Monthly Archives: September 2012

Making Congress Circulate

Since I wrote my series on Ross Douthat’s Bad Religion I have been reading some of his columns.  He has been talking about how the Washington D.C. beltway flourishes while much of the rest of the U.S. experiences so much … Continue reading

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The Joseph Epic-Genesis 43

One of the reasons critical scholars look for sources behind the Joseph story is that the motivations of the characters don’t always make sense.  In chapter 37, is Joseph’s dream the reason for his brothers hostility?  Is it that he made … Continue reading

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The Joseph Epic-Genesis 42

In Genesis 42 the epic of Joseph picks up its connection with the story in chapter 37 about how his 10 brothers (excluding Benjamin, his younger brother also by Rachel) hated him, sold him to a passing caravan, and lied … Continue reading

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Chi and the Holy Spirit

I have started doing Tai Chi.  This is because it seems a fitting kind of exercise for a boomer who long ago hung up his athletic supporter–low impact, flowing moves, core strength, and balance. But there is a link back … Continue reading

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The Joseph Epic-Genesis 41

Where I live, we had a drought this summer.  Rain pretty much failed for about 100 days.  Crops suffered.  Trees died.  Grass went dormant.  The ground cracked.  Food prices are going to rise because of this. Famines have been a … Continue reading

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Jesus’ 4th Century Coptic Wedding

Have you seen the headlines about Jesus’ wife? The thing is that I do not see how it would blow up Christian theology if the historical Jesus had a wife.  But…..there would have to be evidence from way sooner than … Continue reading

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The Joseph Epic-Genesis 40

“And they said to him, ‘We each have had a dream, and there is no interpreter of it.’ So Joseph said to them, ‘Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, please’” (Genesis 40:8). This is the theological … Continue reading

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Biblical ignorance at Yahoo

Here is a quote from this article about the possibility that the anti-Muslim film being protested doesn’t even exist: “In the Muslim world, blasphemy (especially insulting their prophet Muhammad) is considered a grave offense, punishable by death. Islam, however, is hardly unique … Continue reading

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A Log Cabin to the White House story-Genesis 40-41

There are several ways to assess the traditions behind Genesis 40 and 41.  They give us a clear break from chapter 39.  At the end of 39 Joseph has become the supervisor of the prison.  In 40, he seems to … Continue reading

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Cry Rape-Genesis 39

Because it is not part of the Joseph story, I skip over Genesis 38, with its very strange sex stories.  But never fear, we get to deal with a sex story in chapter 39 too. This is the story of … Continue reading

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