Scott Bailey has tracked down and shared videos of the 1978 Star Wars Christmas Special. If you want to watch, of learn more about it, pay his blog a visit. Meanwhile, here’s Jabba the Snow-Hut: see more Hacked IRL – Truth in Sarcasm Read more

Ben Blackwell has a post on “Jesus’ Names” which includes the suggestion that the phrase “Jesus H. Christ” comes from the use of IHC (the first three Greek letters of the Greek form of Jesus’ name, IHCOYC) in churches and their being misunderstood as Jesus’ initials. Read more

Ken Schenck has begun reading and blogging through Dale Allison’s Constructing Jesus. Those interested in that book in particular, or historical Jesus, oral tradition, memory, and other related subjects more generally, will want to keep an eye on Ken’s blog in coming weeks. Read more

IO9 has suggestions on how to save Fringe from a fate that some will consider inevitable, given its transfer to Friday’s slot of doom. One suggestion is evangelism…and so I’m spreading the word. Fringe is awesome! Read more

The Lead highlights a post by Paul Flesher about something that most Americans complaining about a “war on Christmas” have forgotten: earlier in American history, it was devout Christians who were waging a war against Christmas! Read Paul’s post and get a dose of irony sufficient to last you until Christmas! Read more

Thanks to Irtiqa for pointing out the existence of a web site dedicated to Islam and science fiction. In spite of the significant degree of interest in religion and science fiction, exploration of intersections between sci-fi and Islam are actually disappointingly rare. I’m sorry I only learned of the site now. It has been around for a while – see for instance this post on the Muslim character Sayid Jarrah on LOST from a couple of years ago. Read more

Matthew Paul Turner has posted a rhyming roundup of the year’s events related to Christianity – the good, the bad and the Driscoll, as he puts it. It is worth reading not only because of its entertaining form, but because it provides a reminder of some things from earlier this year that may have slipped your mind just as they did mine. Read more

Thanks to IO9 for sharing this video of last night’s lunar eclipse, for those of us who were unable to see it in our area. Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse from William Castleman on Vimeo. I’ve had the privilege of witnessing both a total solar eclipse and a total lunar eclipse, and they really are spectacular events if you have the fortune of clear skies! Read more

Abnormal Interests has a post in which Duane Smith discusses his attempt to track down the earliest explicit identification of the serpent in Genesis 3 with Satan. It is so taken for granted in so many circles today, that it is surprising how hard it is to find an explicit identification in ancient sources more than a millennium old. Have a read of the post, and offer any suggestions you may have! Read more

Thanks to everyone who has chimed in on my post on participation grades. In addition to discussion here, Jason Staples has shared some thoughts on the subject. In addition to the helpful thoughts about the subject, I was also struck by how many people commented, which suggests that the issue of participation, and how to encourage and reward it, are subjects that other professors wrestle with. Read more