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Top Posts
- Scots and Scotch-Americans: did you know that haggis has been banned in the U.S. since 1989?
- Photograph of the day: Vince's Cross, Antarctica
- Pic of the day: 'John's Weather Forecasting Stone'
- Wonders never cease: secularist Vancouver declares May 1st. "Blessed Pope John Paul II Day"
- Famous atheists in history: Napoleon Bonaparte
- Fundamentalist televangelist heretic Benny Hinn sued for immoral relationship with Paula White
- Was death already present in the Garden of Eden?
- The theological art of Peter Howson, painter of Scottish martyr St. John Ogilvie
- News for Manchester United supporters: film to be made about Busby Babes Munich air disaster
- [Stained glass] Pic of the day: St. Austremonius amongst the beasts of the wild
- How much money does the Vatican really have? Here are the facts . . .
- Paula White wins major biblical studies award
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Recent Posts
- Book Review: ‘Man on a Short Leash’ by Oliver Jacks
- Writers’ quote of the day: Stuart Kaminsky on writing historical novels
- Where I’d like to go to get some peace and quiet: Monastery of Rousanou, Greece
- Book Review: ‘The Invisible Boarder’ by Mildred Davis
- Pic of the day: No place for flyers, at least not active ones!
- Where I want to live, vol. 43: Architect Seymour Harris’ roundhouse on the Beaulieu River in Hampshire
- Quote of the day: Charles Foster on ‘pantomime dame’ Richard Dawkins
- Pic of the day: DaHu Park, Taipei, Taiwan
- The real reasons for bullying in schools: the empirical facts show it’s not gay teens who need special attention
- The wisdom of Pope Benedict XVI
- British doctors could be banned from practising for refusing to give unmarried women contraceptives
- Quote of the day: Ludwig Wittgenstein on belief in God and the meaning of life
- Pic of the day: There is no escape from God, no matter how hard you run!
- Book Review: ‘The Bornless Keeper’ by P. B. Yuill
- Quote of the day: Sigmund Freud on religion as the only supplier of purpose to life
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- ‘A man can no more diminish God’s glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word ‘darkness’ on the walls of his cell.’ ~ C. S. Lewis
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Category Archives: Biblical Studies
Quote of the day: James McGrath on who really has a “high view of Scripture”
‘Anyone who thinks that taking a supposedly “high view of Scripture” makes matters simpler and serious theological problems vanish must not have given much serious thought to the matter. And that is perhaps the heart of the problem: those who … Continue reading
Posted in Biblical Studies, Fundamentalism, Quote of the Day, Theology
Tagged Bible, Fundamentalists, Religion, Scripture
Did the Exodus really happen? The Exodus is not a literal historical account, but it doesn’t matter
Worth your reading time: Did the Exodus Really Happen? Knowing the Exodus is not a literal historical account does not ultimately change our connection to each other or to God, writes Rabbi David Wolpe
Posted in Archaeology, Biblical Studies, History
Tagged Exodus, Israelites, Old Testament
Suspending scepticism: History and the Virgin Birth by N. T. Wright
Suspending scepticism: History and the Virgin Birth by N. T. Wright Because I am convinced that the creator God raised Jesus bodily from the dead, and because I am convinced that Jesus was and is the embodiment of this God, Israel’s God, … Continue reading
Posted in Biblical Studies
Tagged Advent, Christmas, N. T. Wright, Virgin Birth
N. T. Wright disagrees with Pope Benedict (and the secular minimalist Maurice Casey); interesting thoughts ensue
What Benedict Doesn’t Get About Jesus by N. T. Wright
More biblical dilettantism to come from Hollywood: Steven Spielberg sets his sights on Moses’s life story
Steven Spielberg sets his sights on Moses’s life story The directing giant is in talks to bring the life story of Jewish figure Moses to the big screen in Gods And Kings. The director and producer, 64, is hoping to … Continue reading
Posted in Biblical Studies, Visual Arts
Tagged Exodus, Films, Hollywood, Moses, Old Testament, Steven Spielberg, Ten Commandments
Fringe view: the crazy world of Jesus mythicism
The Fringe World of Jesus Mythicism by James McGrath One of the poignant ironies about mythicism is its popularity among those who style themselves as freethinkers. Such individuals usually have no trouble criticizing apologists for young Earth creationism or other … Continue reading
Posted in Atheism, Biblical Studies
Tagged James McGrath, Jesus Mythicism, New Atheists
Philip Jenkins on the Canaanite genocide: the Old Testament’s ‘texts of terror’
‘It would be easy to cite these gruesome Biblical stories as a foundation for a New Atheist rant, and that’s absolutely not my intent. Paradoxically, what I have been trying to do in recent years, especially in my book Laying … Continue reading
Posted in Biblical Studies, History, Quote of the Day
Tagged Amalekites, Canaanites, Exodus, Joshua, Moses, Old Testament, Philip Jenkins
Alexander Goldberg on the Old Testament book of Job
Alexander Goldberg: The Book of Job The Book of Job is the first document in history to take seriously the question of why really bad things happen to really good people. The Book of Job, part 1: Who was Job? … Continue reading
Posted in Biblical Studies, Theology
Tagged Alexander Goldberg, Auschwitz, Book of Job, Human Suffering, Old Testament, Satan, Theodicy
Jane Williams on the Book of Genesis
Jane Williams: The Book of Genesis Genesis looks at what the culture around it believes about the nature of the material world, and disagrees with it profoundly. The Book of Genesis, part 1: God created The Book of Genesis, part … Continue reading
Posted in Biblical Studies
Tagged Abraham, Creation, Genesis, God, Isaac, Jacob, Jane Williams, Patriarchs
Michael Licona on Matthew 27:52-53, the ‘mini’ resurrection of the saints (or why they were NOT zombies!)
‘It seems to me that an understanding of the language in Matthew 27:52-53 as ‘special effects’ with eschatological Jewish texts and thought in mind is most plausible. There is further support for this interpretation. If the tombs were opened and … Continue reading
Posted in Biblical Studies
Tagged Gospel of Matthew, IVP, Jesus Christ, Michael Licona, Resurrection, Zombies
A simple explanation of the Synoptic Problem
If you’re an intellectually engaged, theologically minded Christian, sooner or later you’ll come across something known as the ‘Synoptic Problem’. It’s almost unavoidable and discussions of it can get complicated very quickly. A simple, straightforward outline can be found here: Which theory do you think … Continue reading
Posted in Biblical Studies
Tagged 'Q', Bible, Griesbach Hypothesis, Luke, Mark, Mark Goodacre, Matthew, New Testament, Synoptic Gospels, Synoptic Problem
Is the biblical ‘Sea of Reeds’ the Red Sea or an inland reedy lake? Colin Humphreys gives his view
In My View the Biblical Sea of Reeds is the Red Sea by Colin Humphreys, Professor and Director of Research, Selwyn College, Cambridge In summary, it is clear from the biblical reference to where Solomon built his ships, that yam suph … Continue reading
Posted in Biblical Studies
Tagged Colin Humphreys, Exodus, Israelites, Miracles, Moses, Old Testament, Red Sea
Jesuits sell ancient Gospel of John to the British Library for £9 million
Jesuits sell ancient Gospel to British Library for £9 million The Jesuits have sold the historic St Cuthbert Gospel – believed the oldest intact book produced in Europe – to the British Library for £9 million. The British Province of the Society … Continue reading
Quote of the day: David Steinmetz contrasts the medieval and modern theories of biblical interpretation
‘The medieval theory of levels of meaning in the biblical text, with all its undoubted defects, flourished because it is true, while the modern theory of a single meaning, with all its demonstrable virtues is false.’ ~ David Steinmetz
Posted in Biblical Studies, History, Quote of the Day
Tagged Bible, David Steinmetz, Interpretation
Quote of the day: David Wenham on the Apostle Paul, Adam and creation
‘What was Paul’s view exactly about how the world was created? What was his scientific point of view? Now, Paul was somebody who lived in the first century, and Paul did not understand modern science. When he thought about creation, … Continue reading
Posted in Biblical Studies, Quote of the Day, Sciences
Tagged Adam and Eve, Apostle Paul, David Wenham, Genesis, Old Testament, Quote of the Day
Those who read the Bible frequently become more concerned about poverty, conservation and civil liberties
Frequent Bible Reading Tied to Social Justice, Openness to Science A new study by Baylor University researcher Aaron Franzen found frequent Bible reading predicted greater support for issues ranging from the compatibility of science and religion to more humane treatment of … Continue reading
Posted in Biblical Studies, Politics, World Events, Secularism
Tagged Bible, Civil Liberties, Conservation, Poverty, Social Surveys
Quote of the day: Dr. John Polkinghorne on the first chapters of Genesis
‘The Bible is very important to me, but it is very important to recognize that the Bible is not a book. The Bible is a library. It has all sorts of different kinds of writing in it — it has … Continue reading
Posted in Biblical Studies, Quote of the Day, Sciences
Tagged Bible, Biblical Studies, Dr. John Polkinghorne, Genesis, Interpretation, Physicists, Quote of the Day, Science, Sciences
How long were biblical manuscripts in use? On average usually 200 to 300 years, says Craig Evans
How Long Were Biblical Manuscripts in Use? If the Gospel of Matthew was published and circulated in 75 CE and if it and some of the first copies of it were in use as long as the manuscripts in the … Continue reading
Posted in Archaeology, Biblical Studies, History
Science, faith, and J. I. Packer’s Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy, by Peter Enns
Science, Faith, and the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy “God is ‘Truth’”: The First Summary Statement of CSBI Imprecise Language about the Bible’s Authority: The Second Summary Statement of CSBI The Scope of the Bible’s Authority: CSBI Summary Statements 3 … Continue reading
Posted in Biblical Studies, Theology
Tagged Bible, Biblical Inspiration, Chicago Statement, Faith, Inerrancy, J. I. Packer, Peter Enns, Sciences, Theology
John Dickson pits historical facts against atheist schoolyard delusions
Pitting historical facts against atheist schoolyard delusions by John Dickson A motif quite common in atheist literature: the boy wounded or disillusioned, sometimes understandably, by early religious experiences grows up to be an ardent atheist (Richard Dawkins’s testimonial is the most … Continue reading
Posted in Archaeology, Atheism, Biblical Studies, History, Philosophy
Quote of the day: John Dickson on the ‘Jesus mythicism’ embraced by Richard Dawkins and the New Atheists
‘Michel Onfray, Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins all suggest that the very existence of Jesus is still in doubt among the historians. Dawkins cites an authority who has made what he describes as a “serious historical case that Jesus never … Continue reading
Two interesting posts about the Bible, interpretation and theological beliefs
Adam Kotsko discusses biblical literalism and the simple beliefs of simple believers.
Posted in Biblical Studies, Theology
Quote of the day: James F. McGrath on scholarship and the Bible
‘Scholarship can be an aid to faith – as long as you are willing to allow it to change and transform your views, and not merely try to use it to justify views you already hold. It disturbs me that conservative … Continue reading
Posted in Biblical Studies, Quote of the Day