Each of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament was at first a separate literary unit. In every instance the original copy (called the autograph) of the books of the bible is lost. The New Testament rests on multitude of manuscript evidence. A manuscript is a
In my estimation some Christians in America have been a stumbling block rather than a stepping stone to ethnic Israel. Popularized readings of Scripture such as Dispensationalism and certain forms of Millennialism have limited the effectiveness of those who persistently hold to certain aspects of
This morning as I thought about black theology and Christianity, it dawned on me that Judaism and its sybling Christianity are slave religions. They are the result of the descendents of slaves who sought to remember what their ancestors had experienced and learned so they
The other night there was a fascinating documentary on my local PBS station titled "America at a Crossroads: The Mosque in Morgantown." It told the story of a mosque in Virgina a university town. The issue arose when a young Islamic women returned to Morgantown
I have never learned a theory that has transformed everything I know about the Bible as the theory of mimesis and the scapegoat mechanism by René Girard. Below is a summary by Hamerton-Kelly and a 5-hour long interview with Girard. "The basic components of the Girardian
Modern scholars use the following methods in their study of the Bible in order to better understand the meaning of the text, the history of its composition, its relationship to the wider world of the ancient Near East, and the way that the text has
In contrast to the ancient Greeks, the Romans were realists not idealists, as seen in their life statues. The Romans were fierce in battle and wonderful architects. They was an elaborate system of roads that led to Rome, hence it was the heart of the
As moderns we must be aware that as read scripture, scripture is reading along with us. What I mean is that scripture is carrying on a conversation with itself. For example, consider how the prophets recall the early history of Israel and the words of
Approaching the Apocalypse with the intent to study and interpret demands a strict methodology based on sure and proven steps. Through the observance of the scholarly method, we reach proper conclusions regarding the text. Exegesis is the historical investigate into the meaning of the Biblical, answering
In these verses Paul is concerned for those in Israel upon whom a partial hardening has come (v 25) in order that some gentiles will enter Israel. Paul affirms that God is going to save all Israel. But what is the identity of Israel? This