When I was a young child visiting my grandparents, they often had a detective show on the TV. I can still picture Perry Mason encouraging some distraught woman to give him, “Just the facts, ma’am.” It was believed that if the bare facts themselves became known, the puzzle would certainly Read more…
I’m recovering from a Covid infection as I write. It’s been a mild one, like a dry flu, and for this I feel grateful for the vaccinations I received back in the summer. Even before contracting Covid-19, I was planning to write about the biological aspect of this epidemic – Read more…
If we want to bring the Bible into political life, we cannot do so too directly. Or so we are told. Many in Western Europe wince when politicians elsewhere quote verses to support their positions, sensing that Scripture is being co-opted. The British especially are much more comfortable with an Read more…
This week I will be giving my final lecture in a first-year university course that I’ve been teaching each Fall for a few years. It’s an overview of the Bible, Genesis 1 to Revelation 22, in one semester, based on the excellent book by Michael Goheen and Craig Bartholomew, The Read more…
‘Do miracles really happen? Is there a God or gods who actively intervene in human history?’ Lydia McCutcheon reflects on engaging with accounts of divine intervention as a historian.
At my university this semester, I’ve been thinking a lot about money. I think I’ve always thought about money over the sixteen years I’ve been here. That’s partly because it’s a university with a history and tradition of drawing some of the most affluent students in our area. It’s partly Read more…
“I will always obey your law, for ever and ever. I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.” (Psalm 119:44-45) Academic freedom is a frequent talking point in our times – it’s often seen as under threat, whether it’s the government waging a war against Read more…
The word “Covid” surely evokes a mental reaction now from people everywhere in the world. The illness caused by this particular virus has inflicted suffering and death in almost every country, and continues to do so, albeit with very different trajectories in different places. This virus is also perceived in very Read more…
Last week I started this reflection on the state of the university today by looking at the recent film, “Every Breath You Take.” As I said, “There are many ways one could think about this movie. Clearly, there are implications for those in the “helping professions.” But I have been Read more…
As a seminarian in a former life, I was cautioned against being “a quivering mass of availability” (a phrase from American theologian Stanley Hauerwas); but in a congregation, this seemed to be what was most desired from the pastor. Many Christians receive comfort and encouragement from their pastors; but what Read more…