Nazareth or Bethlehem? Of the four gospels, only Matthew and Luke have infancy stories. They agree that angel announced Mary’s conception, and they agree that Jesus was born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth. They disagree on a number of other things, though, among them: at the time of conception, Matthew situates Jesus’ family in Bethlehem. […]
Did you know?… Where was Jesus conceived? Read More »
Tis the season. Our local Tacky Christmas Lights Tour is gearing up for some big nights, and I can smell wood fires burning in the ‘hood when I walk my dog at dusk. Tis the season for lights garish and warm, subtle and… well, not so subtle. What with the cheap cost of electricity and
Or “old texts in a new medium.” For a thoughtful blog about ancient Hebrew poetry, with links to some other great resources, too, you may be interested in checking out this one by John Hobbins (just follow the link)!
Old Wine in New Wineskins Read More »
Big game last Saturday — Florida State University against #1 ranked University of Florida, led by quarterback Tim Tebow whose illustrious career will make him the darling of NFL draft picks after he graduates this year. Tebow’s Christianity isn’t news, but the text in his eye black, “Hebrews 12:1-2” had them guessing… at least until they’d located the verses
Tim Tebow Takes the Field, or When Hebrews Meets Football Read More »
Doing some research on images of angels in biblical texts, I came across the captivating icon painted by Russian Andrei Rublev around 1410. Men, angels, or God? The peculiar story of Abraham and Sarah’s visitors in Gen 18 uses a constellation of Hebrew vocabulary that has intriguing theological implications. For Rublev, it afforded an opportunity to meditate on the Christian
Is it possible to overdue the thanks bit of Thanksgiving? — to get a bit cynical and scrooge-y (to borrow from the holiday on deck) about all the “I’m thankful for…”? Dear Abby runs her annual prayer, comic strips go sober, and the local news features some feel-good story of triumph thanks to X (family, friends, pets) over Y (tragedy, trial,
Trying out some new technology and wondering — will it work or will it crash?
testing testing 1 2 3 Read More »
It’s a gray day in New Orleans, and rainy. No, not THAT rainy, but enough to keep the biblical scholars to their session… till nighttime, that is. The Society of Biblical Literature is meeting right now in downtown New Orleans, just off the French Quarter. This annual meeting, which gathers in a different place each year, is
Bourbon St. Meets the Bible Read More »
One of the most iconic images of western art is Michelangelo’s “creation of man” in the Sistine chapel. You know the one — a stirring painting depicting an impressive old man God reaching from the clouds to touch the outstretched hand of a young Adam. But just what, exactly, is that image based on? Genesis tells the creation
Michelangelo’s Bible Read More »
In this time of the proliferation of Bible versions, translations, and packaging, there’s yet another. The Word of Promise Audio Bible (Thomas Nelson) produced over near four years and based on a modern (1982) King James Version is 98 hours long and spans 79 CDs. The real selling point will likely be the stars who lent their voices to
Yet Another Bible on the Block Read More »
