Category Archives: Biblical Studies

Quote of the day: James McGrath on who really has a “high view of Scripture”

Posted on 02/05/2012 by

‘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 , , ,

R. Joseph Hoffman on the Jesus Mythicism of the New Atheists

Posted on 24/04/2012 by

Thank God for sensible atheists such as R. Joseph Hoffman.  Here he eviserates the currently fashionable Jesus Mythicism of the New Atheists: Mythtic Pizza and Cold-cocked Scholars It is almost cruelty to begin picking on the methodological wowsers implied in the reasoning … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheism, Biblical Studies, Popular Culture, Society | Tagged , , , , , ,

Did the Exodus really happen? The Exodus is not a literal historical account, but it doesn’t matter

Posted on 11/04/2012 by

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 , ,

Quote of the day: William Barclay on ‘problem texts’ in the Bible

Posted on 06/02/2012 by

‘We may sometimes feel that there are certain parts of the Bible with which we are out of sympathy; if we study these parts they will often be the very parts which end up giving us the richest harvest.’ ~ … Continue reading →

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Suspending scepticism: History and the Virgin Birth by N. T. Wright

Posted on 06/01/2012 by

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 →

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N. T. Wright disagrees with Pope Benedict (and the secular minimalist Maurice Casey); interesting thoughts ensue

Posted on 29/12/2011 by

What Benedict Doesn’t Get About Jesus by N. T. Wright

Posted in Authors, Biblical Studies, Book Reviews | Tagged , , , , , ,

More biblical dilettantism to come from Hollywood: Steven Spielberg sets his sights on Moses’s life story

Posted on 17/11/2011 by

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 , , , , , ,

Fringe view: the crazy world of Jesus mythicism

Posted on 09/11/2011 by

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 , ,

Philip Jenkins on the Canaanite genocide: the Old Testament’s ‘texts of terror’

Posted on 30/10/2011 by

‘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 , , , , , ,

Alexander Goldberg on the Old Testament book of Job

Posted on 16/10/2011 by

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 →

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Jane Williams on the Book of Genesis

Posted on 18/09/2011 by

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 →

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Michael Licona on Matthew 27:52-53, the ‘mini’ resurrection of the saints (or why they were NOT zombies!)

Posted on 17/09/2011 by

‘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 →

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A simple explanation of the Synoptic Problem

Posted on 25/08/2011 by

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 →

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Is the biblical ‘Sea of Reeds’ the Red Sea or an inland reedy lake? Colin Humphreys gives his view

Posted on 19/08/2011 by

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 →

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Jesuits sell ancient Gospel of John to the British Library for £9 million

Posted on 04/08/2011 by

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 →

Posted in Biblical Studies, History | Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Quote of the day: David Steinmetz contrasts the medieval and modern theories of biblical interpretation

Posted on 31/07/2011 by

‘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 , ,

Quote of the day: David Wenham on the Apostle Paul, Adam and creation

Posted on 22/07/2011 by

‘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 , , , , ,

Those who read the Bible frequently become more concerned about poverty, conservation and civil liberties

Posted on 19/07/2011 by

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 , , , ,

Quote of the day: Dr. John Polkinghorne on the first chapters of Genesis

Posted on 10/07/2011 by

‘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 , , , , , , , ,

How long were biblical manuscripts in use? On average usually 200 to 300 years, says Craig Evans

Posted on 21/06/2011 by

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

Posted on 17/06/2011 by

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 , , , , , , , ,

John Dickson pits historical facts against atheist schoolyard delusions

Posted on 15/06/2011 by

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

Posted on 15/06/2011 by

‘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 →

Posted in Atheism, Biblical Studies, Quote of the Day | Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Two interesting posts about the Bible, interpretation and theological beliefs

Posted on 13/06/2011 by

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

Posted on 10/06/2011 by

‘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