Unknown E. P. Sanders Video on Jesus and Judaism

Last updated on: September 23, 2009 at 8:32 pm By Owen Strachan

A friend tipped me off to this: emeritus Duke New Testament scholar E. P. Sanders discussing Jesus and Judaism. Included in the roughly nine-minute video are Sanders’s view that Christians have needlessly pitted Paul and Jesus (who are “about love” in the eyes of conservatives) against Pharasaic Jewish thought, his pronouncement that people often think of the ancient rabbis as “Calvinistic Presbyterians,” and his view that it is more important to find what Jesus did than what He said. The... Read more

Free Live Webcast of 9-23-09 Zacharias Lecture on Postmodernism and Mission

Last updated on: September 22, 2009 at 7:13 pm By Owen Strachan

My employer, the Henry Center of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Deerfield, IL) is pleased to announce that on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 at 1pm, it will offer a free live webcast of the Scripture & Ministry lecture by legendary apologist Dr. Ravi Zacharias entitled “Toward an Evangelical Understanding of Postmodernism and Mission.” Tune in here at 1pm for the free live webcast. If you want the actual address, here it is: http://tiuproductions.com/livestream. This is an excellent platform–you can see how... Read more

The Morality of Football: Children and Concussions

Last updated on: September 21, 2009 at 8:14 pm By Owen Strachan

After a brief blogging hiatus–aided significantly by a defective modem and mind-numbing customer service–this blog roars back to life. Look out. I’ve blogged about this before, but it’s come up again. The NYT has a blog discussion called “When It’s More Than a Headache” going on right now about concussions in youth football. (Photo: Shawn Poynter/NYT) It includes the following sobering word from a New York City doctor named Jordan Metzl: I was in my office last week when David,... Read more

The Culinary Delights of Portland, Maine

Last updated on: September 16, 2009 at 9:52 pm By Owen Strachan

I am not just a blogger, an armchair theologian. I am in fact a part-time, self-appointed tourism assistant for my beloved home state: Maine. Acting as I constantly do in this role, and recently surfing various websites, I came across this NYT article on the excellent cuisine of one Portland, Maine. I might note before hastening on that this article was the number one article on the Times website. Eat your heart out, Maureen Dowd. (Photo: Stacey Cramp/NYT) Here’s what... Read more

David Brooks on Kanye West, Michael Jordan, and Cultural Narcissism

Last updated on: September 15, 2009 at 8:48 pm By Owen Strachan

In a noteworthy piece in the NYT called “High-Five Nation,” David Brooks highlights how today’s climate of cultural narcissism differs from America of the past. (Photo of Kanye West: SunBlog) Having recently heard an old radio broadcast from the end of World War 2, he reflects on the general tone of that era: You also hear a cultural reaction. As The Times of London pointed out on the day of victory, fascism had stood for grandiosity, pomposity, boasting and zeal.... Read more

Words from the Fire: Mohler’s Latest Challenges Church and Culture

Last updated on: September 14, 2009 at 8:07 pm By Owen Strachan

Al Mohler has word out about his latest book, Words from the Fire: Hearing the Voice of God in the 10 Commandments (Moody, 2009). On his website, he gives a teaser from the book’s introduction that caught my attention: The great philosophical crisis of our day is an epistemological crisis – a crisis of knowing and a crisis of knowledge. It is a challenge for the Christian thinker, the Christian theologian, the Christian minister, the Christian preacher, and the Christian... Read more

“Judging Amanda”: Home-Schooled Girl Must Attend Public School

Last updated on: September 12, 2009 at 8:45 pm By Owen Strachan

Just read this shocking bit of news at the On Faith blog operated by the Washington Post: If you’ve ever wondered why conservative evangelical Christians seem so concerned about the dangers of government intervention in our lives, read a recent New Hampshire family court ruling that 10-year-old Amanda — who has been home-schooled by her religiously conservative mother since first grade — must now attend public school. The plaintiff (Amanda’s father — the couple divorced shortly after Amanda was born)... Read more

The Link 9.11.09: Phoenix Rap, The Admiral’s Faith, and Remembering 9/11

Last updated on: September 11, 2009 at 6:54 pm By Owen Strachan

1. I hadn’t heard much Phoenix rap before this week, but now I have. And now you can too. Check out iSix5, a Christian rap out of Phoenix. A buddy here at TEDS hipped me to them and I liked their stuff. Straight gospel, good writing, strong beats. Also, they submit to the leadership of their churches, which means their churches are involved in their music. That’s terrific. 2. One day after posting about Michael Jordan (who’s about to become... Read more

Michael Jordan’s Teacher: “Nobody Cut Michael Jordan”

Last updated on: September 10, 2009 at 9:46 pm By Owen Strachan

Those of us who grew up going to wildly overpriced basketball camps (remember Five Star? What a racket!) often heard the inspiring and–ahem–comforting tale that Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player in the world, was cut from the varsity team as a sophomore. Great story–except it’s not technically true. This is disheartening news for those of us who found solace in this anecdote, perhaps the only point of athletic commonality we shared with one Mr. Jordan. (Photo: Charlotte Observer) SLAM... Read more

Free Webcast of the Henry Center’s Kantzer Lectures

Last updated on: September 10, 2009 at 2:15 am By Owen Strachan

The Henry Center of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Deerfield, IL) is currently hosting Dr. Stephen Williams of Union Theological College (Belfast, Ireland) for its prestigious Kantzer Lectures in Revealed Theology. The series will be of special interest to those who enjoy rich, deep theology. It is moderated by Dr. Kevin Vanhoozer and will be published by Eerdmans. The Center is very pleased to offer the lectures for free by way of webcast. For the live webcast, please go to the following... Read more