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Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." (Is.30:21)
Browsing All Posts filed under »Religion«
The Medium And The Light | Notes & Review
Marshall McLuhan. The Medium and the Light: Reflections on Religion. Gingko Press, 2002. (224 pages) Introduction For many hundreds of the years covered in his investigations, the antagonists were clergy. And their debates concerned not simply this or that idea or doctrine but rather the very tools of intellectual endeavour, the nature and seriousness of philosophy […]
What We Talk About When We Talk About God | Book Launch Event
March 13, 2013
http://www.robbelllive.com/ March 12, 2013, 4pm PST [Live Notes] A book is a strange thing. It’s like you sit at your desk, day after day, and draft after draft. Then you get the email back from your editor, and it could be perfect, or “there’s more work to be done.” And then the day comes, when […]
Year of Biblical Womanhood | Notes & Review
January 6, 2013
Rachel Held Evans. A Year of Biblical Womanhood: How a Liberated Woman Found Herself Sitting on Her Roof, Covering Her Head, and Calling Her Husband “Master”. Thomas Nelson, 2012. (352 pages; 5684 Locations. This review is for the Kindle Edition.) Rachel Held Evans’ Project page; Desiring God Review; Huffington Post; Christian Post Introduction I was […]
The Book of Mormon | Review
December 23, 2012
Book of Mormon, Broadway Musical. For starters, and for the religiously devout, this musical is offensive, raunchy, crude, irreverent, obscene, and offensive (yes, I said “offensive” twice). It is not for those who take their religion too seriously, so caution is advised for those who may not want their beliefs or convictions poked and prodded. […]
Toxic Charity | Notes & Review
December 22, 2012
Robert Lupton. Toxic Charity: How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help. HarperOne, 2011. (191 pages) Chapter One: The Scandal The Compassion industry is almost universally accepted as a virtuous and constructive enterprise. | But what is so surprising is that its outcomes are almost entirely unexamined. (2-3) …it may be hurting more than helping. […]
Love Free or Die | Review
November 17, 2012
watch: http://video.pbs.org/video/2294044250/ (only through November 19, 2012) descriptions: LOVE FREE OR DIE (Special Jury Prize winner Sundance 2012) is about a man whose two defining passions the world cannot reconcile: his love for God and for his partner Mark. It is about church and state, love and marriage, faith and identity-and one man’s struggle to […]
The Rise of Evangelicals | Notes & Review
November 14, 2012
Noll, Mark A.; Shelley, Bruce L.; Rosell, Garth M.; Sweeney, Douglas A.; Marsden, George; Mouw, Richard J.; Martin, William; Tait, Jennifer Woodruff (2012-09-07). The Rise of the Evangelicals: The birth of a movement that changed America (Christianity Today Essentials). Christianity Today, 2012. Kindle Edition. Introduction But when you start listing the attributes of evangelicals, it’s […]
Speaking Christian | Review & Notes
September 30, 2012
Marcus Borg. Speaking Christian: Why Christian Words Have Lost Their Meaning and Power — And How They Can Be Restored. HarperOne, 2011. (248 pages) (Thank you to Janelle for our copy!) CNN Belief Blog. Patheos interview with Borg. The Hillhurst Review. Englewood Review. — REVIEW — This is most definitely an important contribution to the […]
Saving Darwin | Notes & Review
August 18, 2012
Karl W. Giberson. Saving Darwin: How to Be a Christian and Believe in Evolution. HarperOne, 2008. (248 pages) Foreword Giberson’s carefully documented history provides a sobering response to the claims of those who think that the current controversy can be quickly resolved. Just as with other great world conflicts, such as the current war in […]
Christianity After Religion | Notes & Review
June 30, 2012
Diana Butler Bass. Christianity After Religion: The End of Church and the Birth of a New Spiritual Awakening. HarperOne, 2012. (294 pages) Part I: The End of Religion The Beginning Strange as it may seem in this time of cultural anxiety, economic near collapse, terrorist fear, political violence, environmental crisis, and partisan anger, I believe […]
Did Jesus Exist? | Notes & Review
April 29, 2012
Bart Ehrman. Did Jesus Exist? The Historical Argument for Jesus of Nazareth. HarperOne, 2012. (361 pages) [many thanks to Janelle for our copy!] Introduction When mythicists use the term [myth] they often seem to mean simply a story that has no historical basis, a history-like narrative that in fact did not happen. (3) What I […]
This Gay & Age
March 10, 2012
PBS POV project, “This Gay & Age” by Morgan Wilcock Watch This Gay and Age on PBS. See more from PBS Online Film Festival. Below are a couple quotes that highlight key elements of the discussion and debate.: Just ask yourself…if it’s true, that sexual orientation is innate and God-given, then what does it mean […]
Radical | Notes & Review
March 3, 2012
David Platt. Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream. Multnomah, 2010. (230 pages) http://www.radicalthebook.com/ 1. Someone Worth Losing Everything For Jesus actually spurned the things that my church culture said were most important. So what was I to do? I found myself faced with two big questions (2) The first was simple. Was […]
Something From Nothing? | Notes, Review, & Response
February 26, 2012
A conversation with Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss. 7pm | Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012 | ASU Gammage Auditorium http://richarddawkins.net/videos/644930-dawkins-krauss-discussion-from-asu-4-feb http://origins.asu.edu/ NOTES [I have striven to be completely accurate in the following transcription. I take full responsibility for any typos or misrepresenting punctuation or grammar.] Krauss: [Introductory remarks] Krauss: Now, the title for this evening is […]
TED | Alain deBotton: Atheism 2.0 – Notes & Review
January 22, 2012
One of the most fascinating talks on religion and secularism, a programme of bringing both forward. My notes and review below. — NOTES — I would like to inaugurate a new way of being an atheist. PREMISE: Of course, there is no God. Of course, there are no deities or supernatural spirits or angels, etc. […]
God And Sex | Notes & Review
January 16, 2012
Michael Coogan. God and Sex: What the Bible Really Says. Twelve, 2010. (237 pages) — VIA — Full disclosure: I did not actually finish “reading” the book (a term I use to communicate that I have actually digested a book’s full content). Coogan does in this book what any author of a short survey of […]
Teenology | Notes & Review
December 31, 2011
Jim Burns. Teenology: The Art of Raising Great Teenagers. Bethany House, 2010. (221 pages) http://www.homeword.com/teenology-raising-great-teenagers-p-60.html PART ONE: PARENTING TEENS TO BECOME RESPONSIBLE ADULTS 1. Who Is That Stranger in Your House It has been said that raising kids is part joy and part guerrilla warfare. (17) A dog trainer once told us that training your […]
The Hidden Power of Electronic Culture | Notes & Review
December 21, 2011
Shane Hipps. The Hidden Power of Electronic Culture: How Media Shapes Faith, The Gospel, and Church. Zondervan, 2005 (176 pages) …every innovation is an amputation as well as an extension. – Brian McLaren (from the Forward) INTRODUCTION This is not a book intended to argue that the church needs to engage culture. Rather, it assumes […]
The King Jesus Gospel | Notes & Review
November 25, 2011
Scot McKnight. The King Jesus Gospel: The Original Good News Revisited. Zondervan, 2011. (184 pages) FOREWORD BY N.T. WRIGHT The Christian faith is kaleidoscopic, and most of us are color-blind. (11) We ought to welcome it if a musician plays new parts of the harmony to the tune we thought we knew. (11) “the gospel” […]
The Lost World of Genesis One | Notes & Review
November 7, 2011
John Walton. The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate. IVP Academic, 2009. (191 pages) Prologue It is regrettable that an account of such beauty has become such a bloodied battle-ground, but that is indeed the case. (5) In this book I have proposed a reading of Genesis that I believe […]
You Lost Me | Notes & Review
October 22, 2011
Kinnaman, David. You Lost Me: Why Young Christians Are Leaving Church… And Rethinking Faith. Baker Books, 2011. (254 pages) http://youlostmebook.com/ You Lost Me, Explained You Lost Me, is about young insiders. At its heart are the irreverent, blunt, and often painful personal stories of young Christians–or other young adults who once thought of themselves as […]
Why We Believe in god(s) | Review
September 15, 2011
Andy Thomson’s talk, ‘Why We Believe in Gods,’ given at the American Atheist 2009 convention in Atlanta, Georgia: — VIA — The discussion of science and religion continues to the arenas of neurobiology. I appreciate Thomson’s work, his careful attention to the studies, and the references to good scientific work. I consider this to be […]
Deep Church | Notes & Review
September 5, 2011
Jim Belcher. Deep Church: A Third Way Beyond Emerging and Traditional. IVP, 2009. (233 pages) This book is written for those who are caught in between [emergent & traditional]. They are unhappy with the present state of the evangelical church but are not sure where to turn for an answer. (13) …this book is written […]
Fall From Grace | Notes & Review
August 14, 2011
http://www.fallfromgracemovie.net/ Baltimore Sun (12/4/2007) The Hollywood Reporter (12/3/2007) Kansas City Star Review (9/14/2007) Variety Review (6/26/2007) Director, K. Ryan Jones named Emerging Artist of 2007 by Kansas City Star (4/29/2007) eFilmCritic Review Lawrence Journal-World: “Southern audiences react to KU filmmaker’s ‘Fall from Grace’” (3/16/2007) Austin Chronicle Review (3/16/2007) Cinematical Review (3/13/2007) Austin Chronicle: “Looking More […]
Curiosity: The Questions of Life – Did God Create the Universe | Notes & Review
August 14, 2011
Discovery Channel’s page. Regarding the solar eclipse, the vikings believed that “skoll,” the wolf god would “eat the sun.” Without a scientific explanation imagine how disturbing it would have been to see the sun vanish. The vikings then responded through some sort of violent “scaring away” of the wolf, and believed it was them. They […]
Divided | Notes & Review
July 15, 2011
http://www.dividedthemovie.com/#aboutlink [vimeo link] Divided is a very well produced independent film that communicates a critical message to the faith community (and to the secular community as well, really), that families truly are the most effective means through which children and young adults are raised (discipled). However, that really important message is so deeply clouded in […]
The God Who Wasn’t There | Notes & Review
June 4, 2011
http://www.thegodmovie.com/. NR, 2005 Writing notes and a review for this film is somewhat,…uh,…paralyzing and, well, a bit insipid. So, I guess I won’t. If you want to read a review, see the Full Review by “Answering Infidels”, and the Christianity Today interview. In addition, Ben Witherington’s review of The Jesus Puzzle, and Taking the Jesus Puzzle […]
The Language of Science and Faith | Notes & Review
April 1, 2011
Karl Giberson & Francis Collins. The Language of Science and Faith: Straight Answers to Genuine Questions. InterVarsity Press, 2011. (250 pages) http://biologos.org/blog/the-language-of-faith-and-science-a-brief-history/ God has provided two distinct, complementary and reliable revelations–the Bible and the natural world. (8) Introduction In the pages that follow we share this good news [that we do not have to make […]
To Die In Jerusalem | Notes & Review
March 28, 2011
http://www.todieinjerusalem.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayat_al-Akhras http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Levy To Die in Jerusalem follows Avigail Levy–Rachel’s mother–in her search for answers and reasons behind the suicide bombing of Palestinian Ayat al-Akhras that killed the two of them on March 29, 2002. While the primary narrative is through the Israeli experience, the producers did give voice to the Palestinian/Muslim perspective and contrasted […]
Love Wins | Notes & Review
March 20, 2011
[Thanks to Janelle for our "limited edition" copy! You are loved.] Rob Bell. Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived. HarperOne: 2011. (200 pages) First, the Press… Martin Bashir on the Paul Edwards Program afterwards: http://www.godandculture.com/ra/bashir_edwards.mp3 The March 12 interview in New York by Lisa Miller: […]
Religulous | Notes & Review
March 18, 2011
http://www.lionsgate.com/religulous/ Religulous [R], 2008 — VIA — So, while some of my colleagues may be judgmentally inquisitive of me for watching this film, it seems good to me to understand life in its full…and yes, Bill Maher and Religulous must be taken into account as a part of the fullness of this life. To discount […]
Friends of God | Notes & Review
March 7, 2011
Friends of God. HBO home video, 2007. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/25/arts/television/25stan.html — VIA — Obviously things have changed quite a bit from 2007. Ted Haggard’s “fall from grace,” the death of Jerry Falwell, the election of President Obama being the key events. And there are many things that haven’t: Acquire the Fire’s tour schedule is full, pro-life rhetoric […]
Brother Jesus | Notes & Review
March 6, 2011
Schalom Ben-Chorin. Brother Jesus: The Nazarene through Jewish Eyes. University of Georgia Press, 2001. (252 pages) 1 The Figure of Jesus For me, the New Testament is certainly not holy scripture in the canonical sense. …it is a document that belongs to the history of Jewish faith and preserves much of relevance to the salvation […]
TED | Lesley Hazleton: On Reading The Koran
January 24, 2011
http://www.ted.com/talks/lesley_hazelton_on_reading_the_koran.html The Koran describes “Paradise” 36 times as “gardens watered by running streams.” How come this is news to so many people? The reason why so many don’t read the Koran is precisely why it is so easily quoted; or rather, misquoted. Snippets and phrases taken out of context, in what I call a “highlighter” […]
The Calling | Notes & Review
December 21, 2010
http://www.whatsyourcalling.org/the-film Available on iTunes. PBS Independent Films website. I began taking notes, and then realized about 15% of the way into the film, this is not a note taking kind of documentary. It’s a slower paced more sentimentally empathic documentary. While I expected more of a thoughtful engagement with the challenges, tensions, ideologies, theologies, cultures, etc., […]
The Orthodox Heretic | Notes & Review
December 11, 2010
Peter Rollins. The Orthodox Heretic: And Other Impossible Tales. Paraclete Press, 2009 (184) http://peterrollins.net/index.html How to speak of something that cannot be said? (ix) Parables subvert this desire to make faith simple and understandable. They do not offer the reader clarity, for they refuse to be captured in the net of a single interpretation and […]
Trembling Before G-d | Notes & Review
December 2, 2010
http://www.filmsthatchangetheworld.com/site/ http://www.tremblingbeforeg-d.com/index2.html As with other independent films/documentaries (see http://vialogue.wordpress.com/2010/10/03/for-the-bible-tells-me-so-notes-review/), this one portrayed a variety of testimonies and stories of various LGBT people within Orthodox Jewish communities. As with other productions, the emotional humanity of the suffering is juxtaposed with the cold and seemingly heartless ideals of the conservative fundamentalists. Also, however, as with other productions, […]
The Pursuit of God | Notes & Review
October 28, 2010
Aiden W. Tozer. The Pursuit of God. Christian Publications Inc., 1982. (128 pages) 1 Following Hard after God O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. […]
God in America | Notes & Review
October 14, 2010
http://www.pbs.org/godinamerica/ Online you can watch the entire program, read original documents, download study guides to each program, and read the entire transcript. As always, I commend PBS (Frontline and American Experience) for their excellence. This is the ending statement of the last installment from Stephen Prothero: This is this great conversation we’ve had from the […]
For The Bible Tells Me So | Notes & Review
October 3, 2010
http://www.forthebibletellsmeso.org/index2.htm [NR] There’s something about doing justice with your [gay] son that is so empowering. New Interview with Bishop Gene Robinson and Director Dan Karslake [After a program aired which featured a lesbian street theologian,] I got an email from a kid in Iowa which ultimately drove me to make this film: Last week I […]
The Sabbath | Notes & Review
September 27, 2010
Abraham Joshua Heschel. The Sabbath: its meaning for modern man. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1951, 1979. (118 pages) [VIA: This is one one of the few books in my library where every page is worth quoting. Below is a small sliver of quotes that hopefully summarize each heading; though their mere abstraction does an injustice […]
Leaving Church | Notes & Review
September 20, 2010
Barbara Brown Taylor. Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith. HarperOne, 2006. (252 pages) “You do not have to die in order to discover the truth of this teaching, in other words. You only need to lose track of who you are, or who you thought you were suppose to be…” (xiii) Finding The only thing […]
Conversations on Being a Heretic | Notes & Review
August 18, 2010
http://qideas.org/video/conversations-on-being-a-heretic.aspx by Scot McKnight and Brian McLaren [NOTE: My notes below is not an exact transcript.] If the gospel isn’t embodied as good news to the poor, it isn’t the same gospel that Jesus talked about. MCKNIGHT: It is common for a reader of yours to come away from your books wondering exactly what you […]
שמע – Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
July 27, 2010
Perhaps the most important word in the Bible is “Sh’ma.” I am deeply thankful for Rabbi Jonathan Sacks’ comments. Below are just a few of the snippets that I want to take away: The Greeks were the supreme masters of the visual arts: art, sculpture, architecture and the theatre. Jews, as a matter of profound […]
As A Driven Leaf | Notes & Review
July 17, 2010
Milton Steinberg. As A Driven Leaf. Behrman House, Inc., 1939. (480 pages) This is a historical fiction story of Elisha ben Abuya, based upon historical records, but pieced and crafted together by the author with some elaborations and dismissals. Thus it is “intended as a novel, not a biography.” (478) I picked up this book […]
Lord, Save Us From Your Followers | Notes & Review
July 16, 2010
Dan Merchant, http://lordsaveusthemovie.com/, [PG-13] See also the book by the same title. — VIA — I wasn’t sure how this film was going to turn out. I suppose the title and the packaging led me to believe that this was going to be yet another cynical look at religion, an outcry against the hypocrisies of […]
Son of Hamas | Notes & Revew
June 28, 2010
Mosab Hassan Yousef. Son of Hamas: A Gripping Account of Terror, Betrayal, Political Intrigue, and Unthinkable Choices. Salt River, 2010 (265 pages) Visit also: http://sonofhamas.com/ A few intriguing quotes from the entirety of the story: Without a constitution to maintain some semblance of order, religious law becomes the highest authority. And when everyone is free […]
Jesus and the Victory of God | Notes & Review
May 3, 2010
N.T. Wright. Jesus and the Victory of God (Christian Origins and the Question of God, Volume 2). Fortress Press,1996. (741 pages) It was serendipitous for Wheaton to be holding their Theology Conference featuring Wright, and particularly this work. Audio available here. Part I/Introduction 1. Jesus Then and Now 2. Heavy Traffic on Wredebahn: The ‘New […]
How To Read The Bible | Notes & Review
May 3, 2010
James Kugel. How To Read The Bible: A Guide to Scripture, Then and Now. Free Press, 2007. (819 pages) This afternoon, my wife and I attended “Bible By The Bay” by Lehrhaus Judaica held at the local JCC. For the seminar entitled A Biblical History of the Senses, I’d like to thank Steve Weitzman for […]
Ray Comfort and the “Special Introduction” to the Origin of Species – Why?
December 1, 2009
The web is full of links and information regarding Ray Comfort’s “Special Introduction” to the Origin of Species passed out on University Campuses all across America on November 18, 2009, Darwin’s 150th anniversary of the original publication (Darwin born February 12, 1809 and Origin was published November 24, 1859). Here are a couple highlights, several […]
April 26, 2013
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