Eliza Griswold’s story of meeting the Ethiopian monk said to guard the Ark of the Covenant includes his saying, “two things keep you from God: suspicion and being desperate.” I like it. His explanation is less compelling, but so what? Its bare bones are worth contemplating.
A small clay object with scratches decipherable by only a few people in the world can nevertheless still move nations. Sometimes called “the first charter of human rights,” this text inscribed on a cylinder of clay comes from Cyrus II, founder of the Persian Empire and called “messiah” by the biblical prophet Isaiah. It dates back to the …
Had a great time on Thurs with Cville’s Writer House folks! and am off to Raleigh, NC in an hour or so (Quail Ridge Books tonight; Hayes Barton United Methodist tomorrow). In chatting about Bible Babel, there are at least two big things on the table: the Bible, of course (figuratively if not actually) and writing, in general. I’m always happy to …
How did November get so busy? At least it’s in lots of happy ways. C’mon out and join me at any one or more of the events listed when you click on “upcoming events” on the bottom right of my home page (http://kristinswenson.com/swenson-events.htm), if you happen to be in Charlottesville, Raleigh, Atlanta, or Richmond. I’d love to …
The furor over mosque-building in Manhattan and Koran-burning in Florida reminds us that like it or not, religious differences continue to challenge civic peace. A new book, The Tenth Parallel, by journalist Eliza Griswold narrates her experiences on the 10th parallel, 700 miles north of the equator. This line of latitude runs through territories where about …
The cover girl for last week’s Time magazine is not pretty, by conventional standards. She’s a bit jowly, for one thing, and whiskers sprout from her cheeks and chin. The deep brown eyes that gaze into the camera are frankly a bit off-kilter, and she cops some attitude: “Way to go, Einstein” floats in a …
The Bible and Human ‘Dominion’ Over Animals: Superiority or Responsibility? Read More »
I don’t know Chris Querry, but I’d sure like to meet him. I’m delighted to read that (despite his academic training?), he appreciated Bible Babel as a book appropriate for lay and religious audiences, teachers and students, alike. Anyway, Chris, wherever and whoever you are, thanks for the great review! For the rest of you, do …
Chris Querry’s Bible Babel Review at MyShelf.com Read More »
It seems that among the least religious are people in European countries that have a religious affiliation. If you’re Swedish, you’re Lutheran… in word, anyway. Last night, I watched the film version of Girl with a Dragon Tattoo. Intense. I’ve heard quite a bit about it, read more, but I don’t remember anyone mentioning that a key clue to unravelling the …
Ok, there are probably a lot of problems with angels, but consider this: If an angel steps in to change the course of events to benefit a person, there may be a downside for someone else. What should we do with that? Related, what about the person who simply is not helped by an angel …
Turns out that in order to comment on my Good Morning America essay, you need to “register.” The good news: I was told that you can use “ANY alias and even a bogus email.” So much for security. Thanks for posting to the site!
