Check it out — a gun in your left hand, Bible in your right. This is an ad by gun maker Henry Repeating Arms. Across the image of a guy wearing a holster with a gun on the left and a Bible on the right runs a quote from the company president, Anthony Imperato, “There is nothing wrong with […]
Guns and the Bible Read More »
This year, our Jewish and Muslim sisters and brothers are celebrating big holidays at the same time. Sweet New Year wishes to Jews just wrapping up the two days of Rosh Hashanah (“head of the year” in Hebrew) and embarking on the days of instrospection and repentance before the fast of Yom Kippur (Sept 27-28).
Working with the Old Testament (a.k.a. Hebrew Bible), one is bound to have to reckon with the nature and place of justice. Granted, sometimes God appears to be inexplicably severe, mean, even. But that’s for another time. That famous “eye for an eye” quote comes from the Old Testament, and although it’s gotten some bad press
Mercy Me!… and Justice, too Read More »
Of these sentences, which do you think is better? 1) “The Bible is a singular document of inestimable influence; but all evidence to the contrary, it can be really, really hard to understand.” 2) “The Bible is a singular document of inestimable influence, but despite all evidence to the contrary, it can be really hard to understand.”
Bible Babel Out-takes and the Writing Process Read More »
Earlier, I noted some of the difficulties that translators face when trying to render the ancient biblical texts in contemporary English for a modern audience. The biggest issue for the team reworking the NIV is how to handle the gender-bound language of the Bible’s original context. Here’s an articulate voice in favor of seeking gender
More on the NIV and translation, in general Read More »
On this September 11, I’m reminded of how easy it is for extremists to hijack their own religion. Just a couple of days ago, a man claiming to be a Protestant minister hijacked an airplane in Mexico in order get the attention needed to tell the Mexican president a message he believed to have come
Hijacking Religion Read More »
Thinking about writing is not writing; talking about writing is not writing. Only writing is writing, or so the wisdom goes. The school semester is in full swing, and I’m finding it increasingly difficult to carve out the time and maintain the concentration required to make progress on the projects I’m eager to do. So, I’m
Writing Conferences Read More »
Quentin Tarantino’s new movie, Inglourious Basterds, was informed in part by taking part in a seder at Philip Roth’s house. The Passover seder is a religious practice of remembrance commanded by none other than God in the Bible to commemorate God’s liberating the Hebrew people from Egypt in order that they could be free to be servants of God. With
What Does Remembering Violence Require? Read More »
On the NBC sitcom, “30 Rock,” the optimistic, smile-y, and just plain aw-so-cute character Kenneth the Page declared, “science was my most favorite subject, especially the Old Testament.” It’s a hilarious poke in fun at a serious debate raging today — Should the Bible’s narratives about creation inform ideas about the earth’s origins? Or: If a person
30 Rock, the Old Testament, and Science Read More »
N-E-W for the NIV? Twenty-five years after its blockbuster release, the New International Version is in for an update. The most popular version of the world’s most popular book — embraced by millions as the very word of God, well, you can imagine that reworking it is no small thing. Folks are already weighing in. (See
