The weeks after Easter bring many reflections on the meaning of Easter. As one who wrote a book about resurrection (The Trouble with Resurrection), I am often amused at what folks assume Easter means in the New Testament. I despair of the New Testament ever getting a fair and honest reading.
In my previous blog I dealt with the meaning and translation of the Greek word Christianos, traditionally translated “Christian,” arguing that this translation was not only problematic but fundamentally misleading.
As the Christianity Seminar comes to the end of its project (the last seminar meeting is scheduled for Spring 2020), various loose ends are starting to form patterns in suggestive and interesting ways. This blog is not a review or summary of the fine papers presented to the Seminar but reflections on a couple of [...]
Faith is a problematic word, so problematic that at times I think we should abandon its use. It’s a weasel word, with so many and varied meanings that what it means often is difficult to know. Given the importance of faith in religious discourse, the varied meanings have significant implications and ramifications.
My first experiment with the historical Jesus in church occurred in Hamilton, Ontario. I was appointed to lead a community set up to explore new forms of Christianity. I wanted to see if it was possible to take the historical Jesus to church. The answer turned out to be yes, but the church won’t like [...]