sensible discussions • practical questions • theoretical solutions
Readings and interpretations is a category of articles focused on particular scripture passages and biblical texts. These articles provide commentary and insight for biblical texts by looking into comparative literary evidence, archaeological backgrounds, and linguistic particulars. Conclusions are reflective and inclusive of philosophical movements, literary theory, theology, and pop culture.
One of the first things I learned in Seminary was that the gap between biblical and theological studies grew wider as scholars specialized. Even the vocabulary and basic assumptions about belief, faith, and the nature of God differed between the two camps. I was raised in a Christian tradition considered “full Gospel, ” meaning any…
Read or listen to the Blogcast Many modern-day readers of the Bible tend to look for a system of rules. I suppose this is because we are raised to look for guideposts and follow the rules to stay in line. It starts in the home with chore charts and rules about bedtime and brushing our…
I started working on Psalm 82 more than a decade ago to unpack the relationship between the Divine Council and Earthly justice-seeking councils, like the Council of Elders in the Bible. I quickly discovered that Psalm 82 was a difficult text to unpack, and many scholars disagreed about its origin, its place in the Psalter,…
It’s just scratching the surface, but I’ve brought together a few of my favorite Star Trek episodes that deal with religion and portrayals of God. Sci-fi is a fantastic venue for exploring how people interact with religious ideas and concepts. Gene Roddenberry masterfully encouraged exploring the human condition in Star Trek. Star Trek: The Next…
Genre influences how we read and seek to understand a written word. We respond to something written with implicit bias that helps us make informed judgments about what we read and how we should think about the message of a thing. For example, a general news article presents serious content by describing facts or details…
I sit in my kitchen, drinking a double espresso, and thinking about the challenges of transition last year. It’s dark outside as I write this in the week of Epiphany. The wise men have made it to the manger, and people worldwide are taking down holiday decorations. It seems like we are always in a…
This blog post is condensed and reworked from a presentation I made at Society for Biblical Literature, 2022, in Denver, CO (#SBLAAR22) for the Biblical Ethics Section: Panel Review of John Goldingay’s “Old Testament Ethics: A Guided Tour.” John Goldingay is one of the most prolific and influential Old Testament scholars. He has written an…
This weekend, I am giving a presentation about teaching film and religion based on a course I designed and taught approximately one year ago. Even if I knew it before teaching this course, the experience solidified that the public work of theology is being done in open forums through creative media outlets. I mean, I…
Psalm 1 implores its reader to meditate day and night on God’s instructions (Torah). The word ‘meditate’ is often associated with Eastern religions, with fewer ties to Western Christianity. However, the Bible brings the concept to the psalms. Psalm one encourages readers to meditate as a prologue in the 150-chapter Psalter. Even though meditation is…
Jump directly to A Behavioral Economic Reading of Ruth Ruth is a Hebrew Bible book that is easy to read in one setting. With only four short chapters, the narrative details cultural and social practices in ancient Israelite society, including social welfare, harvest production, treatment of immigrants, property rights, legal procedures, and more. Ruth is…