but am not finding the time. So I’ll share the links, and leave it to you to comment if you are so inclined! Helek Tov shared links to 360 degree virtual tours of the Church of... Read more

2011-06-13T10:16:53-04:00

A great local school for gifted children, Sycamore School, located here in Indianapolis, has been profiled on a series on the Discovery Channel. Here’s a video of the episode: Read more

2011-06-12T14:38:30-04:00

Although I am a Protestant, I must confess that the idea of ‘sola Scriptura’, of ‘Scripture alone’, doesn’t work. It could perhaps theoretically work in Islam, where one can (assuming one doesn’t take a critical approach to the text) assume the unity of the book as a given. In the case of the Bible, such assumptions are impossible. In order to speak of ‘Scripture’, one has to accept the authority not only of those Jews and Christians who made the... Read more

2011-06-11T23:01:12-04:00

I’m grateful to Mohr Siebeck for having sent me a free review copy of Holger Michael Zellentin’s new book, Rabbinic Parodies of Jewish & Christian Literature (Texts & Studies in Ancient Judaism, 139). Anyone who studies ancient religious literature is bound to have come across stories which seem amusing and/or satirical. But determining when stories were intended to be funny, across a gulf of linguistic, historical and cultural difference, is challenging indeed. Zellentin offers a persuasive case for the presence... Read more

2011-06-11T13:14:31-04:00

As regular readers will know, I will be traveling to Israel in a little less than 2 weeks’ time. I am intending to blog about the trip as it unfolds, and so this is a test to make sure that including photos taken using my iPad in my blog posts will work smoothly. For the purpose of the test, I’ll post two photos from a rehearsal for a Metropolitan Youth Orchestra concert here in Indianapolis last month. Here is one... Read more

2017-07-29T18:08:20-04:00

I have blogged before about the metaphor of the slippery slope and suggested variations on itor rejecting it entirely. The image came up again in my Sunday school a while back, when Scot McKnight (in his book The Blue Parakeet) problematized the notion that changing your mind in one area automatically leads down a “slippery slope” to liberalism. As I thought about the image once again, it seems to me that the image as it is most commonly used is... Read more

2011-06-10T23:45:30-04:00

I shared a link in my last post, but I think this deserves a post of its own. John Hobbins has shared why he can’t recommend Patheos. I can understand some of his points, while others I think are off target. But one in particular seems way off base, the idea that by joining Patheos, we are putting ourselves in a position where we could not criticize Patheos. I’m new here, but my impression so far is that this is... Read more

2011-06-10T20:48:09-04:00

Here are some links to posts either directly responding to, or simply on the same topic as, recent posts here at Exploring Our Matrix. Daniel Kirk, Brian LePort, Joel Watts and Tom Verenna chime in on the Shema and Pauline monotheism. Tom also explains why he is no longer a “mythicist.” More people have joined in the Lady Gaga inerrancy conversation, including Rod of Alexandria. Kevin Brown discusses how his journey parallels my own. That Jeff Carter includes a quote... Read more

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