Why are there images in medieval art that depict Jesus in a spaceship? Ester Inglic-Arkell at io9 investigates: Most experts agree that the resemblance of the things in the painting to the spacecraft imagined by modern science fiction artists is uncanny. But none of our own actual spaceships actually resemble what we see in the paintings. None of these paintings show things that look like planes or landers or even satellites. Instead, they show artists’ conceptions of the sort of... Read more
On Friday, the above photo was snapped. I’d just come off the water with 10 Fuller DMin students, Brian McLaren, Courtney (my spouse), Albert (my dog), and three guides. Today, I sit at my family cabin as the students rise one by one, pour a cup of coffee, and sit with books to start the day. One is cutting strawberries for pancakes. Others are still asleep. It seems odd to call these ten “students.” While I am, indeed, the “professor,”... Read more
Coming to theaters this fall. Read more
My friend Jim and I are going to see Rush in concert in September. That’s been a lifelong dream of mine (yes, I’m a man of big dreams). In tribute to all the wonderful aspects of coming of age in the 1970s and 80s, I’m going to run an occasional series on some of the cultural touchstones for those of us who are proudly GenX. Here’s another classic film that was shown annually when I was in elementary school: The... Read more
At the Emergent Village Blog, Tracie Giesbrecht responds at length to my query about if you do or do not pray: Praying words in personal prayers feels manipulative to me these days. I lack so much confidence in my ability to know what would be good (“God help me get that job” etc) that any words I say to that effect ring hollow. It also feels more like incantation to believe that my words could steer events. I haven’t been... Read more
Canadians who attend religious services — and there aren’t many — are healthier than their compatriots: People who attend religious services regularly are less likely than others in this country to develop diabetes or high blood pressure, a new study suggests, adding a Canadian dimension to the growing but contentious body of research linking faith and good health. The authors, from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., theorize that Christian and other religious gatherings help stave off disease by offering a... Read more
Well, not Courtney herself, but one of her photos is on the cover of a Bible edited by our friend, Mark Oestreicher: This is not her first cover image. For more, see here, here, here, and here. Read more
Yep, it’s “right wally,” according to one Anglican bishop. Repeatedly over the years, some Anglican leaders have attempted to remove the requirements that clergy wear vestments when performing sacred acts. Repeatedly, their attempts have been rejected. Over the last four decades a number of attempts to amend the legislation have been thwarted. During one debate in 1988 Bishop Pete Broadbent, a supporter of change, said: “Let members ask themselves whether there are not occasions…when they have been embarrassed by, or... Read more
That’s Nadia Bolz-Weber’s message in the new adult faith formation resource, Animate, that I’ve been working on at sparkhouse. Below, you can see a snippet of her video. You can also watch previews of the videos by Brian McLaren, Lillian Daniel, Bruce Reyes-Chow, Mark Scandrette, Shane Hipps, and Lauren Winner. Animate will come out later this month. I think you’ll like it. Sign up here to get more info when it’s available. Read more
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