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What’s the deal with Old Testament slavery? (part 4)
Slavery in the Old Testament has been a contentious subject for a very long time. I’m not sure how long. The historical and biblical evidence regarding slavery is complex, and discussions about it have been emotionally-charged when they have not been much worse. Questions about Old Testament slavery arise immediately and regularly: “Why doesn’t God Continue reading
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Back in business
It’s me again . . . the sole contributor to the world’s least read theological blog. I’ve been busy, studying, working (a LOT), and generally trying to get by. But I’ve finished my Master’s, and now I have a little more time to read and write about various theological and cultural topics. I am not Continue reading
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Taking Physical Bibles to Church
If your church doesn’t have readily available ‘pew Bibles’ to use when you arrive, what should you do when you go to church? Should you take a physical Bible with you, or just use a Bible app on your phone? I’ve heard of a number of churches strongly urging their congregation members to bring their Continue reading
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What’s the deal with Old Testament slavery? (part 3)
In my previous two posts (which you can find here and here), I have been exploring the issue of slavery in the ancient Near East (ANE). The point of these somewhat scattered thoughts is to think about Old Testament slavery laws in a broader context. Now I’ve explored some of those background issues, I move Continue reading
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What the deal with Old Testament slavery? (part 2)
SLAVERY – A HUMAN ‘INSTITUTION’ IN A HARD WORLD In my first post on slavery in the Old Testament I pointed out that slavery – particularly in the ancient Near East (ANE) – has been around for a very long time. It was essentially a human ‘institution’, predating written human records [13]. Africa and Mesopotamia Continue reading
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What’s the deal with Old Testament slavery? (part 1)
I recently stuck my oversized nose into the comments section of a Facebook post by historian and social commentator Stephen Chavura. He had reposted an article about ‘wokeism’ from a Christian perspective, and it drew the following response from a chap named Marcus: According to Marcus, both “Wokeism” and Christianity are inconsistent, incoherent, and unfit Continue reading
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Deliverance – a Puritan prayer
” O God of unsearchable greatness,Before thee I am nothing but vanity, iniquity, perishing;Sin has forfeited thy favour,stripped me of thy image,banished me from they presence,exposed me to the curse of thy law; I cannot deliver myself, and am in despair.But a resource is found in thee,for without my desert or desirethou didst devise an Continue reading
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Christians make the news in Tasmania
A Christian group in Tasmania (that big island at the bottom of Australia) have made the news for ‘throwing their weight’ behind renewable energy. You can find the news story here. Basically, this Christian group has bought a large chunk of land (including an old virtually uninhabited town), and there’s a chance that someone might give Continue reading
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O Come, All You UNFAITHFUL?
I recently attended a community carols night hosted by a local church. It was, in many ways, a wonderful night. It had everything – free food, activities for the kids, sparkly lights, well-rehearsed skits, children dressed as angels, Christ-focused carols, and a gospel message. It was very well done. There were many carols sung (all Continue reading
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In Praise of Solid Folk – a poem by C. S. Lewis
Thank God that there are solid folk Who water flowers and roll the lawn, And sit and sew and talk and smoke, And snore all through the summer dawn. Who pass untroubled nights and days Full-fed and sleepily content, Rejoicing in each other’s praise, Respectable and innocent. Who feel the things that all men feel, Continue reading
spes clara 