There are two legitimate ways to translate Gen 1:1, depending on how the verb “to create” is understood. That verb is roughly equivalent to the English perfect tense and can either be understood as ongoing activity or as a snapshot of a process. The NRSV opts for understanding creation as an ongoing activity, and renders …
[Note: This essay is part 2 of a series that I inadvertently posted before part 1. The first part, entitled "Tom Bombadil" can be found here. In first essay of this series I explored the logic of the inclusion of Tom Bombadil in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. As is often the case, I …
Sunday was the Sunday of the Blind Man for the Orthodox. Found in John 9, it’s one of the longest and most detailed stories in the Gospels, which creates a challenge. The length, detail, and nuance in the story make it easy to miss the various points. The reader tends to get caught up in …
I became fascinated with the Babylonian creation stories many years ago. The two original deities, Tiamat, the feminine god of chaos (or salt water, or the ocean, which is the embodiment of chaos), and her consort, Apsu, the masculine god who is very mysterious and unknowable, but was probably the god of fresh water, and …
My sister and brother-in-law are visiting the grand kids for a month while we hold down the fort at their place. Fortunately we had a couple of days at the house together to catch up. He teaches junior high English in a private school so all things education have been covered the last couple of …
Just Another Jim 