Loren Rosson has a spoiler-full review of the latest episode of Doctor Who. I have felt at a loss to know how to blog about it, but in what follows I’ll just post questions for those who have seen it. If that isn’t you, stop reading now, unless you don’t mind finding out things that will absolutely, completely, utterly and thoroughly spoil what must be one of the greatest surprise twists in sci-fi television since LOST finished. OK, presumably that... Read more
Mike Bird has a post reflecting on some of the interactions about Christology in the latest issue of Expository Times, which included reviews of books on this subject both by my Doktorvater James Dunn as well as by me. I look forward to Bird’s own contribution to the discussion, which will be named “Can You Get High on John’s Christology?” We may not see eye to eye on Christology, but I love Mike’s sense of humor. The only point I... Read more
When I wrote this, I had been reading some student assignments that discussed the story of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22, and was struck by how many are ready to say that Abraham did the right thing in being willing to kill his son. They said this, presumably, because the story is in the Bible, and so Abraham must have been right. What is missing from such readings of the story is any attempt to put themselves in Abraham’s... Read more
If you are disappointed that I have not blogged about mythicism today, here’s something that may make up for it: Tim O’Neill has posted a review of David Fitzgerald’s book Nailed. And since he says that mythicists needn’t try again to debate him on the subject, if anyone wishes to comment on the review here, they are free to do so. I should specify, lest anyone assume otherwise, that I share it not because I agree with Tim on every... Read more
I am grateful to Eerdmans for sending me a free review copy of The Eerdmans Dictionary of Early Judaism. A dictionary is particularly hard to review, and so no futile attempt will be made here to do justice to the full range of contents and contributors. Among those most directly related to my research interests I may perhaps note that there are articles on “monotheism” and “mediator figures” by Larry W. Hurtado, an entry on “Jesus of Nazareth” by E.... Read more
This is just a reminder that Exploring Our Matrix has moved. Its new address is: http://www.patheos.com/community/exploringourmatrix/ Soon visitors here will automatically be redirected to the new site. While the blog is still open for business at Patheos, since it is closed at this location, I thought I would offer this entertaining homemade “CLOSED” sign I came across… Read more
As I have been going through Romans once again with my Sunday school class, it has increasingly become evident to me how hard it is – and at the same time how important it is – to realize that this isn’t a Christian document. In saying that, I don’t mean that Paul’s message was not that which at a later time would be labelled “Christian.” But neither am I simply pointing out that, when Paul wrote, the label “Christian” had... Read more
Over at Vridar, Neil Godfrey discussed the argument (a point of agreement between mythicist Paul-Louis Couchoud and his opponent A. D. Howell-Smith) that the “name above every name” bestowed upon the central figure in Philippians 2:6-11 is the name Jesus. I concur with Godfrey that this is a matter about which it is possible to reasonably disagree. I will explain here briefly why I am persuaded that Howell-Smith and Couchoud are incorrect in their interpretation of the Christological hymn in... Read more
This image comparing real life archaeology with Indiana Jones “archaeology” appeared today on the American School of Oriental Research blog: Read more
I have often encountered fundamentalists who made the antithesis referred to in this title, placing themselves in the first part and me in the second, of course. And so I thought perhaps it might be worthwhile sharing a brief thought on this subject. The contrast is utter bunk. Let me explain why. There are two main reasons why the oft-repeated contrast between “the Bible” on the one hand and “human reason” on the other is nonsensical. The first is that... Read more
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