Monthly Archives: March 2010

BC or BCE, AD or CE?

In scholarly circles it is almost universal to refer to dates as CE, or BCE these days. The use is based on an objection to the meaning of the more common BC and AD. BC means ‘before Christ’, where ‘Christ’ … Continue reading

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Why Arguing Matters

Every reasonable person admits that some of their beliefs may be wrong. But no-one knows which they are, for if they did, they would no longer be beliefs. It is only in the robust clash of honest argument, that we … Continue reading

4 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

What is the Best Bible Commentary?

I was asked this weekend what commentaries are worth using, for folks who don’t want to drink the Kool-aid of evangelical bible propaganda. Its a tricky question. I’m not a huge fan of commentaries generally, as many give the false … Continue reading

5 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

My Religious Symbol

Φ When I was in high-school I invented a new religion with some school friends. This was its symbol. We called it ‘phionism’. It was primarily a metaphysics of ethics, using Hook’s law (that the force in a spring is … Continue reading

6 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

The Birth Narratives and Dating

There are two stories about Jesus’s birth in the NT. One at the start of Matthew, the other at the start of Luke. They are very different in many regards. I wrote more about these in other places at Christmas, … Continue reading

16 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Factions in the Corinthian Church — 1 Cor 1:11-12

Yesterday my eye was drawn to something intriguing at the start of 1 Corinthians. This is a letter written by the apostle Paul to a church he founded in Corinth which has grown and matured to some extent, but is … Continue reading

17 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

What Do You Say at a Funeral?

It was my friend’s funeral today. And I have to say it was one of the worst experiences I have been through. There was no way it could be otherwise, of course, some things just have to be endured. I’ve … Continue reading

5 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Mythicism and the Problem of Sources

Sorry for the sparse posting, folks, its been a tough week! This post is a follow-on from the Jesus, The Mirror post, and the discussion that got into the question of the historical or mythical Jesus. Since that is buried … Continue reading

5 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

No Fear of Death

A very close friend of mine died this week. I’m struggling to come to terms with it. This post isn’t about him. A few years ago someone I knew died while at work. I’d met him at a couple of … Continue reading

10 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized