But What of the Water?

    Excuse me. Sorry. Excuse me. Do you work here? Can you help me? I’m looking at this rice and what I want to know is – has it been genetically modified? No. I know about that label. But what about the stuff they don’t label? The man on the radio was talking about how scientists are putting bull DNA into the rice. You know, hooves and horns and all. I didn’t really understand that. Something about a lactose intolerant condition. Enzymes, I think. So, I’m trying to determine if this is that bull beef DNA rice, ‘cause if it is, I don’t want it. I don’t want anything changing my genetic material.

    How rude! How dare you speak to me like that. I’ve been shopping here for fifteen years, and I’ve never been treated so rudely. I insist on speaking to your manager, young man.

    Hang on. Listen to me for a minute. Before Satan showed up in the garden, he’d already ruled nations. He’d been thrown out of heaven, fallen to Earth, corrupted governments, and led nations to slaughter. Pre-adamic ritual slaughter. We know from Apollonius the Egyptian that the Earth is at least one hundred and fifty-thousand and seventy-five years old. More or less. And the first fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil was a corrupted fruit from a wicked tree.

    Do you hear that? Is that the civil defense alarm? The tornado siren? Is it the regular test? Today’s not Wednesday, is it? We’ve had so many tornadoes recently. More than I remember when I was a girl.

    Did you hear about that murdered Catholic priest across town? It’s a conspiracy run, I tell you. I don’t have much need for the Catholics with their Roman popery and their idolatry. But all these premeditated acts of religious defiance are getting out of hand.

    What we need is prayer and clean living. Or prayer and fasting. Though all the modern Bible translations leave that verse out. Do you know why? Do you understand what they’re doing to our Bibles?

    What we need is prayer. And when we pray the angels hear us, and they hearken to our words. Talk to the angels and the angels listen. Talk to a mountain and it will obey. Jump itself into the ocean if you tell it to. The science of it is bizarre. It makes no sense, but it makes dollars, if you know what I mean.

    And what is happening to the totality of this body. My body? That’s what I want to know. The totality of this body needs healing. Deep frequency healing of the body chaotic. It’s the frequency of the stars. They’re singing a recalibrating symphony – the song of the Father. The spirit calls us into the song, and into the dance. Spinning. Twisting. Twirling.

    Now I’m dizzy. Let me sit down for a second. Whoa. Whoa. Okay. Thanks. Sorry. It all got away from me for a bit there.

    You’ve got to remember that we’re more than seed puffs in the wind. We’re made of dust sure. And the angels are made of pale, trembling fire. And the wind is the breathing Spirit of God. But what of the water?

History Passes into Lies

    Then I beheld all the fruitless work of man. Armed conflict between thirty nations. Millions threatened. Mounting pressure from international leaders. And Pope John XXI dies when the ceiling of his study collapses. He’d been Pope for eight months. Affliction comes to make us sad or make us wise.

    Freedom is a heavy load, a choice through scorching days and restless cold nights. South American strip mines and deserts are rocked by earthquakes, meanwhile Pope Adrian IV chokes to death on a fly in his wine. This is the curse that feeds on life.

    History is recorded by impatient observers. Pomp and circumstance in the land of hope and glory. Fading ancient fame. Pope Celestine V, overwhelmed by the pressure and demands of the papacy, renounces the throne and returns to the hermitage. He is later imprisoned by his successor and all men shall fear.

    How wretched I am,
    too long living among a people for war.

    Lies pass into history. Critical food shortages on three continents in a season of bitterness. Supply lines strained by militants. Pope Sylvester II makes a compact with the devil for redoubtable scientific and mathematical knowledge. History passes into lies.

    Therefore, behold, Pope Boniface VIII is belligerent. He kicks political envoys in the head. He throws ashes in the eyes of kneeling bishops. He is captured during the violence of the Outrage of Anagni and imprisoned for three days. He is beaten. He is starved. He dies, chewing off his own hand. A marvelous work among the people, and a wonder to the world.

    Work while it is day; the night comes when no one will work. Regional salt wars are fought by child-soldiers and immigrants. Pope Joan’s horse is startled during a procession and she goes into spontaneous labor. The child is born. Her secret is revealed but she dies. And there is none that can deliver me.

    Lord, save me from lying lips
    war-arrows over red-hot coals.

    Yea, before the day, Pope Formosus is exhumed by his successor nine months after his death and put on trial for perjury, for having taken the papacy illegally. His corpse is dragged to the courtroom and found guilty before being reinterred. His papacy is annulled. May the truth protect me always.

Doesn’t Doctrine Mean Anything to You? – Another Troll Conversation

    “What are you doing, Carter?”

    It was late in the afternoon; the sun was setting and long shadows stretched across the lawn. I was sitting on the porch looking across the street. “I’m waiting for Sorrow to return.”

    Gunner raised an eyebrow above his slightly hyperthyroid eyes - a particularly strange look considering the way the left eye drooped. “You are a weirdo, aren’t you?” he said, but I didn’t bother to explain that Sorrow is one of the stray cats we’ve been feeding on our porch. He used to come around and mew at us with his tired, smoky cat voice, but we haven’t seen him for several days. And when last we saw him, he was looking pretty weak. I’m afraid he went off somewhere to die.

    “Why are you here, Gunner?” I asked.

    “First we need to talk about your hair.” He flicked the ends of my hair.

    “What about my hair, Gunner?” I said, flinching slightly.

    “You know you need a haircut. Up in a femboy, manbun like that… ‘Doesn’t the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair it is a disgrace to him?’”

    I laughed a little and then said, “Yeah. My dad used to quote Paul at me too. But that verse doesn’t really cut the way you think it does.”

    He didn’t seem to notice the pun. But that was okay.

    “The Nazarites were actually required to have long hair, remember?”

    Gunner scoffed. “Are you saying you’ve taken that vow, Carter? Can’t drink any more of that IPA beer you like. Can’t make any more of your homemade wine...”

    “No. I’m just saying that Paul’s argument isn’t universal there. It’s cultural. ‘Contrary to nature’ doesn’t automatically mean ‘morally deviant.’ Miracles are, by definition, ‘contrary to nature’…”

    He glared at me for a second and then waved me off. “Fine. You’re wrong. But whatever. That’s not really why I came here. It just bugs me, your womanly locks. Man up and get a haircut, Carter.”

    I sighed and asked again. “Why are you here, Gunner?”

    “I want to return to something you said in one of our previous conversations. You said that in the context of salvation, ‘All means all.’ Did I get that right?”

    I affirmed it.

    “So, tell me, Carter, who's a Christian? A true Christian? Roman Catholics?

    “Yes,” I affirmed again.

    “Jehovah's Witnesses?”

    “Yes.”

    “Mormons?”

    “Yes again.”

    So doctrine means nothing to you? You don’t discriminate at all, you’ll just let anyone and everyone in?”

    “Well it’s not up to me to let anyone in, as you said. Or to keep anyone out, either. But no, I don’t think that doctrine is meaningless, irrelevant, or pointless. Some doctrines are healthier and better realized than others. I think the Word of Faith folks are unhealthy and unhelpful with their brand of prosperity gospel. And I think the Latter-day Saints have a particularly weird theology. Some churches have doctrines that I think are clearly mistaken. Seriously so. But if they call Jesus Lord and trust him for their salvation, that’s enough for me. Yours for example. I know your Christian Reformed Church wouldn’t welcome me. That’s your theology and you believe it. I still count you as a brother. Estranged, maybe, but a brother in Christ.”

    “But…” Gunner began to object.

    “No buts. But one caveat. Not everyone who calls out ‘Lord, Lord’ is recognized by the Lord. The true disciple is the one who does the will of the Father – feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, welcoming strangers, clothing the naked, visiting the imprisoned, healing the sick.”

    “But…”

    “It’s not a matter of orthodoxy versus orthopraxy. But the true test of orthodoxy is orthopraxy.” I said over his objection.

    “Don’t give me your liberal college words,” Gunner said. “Answer the question plainly.”

    “Maybe the question isn’t who is a true Christian but rather, what is pure religion, undefiled and unspoiled in the eyes of God – and that question is already answered for us. We don’t have to wrestle it. Pure religion is coming to the aid of orphans and widows in their hardships – the poor and defenseless, the outcast and the outsider.”

    “And keeping oneself uncontaminated by the world!” Gunner insisted.

    “Yes. And keeping oneself uncontaminated by the world,” I assured him.

    “You’re still a Universalist. You’re still a heretic. You’re still a deviant.”

    “Maybe,” I said still looking up and down the street for Sorrow. “But you keep coming back, don’t you?”

An Imaginary Conversation with a Real Troll (the first of the series) 
I Will Not Fight the Argument (the second)
Supermarket Wrestling (third conversation)
Do You Even Pray (the troll returns)
All Means All (A fifth conversation)
The Doctrine that Cannot Be Challenged (sixth conversation)
Toward Sodom - (a halfhearted seventh conversation)
Millions of Years of Death (the eighth conversation)
Truth with Untruth (the ninth conversation)
Bulls, Dogs, and Villains (the tenth conversation)
The Righteous Forsaken (the eleventh conversation)
A Sabbath Garden (conversation number twelve)

Evil Will not Prevail!

 

"God loves us, God loves you all, and evil will not prevail!" - Apostolic blessing Urbi et Orbi May 8,2025

The Thunder Outside

 The thunder outside. The lightning overhead. It rains and rains overnight.
Iran and Israel trading missile strikes. Iran attacking US Air bases.
Thunder and lightning. Crash and fire.
And tomorrow the heat returns.

“No warmongers here,” they say. “We have no warmongers here, but we will see the world crucified upon a cross of steel as we celebrate the gun, the warship, and the rocket. Blessed be the bomb.”

“No warmongers here,” they say. “We have no warmongers here, but history is clear that Israel will prevail. Those who oppose Israel are the enemies of God. On the wrong side of history, on the wrong side of God. We celebrate a president who understands the truth of God.”

Thunder and lightning. Crash and fire but God is silent as we are reduced to rubble. Let the lighting flash and the thunder boom. Let the rain fall. “The earth will rest, justice will prevail, the poor will rejoice and peace will return, once we no longer act as predators, but as pilgrims – no longer each of us for ourselves, but walking alongside one another.” Pope Leo XIV

Christians, to the Paschal Victim

 I sang this song at church this morning. The music is by Ken Canedo. The words go back to the 11th century. 

The Lenten Prayer of Saint Ephraim

The Lenten prayer of Saint Ephraim is said by Orthodox and Eastern Catholics during the weeks preceding Easter. 

Oh, Lord and Master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, faint-heartedness, lust for power, and idle talk. 

But give the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love to thy servant. 

Yes, Lord and King, grant me to see my own transgressions and not to judge my brother. For you are blessed unto ages of ages. Amen. 

 

Hail Mary, Full of Space

Hail Mary, full of space, the Lord is with thee;

Blessed art thou among women 

For the secret place within you 

Contained the one who fills 

The heavens and the earth, 

The omnipresent one held 

Within your maidenhead.

Saint Clare

Saint Jude

"... pray for me, I am so helpless and alone."

What Kind of King? What Kind of Kingdom?

Today’s Gospel reading (Luke 23: 33 – 43) seems dislocated in time – it seems strange to read from the Easter story, of Jesus’ death by crucifixion as our thoughts are turning towards Thanksgiving, and Advent, and Christmas. But it is a fitting reading, appropriate for today which is the Feast of Christ the King.

The Sunday before the beginning of the Advent season is marked, in the Christian liturgical calendar, as “the Feast of Christ the King,” or, more fully, the “The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.” This festal day is a relatively recent addition to the Christian calendar, instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925.  Pope Pius XI established the Christ the King festival in response to the troubling growth in violent nationalism that led to World War One, the splintering of Europe, and increased polarization and divisiveness along arbitrarily drawn boundary lines and between differing cultural groups as a way to draw Christians together in unity under Christ the King. 

During our recently concluded and very bitter election, many people shared what were intended to be words of comfort, saying that, “no matter who wins the election, Christ will still be King.” And this is true. It does not matter who is president of the United States, Prime Minister of England, or King of Saudi Arabia; King Jesus still sits on the throne of the universe.

But, the question needs to be asked: What kind of King? And what kind of kingdom? There are a few answers that we can draw from today’s reading.

King Jesus offered no resistance or retaliation to the abuse and scorn he received. He was abused and tortured; he was jeered and mocked, but he did not resist. He did not strike back.  When they hurled insults at him, he did not hurl curses back. He did not call up his followers and disciples to rescue him or to avenge his death. He did not call down a legion of angels to destroy his enemies. “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7 NIV)

“They crucified my Lord, and he never said a mumblin’ word.”

Instead he offered a prayer of forgiveness. “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.”  He offered “friendship instead of disgrace.” (“O Sacred King” – Matt Redman)

King Jesus offered grace and forgiveness. When the “good thief” (Luke doesn’t use the word “thief” he instead calls them, “wrongdoers”) rebuked his compatriot for his mockery, Jesus offered him grace. He didn’t earn it. He didn’t deserve it. But King Jesus gives it. It is an extravagant and gratuitous grace. “Today you will be with me in Paradise.”

King Jesus moves from death on the cross to resurrection from the grave; he is a king that moves from death to life – not from death to more deaths.

It is our human pattern, and the behavior of kings, and premiers, and presidents around the world – and through time, to respond to attack by attacking, to answer bombs with bombs, to return death for death. If our citizens are killed, we respond by killing the people of the offending nation. Our earthly prime ministers, and presidents move from death to death – and from death to death – and death to death in a never ending spiral of darkness and destruction.

But King Jesus moves from death to life. He moves from crucifixion at the place of the skull to resurrection in the garden of Paradise.

This is the kind of King that we serve, and this is the kind of kingdom over which he rules. So now – how will we, as servants of this High King of Heaven, live as citizens of that Kingdom? Will we live with grace and forgiveness, moving from death to life? Or will we accept the earthly pattern of revenge, and retribution, moving from death to death in a spiral towards hell?

Field of Crosses II

Every year in October, the local Catholic church puts up a display of wooden crosses in thier yard - a symbol of their right-to-life work.

Biblioblog Carnival April 2016

Greetings and Salutations! Welcome to the Biblioblog Carnival roundup for April 2016 - a collection of blog posts, videos, podcasts and tweets relevant to the broad field of biblical studies posted last month. These may not have been the BEST of ALL possible blog posts, videos, podcasts and tweets, but they are ones that caught my eye and captured my interest. I've hosted the biblioblog in the past, and now as then, I've utilized a more-is-more, throw the spaghetti against the wall and see what sticks kind of approach. Jim West at Zwinglius Redivivus will, no doubt, be much more selective in his own version of the Carnival.

To be merciful means to grow in a love which is courageous, generous and real.

— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 2, 2016

Sweaty Old Testamenty Stuff

*Marlowe at Carpe Scriptura spent some time reconsidering Amos’s “Rhetoric of Entrapment."

It seems as though God’s voice – the lion’s roar – may be a much more central theme in the book than I had initially thought. The cutting of the lines of communication comes up again and again as both Israel and God do it. It is this cutting of contact that warrants Israel’s punishment, and it is also the punishment itself. Amos’s role as intercessor in Amos 7 becomes so much more important, because it is through the prophets that Israel might “seek the Lord and live. As we move through the book, we find that God’s voice is linked to sin, punishment, and even salvation.

*Ben at Remythologized got rather snarky as he described 10 Ways Answers in Genesis Misinterprets the Bible: How to Theologize with a Hammer.

You might as well be writing feminist interpretations of an Ikea assembly manual if you’re going to publish astrophysical papers on the Psalms.

*Dr. Bruce Wells at the ASOR blog spoke about Sex Crimes in the Hebrew Bible.

*Christopher Rollston posted the first of a series of articles on gender-based violence in the bible:  Jacob’s Daughter Dinah.

… although in the recent past (e.g., just a few decades ago) violence against women was not the subject of international attention or concern, it has now “come to be recognized as a legitimate human rights issue and as a significant threat to women’s health and well-being.” The fact that there is now much more focus on gender-based violence is such a good thing, so right, so important. Of course, the witness of Scripture (and this is one of the reasons for recounting Dinah’s story here) is that gender-based violence is a very old problem.

*Deane at Remnant of Giants shared a post about literacy rates in ancient Judah: Judah’s Military Correspondence From ca. 600 BCE: Evidence of Widespread Literacy but not Evidence of the Bible 

The strength of the article lies in its identification of the extent of literacy in far-flung reaches of Judea, among various ranking members of the military and military administration. It would be not too rash to say that, given the literacy levels in the military establishment, we would expect that scribal literacy would be competent to produce more literary works of the forms which we find in the Hebrew Bible/Tanach. Indeed, the Tell Deir ‘Alla plaster inscription, written in a Hebrew dialect and located bang in the middle of Israelite territory during the period of its hegemony in the region, dates some two centuries before this. So scribes would be capable of the literary forms found in the Hebrew Bible. This doesn’t really tell us about the general literacy in the wider population, as the article implies it does. But more important is the question of literacy among the elites, which the article provides reasonable evidence for.

*And, if you'll forgive me, one of my own Biblical Limericks: That's Certainly Coitus Interrupted

Apocryphal, Pseudographical, Intertestamental and other Weirdo Type Stuff

*James Hamrick at The Ancient Bookshelf  has a reading/vocabulary guide for Ethiopic Jubilees available for you to download. Ethiopic Jubilees Reading Guide: The Creation, Part 1 

*Presidential Candidate Donald Trump told us his favorite bible verse.

*Ancient-Reformed Worship spoke to Hughes Oliphant about the Odes of Solomon

The Odes cast a spell. Something beautiful is happening here. It has a literary integrity I think that’s very important. The Odes are very unusual in the different imagery that they come up with. But that imagery is used again and again. One place where the Odes seem to have mined this imagery is the Book of Psalms. And Rendel Harris, the great scholar who really brought the Odes to the attention of the modern world, refers to these Odes as Psalm pendants. It’s as though the congregation might have sung a particular Psalm, and then, the Odes would’ve been sung as a response to it. And so many of the Odes when one reads through them one realizes that the imagery of Psalm 45 is being used or Psalm 63 is being used. And that’s one of the beautiful things about these Odes is that they’re so close to scripture.

*The Biblical Review reviewed the Testament of Moses 

Although the Testament of Moses is cut off half-way through the manuscript, it is nonetheless helpful in reconstructing ideologies and worldviews from the Levant in the 1st century C.E., and even earlier if we assume the text had previous written and oral traditions preceding it’s composition. The testament claims to be “the prophecy which was made by Moses in the book of Deuteronomy”; however, while it takes up a similar tone, the testament incorporates material relevant to the Maccabean Period, indicative of the late date of the text.

Based on the previous information, it is evident that we should read the Testament of Moses as its own piece of literary work, self-sustaining and independent. What we will consider today is Moses’ role as a divinator in the Testament of Moses.

*I'm sorry. I can't help myself. It's compulsive- Biblical Limericks: The Nothingness of  a Man

New Intestines

*James McGrath is trying to find a balance between naive credulity and extreme skepticism with respect to the Gospels and other early Christian sources in description of Jesus’ death in Philippians 2: 6 – 11. Philippians 2 and the Historical Jesus

It is striking to turn in light of this to Philippians 2:6-11. If Paul is there quoting a hymn, then this might be our earliest source of information about the death of Jesus, as well as about how Christians understood it. In that passage, Jesus’ death is nothing else but the culmination of his obedience, leading to his exaltation.

*Richard Beck at Experimental Theology wrote about the tragedy in violence- Put Away the Sword: Tragedy and Eschatology 

That's what upsets me about crowds cheering and thrilling to calls to bomb ISIS, so-called "Christians" who are viewing violence triumphalistically rather than tragically. Because Jesus said "put your sword away" Christians can never cheer violence. We must only grieve it.

*Scott McKnight at Jesus Creed  wrote about the Messianic Divine Secret of Jesus in the gospel of Mark.

...if Jesus silenced confession of him as Messiah how much more would have silenced for strategical reasons any suggestions of his deity. I find the logic solid, if not compelling.

*Phil Long at Reading Acts has been working his way though the Apocalypse of John  – Heavenly Throne Rooms in Apocalyptic Literature 

Revelation 4-5 is built first on the foundation of the Hebrew Bible. There are several texts which describe God as enthroned, such as Isaiah 6 and Ezekiel 1-2. In both of these passages the prophet sees a vision of God enthroned in heaven surrounded by otherworldly angelic creatures (seraphim in Isaiah, cherubim in Ezekiel). In both cases the prophet is stunned by the vision and eventually commissioned to a prophetic office. In Revelation 4 there is a central throne, angelic beings, but John is not a prophet as much as an observer of the impending judgment contained in the scroll given to the Lamb to open.

*Dustin R. Smith at The Dustin Martyr Blog attended the “Did Jesus Exist” debate between Craig Evans and Richard Carrier: 

I had the privilege of attending last night’s debate on “Did Jesus Exist?” between two well-versed debaters – Dr. Craig Evans and Dr. Richard Carrier. When I learned of this debate, I wanted to take advantage of listening to Carrier, who is probably the world’s foremost mythicist scholar. In other words, I felt that this debate would expose me to the best arguments scholars could put forth suggesting Jesus was simply made up in history. Now I took plenty of apologetic classes in my undergraduate and graduate studies to become convinced of the overwhelming evidence regarding Jesus’ existence, but I could not pass up the chance to listen to Richard Carrier live. So I piled up my car with a few of my bright students and we took off to witness the debate. Here are some of my observations of last night’s event:

*Pete Enns thinks that Paul was just “winging it.” 

I know that might not seem very reverent, especially since Romans is often thought of as the primo example of Paul at his difficult yet nevertheless logically consistent best, where he once and for all lays out the basics of the gospel for all to hear and for all time. Not that Romans is a jumbled mess—may it never be (see what I did there?)—but to me Romans reads more like Paul is in creative-problem-solving mode for Roman Christians facing a pressing problem (how Jews and Gentiles make up one people of God) than Paul sitting in his study writing a theological treatise intended for wider publication.

*Biblical Studies Online shared two lectures from David Noel Freedman: “Jesus as a Disciple”  (April 23, 1993)  and “The Role of Human Beings in the Bible” (April 20, 1993) 

*Ronald V. Huggins  refuted the idea that Judas didn’t actually exist: Did Judas Exist? A Friendly Critique of Dennis R. MacDonald's Easter Time Blog  

*I need help. I know it: Biblical Limericks: The Four Horsemen

Gnostical

*James McGrath at Exploring our Matrix  appeared on the online talk show: Talk Gnosis to speak about the historical Jesus and mythicism. 

*Jesus Facepalmed -Part 2 of James McGrath’s Conversation with Talk Gnosis at Gnostic Wisdom-

Is there a vast international conspiracy to convince you that Jesus was a real person? Well, not really. It’s a game of probabilities. Scholars say that, given the evidence we have, it’s more likely than not that there was an actual dude named Jesus walking around in the desert 2000 years ago. Of course, you are free to draw your own conclusions, and a belief in Gnosticism certainly does not need to include a belief in a historical Jesus.

Ecclesial Churchy Stuff

*Alexandria at Women in Theology wrote about masculine vs feminine church in Between the Binary: Is “Effeminacy”Really an Issue in Evangelical Church Culture?

Too often, Christian writers and commentators assume (or do not question) an equivalency between femininity and the female; therefore, the mere presence of female bodies within a church’s congregation is believed to engender an effeminate style of Christianity. Evangelicalism’s enduring phobia of “liberal” feminism is largely to blame, and has made its members ignorant of even the most innocuous principles of basic gender theory: namely, that there is a distinction between biological sex and gender identity, that humans are responsible for creating culturally contingent gender roles (not God), and that both men and women hardly ever conform completely to their prescribed roles.

*Pope Francis released an apostolic exhortation entitled Amoris Laetitia, Latin for “The Joy of Love.” You can read the whole 256 page document here.

*Mary E. Hunt at Religion Dispatches wasn’t impressed – Pope Francis’ Love Letter Is an Opportunity Lost 

If you are heterosexual, married, divorced, and remarried with an understanding parish priest, you have reason to be hopeful that your “irregular situation” can be fixed. If you use most forms of effective birth control, have an abortion, or are a sexually active LGBTIQ Catholic, you might as well read Dante and/or seek another denomination if you expect to be treated with equality, dignity, and respect. ... The “Joy Love Club” is members-only.

*Members of a recent Vatican council have called for Pope Francis to reject the “Just War” theory and to issue and encyclical on nonviolence 

Too often the 'just war theory' has been used to endorse rather than prevent or limit war," they continue. "Suggesting that a 'just war' is possible also undermines the moral imperative to develop tools and capacities for nonviolent transformation of conflict…We need a new framework that is consistent with Gospel nonviolence," say the participants, noting that Francis and his four predecessors have all spoken out against war often. "We propose that the Catholic Church develop and consider shifting to a Just Peace approach based on Gospel nonviolence.

*Christianity Today shared evidence that Christians did not borrow Easter from European pagans. 

Of course, even if Christians did engage in contextualization—expressing their message and worship in the language or forms of the local people—that in no way implies doctrinal compromise. Christians around the world have sought to redeem the local culture for Christ while purging it of practices antithetical to biblical norms. After all, Christians speak of "Good Friday," but they are in no way honoring the worship of the Norse/Germanic queen of the gods Freya by doing so.

But, in fact, in the case of Easter the evidence suggests otherwise: that neither the commemoration of Christ's death and resurrection nor its name are derived from paganism.

*Joel Watts at Unsettled Christianity wrote about the time that Lucifer split the church by refusing grace.

More patristic amazingness from Hans Urs von Balthsar - one long sentence on the theology of Pseudo-Dionysius pic.twitter.com/VvnnMEGYMS

— Ben Myers (@FaithTheology) April 3, 2016

Philosofical, Theologicalic Things

*The good folks at Jesus Jazz and Buddhism think that Everything We See is Past  and they have diagrams and videos about Process Theology, Alfred Whitehead and light cones. 

*Joseph P. Laycock at The Conversation  looked at Why So Many Americans Think They’re #Blessed

Today, America seems divided between those who engage with some version of the prosperity gospel and those who smugly dismiss it as fraudulent and puerile. While there are a number of problems with the gospel, it’s important to look at why this strand of religious thinking evolved in the first place, and why it persists.

*Joel Watts at Unsettled Christianity shared a video contrasting the Orthodox and Protestant Explanations of Salvation. 

I believe salvation is not from hell but to good works (Eph. 2.8-10). Salvation is not a momentary conversion, but a process of ontological importance. It is found in the Creed, but never defined. However, Protestantism usually sees it in terms of avoidance of hell. You’ll here mentioned “we deserved hell” and “we aren’t worthy.” Yet, Scripture never declares these things as well as the Reformers did. For Scripture, and Orthodoxy (and Wesleyanism), Salvation begins with the love of God, ending in the positive, rather than the negative.

Archaeologicists

*James Tabor at the Tabor Blog explored the deepening mystery of The Abba Cave, Crucifixion Nails, and the Last Hasmonean King.

It was assumed back in the 1970s that these bones were buried and no longer available for analysis–but it turns out this is not the case. What is even more intriguing, the victim was arguably none other than Matitiyahu Antigonus–the last of the Hashmonean kings–who was both beheaded and crucified by Marc Anthony. in 37 BCE. And even more significant, Greg Doudna has persuasively argued that this Antigonus is none other than the famed “Teacher of Righteousness” in the Dead Sea Scrolls,

*Archaeology News Network - Reported that construction workers in Gaza have discovered ancient ruins that archaeologists say may be part of a Byzantine church dating from around 1,500 years ago, The findings include segments of marble pillars with ornate Corinthian capitals, one nearly three meters (yards) long, and a 90 cm (35 inch) foundation stone bearing a Greek symbol for Christ. Fifteen pieces have been uncovered, with excavations continuing.

*2nd Temple Era Bronze Utensils Discovered in Migdal Excavations on Sea of Galilee 

According to Dina Avshalom-Gorni, the project’s chief archaeologist on behalf of the IAA, “the incense shovel that was found is one of ten others that are known in the country from the Second Temple period. From early research in the world it was thought that the incense shovel was only used for ritual purposes, to care for the embers and incense that were burnt in ritual ceremonies. Over the years, after incense shovels were discovered in a non-cultic context, it appears they were also used as tools for daily tasks. The incense shovel and jug found in our excavation were exposed lying next to each other on the floor in one of the rooms, at the late Second Temple period storehouses that is located adjacent to the dock of the large Jewish settlement, on the shore of Sea of ​​Galilee. These implements might have been saved in the storeroom as heirlooms by a Jewish family living at Migdal, or they may have been used for daily work as well.”

“I think that people need to worship and believe in GOD regardless of their belief. This is a free country.” pic.twitter.com/VM8sY6dmlt

— Bible Students Say.. (@BibleStdntsSay) April 11, 2016

Edumacational

*Michael J. Kruger at Canon Fodder  has A Note to Ph.D. Students: Here’s What We Are Really Looking for in a Job Interview

Given that I have sat on both sides of the interview table–as both candidate looking for a post, and as President or Academic Dean looking to fill a post–I thought I might offer a few reflections on the interview process.  In particular, I want to help candidates know what we are really looking for in a potential professor. I say “really” because I think candidates often misunderstand what we are looking for. And, due to that misunderstanding, sometimes candidates are simply heading down an unhelpful path in the interview process.And when I say “we” I am thinking particularly of those leaders in the world of evangelical seminaries.  Those in university settings, or those who are not evangelical, are unlikely to offer the same advice.

*Larry Hurdato explains Scrolls and the Early Codex 

*Biblical Studies Online shared an interview with ProfessorStavrakopoulou (University of Exeter) who explains why a lot of what’s in the Bible isn’t real, but why she loves it anyway.

Movie Reviews, Book Reports, and Musical Events

*Neil Carter (no relation, so far as I know) at Godless in Dixie  wrote about the Evangelical Christian desire – need- to be persecuted and the film God's Not Dead 2 - Persecute Me, Please: God’s Not Dead 2 and the Evangelical Lust for Victimhood

It’s like they’re ripping off the plot of Miracle on 34th Street. Only this time, it’s set in Arkansas at the state capitol. And instead of trying to establish whether or not Santa Claus is real, now they are trying to determine if Jesus was real. Because that would totally happen in real life in a court of law. And it’s totally relevant to the case at hand.

*James McGrath rather likes Daniel Kirk’s New Book – A Man Attested By God 

This may be the most important book in Christology to appear in recent years. Written in an era when it has become increasingly popular to insist that Jesus is already depicted as a pre-existent figure in the Synoptic Gospels, one who is absorbed into the “divine identity,” Daniel Kirk makes a persuasive case for viewing the depiction of Jesus in Matthew, Mark, and Luke as one of idealized humanity. Unlike many other proposals, this category, and this volume in which it is proposed, does good justice to the evidence, and is likely to stand the test of time.

*Ben Witherington at the Bible and Culture reviewed Richard Hay’s new book: “Echoes of Scripture in the Gospels.”

And even when the NT writers were transforming the OT text in creative ways, for example as Paul does in Gal. 4, these improvisations presuppose a stable text to which one can return again and again, and use in a variety of ways. I would use the analogy of say John Coltrane’s famous version of the Sound of Music song ‘My Favorite Things’. ‘Trane was not trying to faithfully ‘exegete’ that song, he was rather using it as a taking off point for a creative improvisation, but at the same time he was well aware of what playing the tune straight amounted to and sounded like, and he presupposed that his audience did as well (they could look at a copy of the original sheet music or put on the recording of the Sound of Music), so they could appreciate where he was, so to speak, playing outside the lines on the staff paper. I think, in other words, that figural interpretation was only one of the tools in the hermeneutical toolbox of the Gospel writers, and it was not one they always used, certainly not to the exclusion of other ways of using the OT.

*James McGrath also shared A Service of Sacred Music and Rock Prayers 

I am not trying to make the case that no music is sacred. On the contrary, I am more inclined to make the opposite case and argue that all music is sacred. Music takes vibrations in the physical world and combines them in ways that we perceive as beautiful. And so music by definition points towards transcendence, towards the fact that there is more to life that what one perspective can do justice to. And since music is a pointer towards God, it makes sense to use music – any music – as an opportunity to talk about one’s faith and the things that are important to us.

* Knockin' on Heaven's Door: Bob Dylan and the Gospel - An evening of Gospel and music following the Jewish carpenter who renounced his father's name to sing the blues out on Highway 61.

*Wayne Coppins  at German for Neutestamentler is rediscovering Parables in John with Ruben Zimmerman

Ruben Zimmermann’s Puzzling the Parables of Jesus: Methods and Interpretations is a very fine work. One value of the book is that it consciously seeks to bring together current German and American research on the parables. Another important feature is that Zimmermann applies recent research on historiography and memory to the interpretation of the parables. This post will highlight a third contribution of the book, namely Zimmermann’s perceptive discussion of the genre of parable and his convincing suggestion that there are, in fact, parables in John.


In Memoriam 

*Activist Priest and Vietnam Protester Daniel Berrigan Dies at 94

“Dan was one of the great Catholics of our time, a champion of social justice and a tireless promoter of peace…His influence on the peace movement, particularly during the Vietnam War, cannot be overstated, but his aim was not simply peace in Indochina, but peace everywhere.” Berrigan was one of seven Catholic priests who used napalm to burn draft cards in 1968 in protest against the Vietnam War, according to the National Catholic Reporter. As a result, he was sentenced to three years in prison.

The great Daniel Berrigan, SJ, Jesuit priest, activist, poet and peacemaker, died today. May he rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/SYcdaF2Zqq

— James Martin, SJ (@JamesMartinSJ) April 30, 2016

*Poet and Prophet 

A literary giant in his own right, Berrigan was best known for his dramatic acts of civil disobedience against the Vietnam War and nuclear weapons. He burned draft files with homemade napalm and later hammered on nuclear weapons to enact the Isaiah prophecy to “beat swords into plowshares.” His actions challenged Americans and Catholics to reexamine their relationship with the state and reject militarism. He constantly asked himself and others: What does the Gospel demand of us?

Future Carnivals

The next several carnivals will be hosted by:

May 2016 (June 1) – Brian Renshaw, @renshaw330

June 2016 (July 1) – Kris Lyle at Old School Script, @KristopherLyle

After that there's nothing - unless you act now. Phil Long at Reading Acts, who organizes these events, would love for you to volunteer as host for upcoming biblioblog carnivals. Contact him  PLEASE! (via Twitter @plong42 ) if you're interested.

.@UnvirtuousAbbey pic.twitter.com/AumO9eRIId

— PΛVL BLΛΛVW (@pblaauw) April 6, 2016

The church too often peddles tired images of a pristine/photoshopped (white) Jesus - instead of the tortured Christ. pic.twitter.com/bmVJtEH3Am

— Jason Chesnut (@crazypastor) April 3, 2016

Pope Urban I

I spent some time this morning with Pope Urban I. He seemed rather weary.

Mother Mary Comes to Me

When I find myself in times of trouble...

A Limerick for Enthusiastic Roman Catholics in Mexico

The crowds should remain behind the rope;
do not attempt to fondle or grope
Saint Peter’s successor,
also do not press or
wrestle, or yank, or pull on the Pope.

Jesus Medallion

Jesus Medallion by Jeff Carter on 500px

Stained Glass Window

This window can be seen in the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Stained Glasss Window by Jeff Carter on 500px

The Basilica of Saint Mary (Minneapolis)

Our family is taking a few days away from home.  We're in Minneapolis to visit some family and old friends.  While here, we visited the Basilica of Saint Mary - "America's First Basilica."  Work began on the cathedral in 1907. The exterior was completed in 1914. Interior work was delayed by World War I, but finally completed in 1926.

The Basilica of Saint Mary by Jeff Carter on 500px

Recognition of Palestine Is not Antisemitism

It was only yesterday (May 13, 2015) the Vatican announced an official recognition of “the state of Palestine,”and already there are some calling this an act of Antisemitism.

Former Republican Congressman Allen West said:

“This is horrific. At a time when Islamic terrorists are slaughtering Christians — Catholics — all over the Middle East, for the Pontiff to recognize a terrorist organization — which is really, either Hamas or Fatah, they’re both terrorists organizations, it’s just the degree of the actions that they’re taking. This is unconscionable that he is doing that. And it just goes to show the level of propaganda success that the Palestinians have, and the level of disdain and antisemitism that there is out there; it is even coming from the Vatican.”



But recognition of the State of Palestine is not Antisemitism. It’s not. This is not an opinion. This is not a value judgement. It's just a simple matter of using words properly.

The Arab people of Palestine are themselves Semites.

The words Semite and Semitic derive from the Biblical name Shem – one of the sons of Noah (Genesis 10:21) and describe any of various ancient and modern Semitic-speaking peoples, mostly originating in the Near East, including: Akkadians (Assyrians and Babylonians), Ammonites, Amorites, Arameans, Chaldeans, Canaanites (including Hebrews/Israelites/Jews/Samaritans and Phoenicians/Carthaginians), Eblaites, Dilmunites, Edomites, Amalekites, Turukku, Ethiopian Semites, Hyksos, Arabs, Nabateans, Maltese, Mandaeans, Mhallami, Moabites, Shebans, Meluhhans, Maganites, Ubarites, Sabians and Ugarites.

Notice that: Arabs are Semites. Recognition of the State of Palestine is not Antisemitism.

West (and others like him) may want to say that recognition of the state of Palestine hurts Israel, or hurts the Jewish people (both claims that can be, and should be challenged) but it is not–by definition–Antisemitism.

And, if I may go further, it’s not a bad thing for Christians, either, especially the 50,000 Christians in the Palestinian territories, 44,000 of whom are Catholic.  (Those numbers are from 2009)