I was delighted to read Pulitzer-prize winner Michael Dirda’s review of Bible Babel in the Washington Post last week. He clearly read the book carefully through, and “got” it. That he liked it, too — how sweet! Meanwhile, check out some of Dirda’s own books, if you haven’t had the pleasure already. As an avid collector of quotes — …
Out of the heaps of snow we’ve been getting lately, someone in my neighborhood has fashioned a great big Cupid in her front yard…or is it a cherub? Shoot, is Cupid himself some kind of cherub? I stood contemplating those questions for a minute or so until my dog started snuffling about at the smooshed …
I love the movie Groundhog Day. It’s such a great story about redemption, and I for one, an accomplished bumbler, would love a few do-overs to get things right. Besides, the film’s hilarious. I might have guessed that it would have some sort of religious theme to it, but until recently, I didn’t imagine that …
Given its title, I figured that the movie would have something to do with demons — a whole, well, legion of them… in full-on “possession” mode. After all, “Legion” is the name of a biblical demoniac, according to the stories in Mark and Luke, because many demons were involved. But in the movie, Michael (our hero-angel gone …
Did you know that “Eli” means “my God,” in Hebrew? Yup. In one form, anyway. So, even if you’d missed all the previews, reviews, and commentary in between on the movie “The Book of Eli,” you still might guess that the book in question is the Bible. The English translation King James Version, to be precise. …
I wish I’d had the presence of mind to bring a notebook with me to “Sherlock Holmes.” I should know better — that the Bible shows up everywhere. This movie was no exception. A fun flick — a little cerebral, lots of action, and a sobering reminder that what may seem to be convincing magic is sophisticated manipulation of the …
Wonder and awe, wise men and shepherds, and the angels say, “Fear not.” These are the days of extraordinary happenings, and in their very marvelousness, unnerving. The angels say, as biblical angels do, “Fear not,” even while they dazzle and disturb. These are also the days, in pop culture, of vampires — terrifying and dangerous. They, too, go …
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 »
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 …
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 …
