Historically most interpreters of Paul have understood his teaching of “justification by grace through faith” based on the atoning blood of Jesus Christ as his greatest and most central insight. From Augustine to Luther, through Bultmann and Barth, the banner of the “Reformation” was centered on this fundamental precept. Wayne Meeks…
I recently posted detailed information on the area south of Jerusalem, today called East Talpiot, where the so-called “Jesus family tomb” was discovered in 1981, with maps and diagrams of the modern streets and apartments in the area, see “Where are the Talpiot Tombs Located?” Apparently, judging from the thousands…
I am pleased to report that the new long-awaited biography of the extraordinary career of David Horowitz (1903-2002), veteran United Nations correspondent and founder of United Israel World Union has been published and is now available through all major book outlets. It is a gripping readable account that will rivet…
In our New Testament gospels there are three women named Mary who are closely associated with Jesus: His mother, who raised him and a large family of four other boys and at least two girls (Mark 6:3) Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus (Luke 10:38-42; John 11:1-5;…
The first week of March, 2019, during our Spring Break, I will make my 69th trip to Israel. Only a few of those trips have been on tours, but the past few years I have been taking small groups of 30 or less on very specialized tours, along with my…
Here is a short summary of our fabulous 2018 dig season at our Mt Zion site in Jerusalem with a pictorial essay at the end. Enjoy! The 2018 Mt Zion season in Jerusalem focused on four major goals this past summer: 1) setting up our new Mt. Zion Archaeological Excavation Headquarters; 2) doing post-excavation work on the finds…
This extended tribute to the memory and work of Jonathan Z. Smith by by Russell T. McCutcheon, University of Alabama in Religious Studies News is particularly noteworthy. http://rsn.aarweb.org/articles/memoriam-jonathan-z-smith-1938–2017
Quintessential JZ Smith…if you never had the pleasure of hearing him…his Plenary Address to the American Academy of Religion in 2010. https://vimeo.com/20286150 You can read an informal fascinating interview with Mr. Smith (as Chicago professors are called–no titles please!) published in The Chicago Maroon in 2008 here. Don’t miss this one!…
Fundamentalism relies on two pillars. First one needs an inspired and Holy Book, and second one must forget that that book has a history… Joseph Hoffmann (paraphrased)
In this new series I have gathered together a list of fateful New Testament passages that have been both understood and misunderstood over subsequent ages in ways that reinforce and foster incalculable harm to our lives. I did not try to order these into any kind of priority and I…