January 2009
17 posts
Sobriety: an act of faith? →
Good commentary about Alcohol and the American Life
St. John of Damascus on Ishmaelites →
Reading through Genesis this year has re-sparked an interest in the history of Israelites vs Ishmaelites and the way their conflict makes headlines even today. What seems suprising is how little this is written about or even understood by modern Christian authors.
Constantine's Sword
I just finished watching Constantine’s Sword, the documentary movie based on James Carroll’s novel of the same name. The short version is that when Constantine linked the Cross of Christ to military conquest, bad things started. Bad things that eventually led to the Crusades, to the Holocaust, to now the Iraq war / war on terrorism.
Carroll addresses the topic as a former Catholic...
“As a child of the Jewish people who, by the grace of God, for the past eleven...”
– Edith Stein, Letter to Pope Pius XI, 1933
WatchWorth $10
Bibles and basketballs
I think it’s funny how Bibles are like basketballs. Well, maybe not the written part, but the covers.
First, you have the $10 beginner level. $10 basketballs are usually rubber or plastic and have some novelty feature like wild colors or a player’s signature. Cheap Bibles usually feature paper or cardboard covers, bright colors, and some gimmic like “Middle Aged Manly...
“15 And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and...”
– Genesis 22
“do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named. 13 And I...”
– Genesis 21
Genesis 20 and Time Management
Abraham may have been the first prophet and the “father of faith,” but by any reasonable standard, he often came up short as a husband. One of the cool things about Genesis is that it shows Abraham - warts and all - to us today.
One good note from the ESV Study Bible: “Only God’s intervention protects Abraham’s relationship with Sarah…” It’s...
“And herein lies the cautionary tale for all religious authorities in positions...”
– Ben Witherington III in a movie review for “Doubt”
flickr photoset of Pixar studios →
Interview with John Lasseter →
Genesis 1-3 Notes
Here’s some awesome notes from the equally awesome new ESV Study Bible:
The book of Genesis opens with a majestic description of how God first created the heavens and earth and then how he ordered the earth so that it may become his dwelling place… Genesis 1 establishes a hierarchy of authority. Humanity is divinely commissioned to govern other creatures on God’s behalf, the...
Watchcool.
