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2025-01-19T09:16:35-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Day that Tik Tok Died

Last updated on: January 19, 2025 at 9:16 am By Ben Witherington

TO THE TUNE OF AMERICAN PIE The Day that Tik Tok Died A long, long time ago, I can still remember when those pictures Used to make me smile And I knew if I had my chance, I could make those pictures dance And maybe make a little money for a while. But January made us shiver With every text message I’d deliver Bad news in the in box The high court killed our Tik Tok I... Read more

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tik tok

Time marches on-- tik tok

2025-01-09T09:48:39-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Abraham Saga– Part Eight

Last updated on: January 9, 2025 at 9:48 am By Ben Witherington

The story in Gen. 18 is famous for various reasons, not the least of which is the Orthodox commentators have suggested that Abraham entertained the Holy Trinity in this story. But a careful reading of this story will not allow this conclusion, there is ‘the Lord’ and there is also two men, whom in this case amount to avenging angels. And they all have dinner with Abraham and Sarah. This adventure takes place at Abraham’s tent under the Oak at... Read more

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Bargaining with God

2025-01-08T08:06:24-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Abraham Saga–Part Seven

Last updated on: January 8, 2025 at 8:06 am By Ben Witherington

Gen. 17 is both rich and complex, and pushes the story forward. Here for the first time we have the institution of required circumcision on the eighth day in connection with the covenant, and the connection is even verbal ‘karath berit’ is literally to cut a covenant, and the same verb is used to refer to the cutting off of the foreskin. As Alter says, while there were some ANE cultures that practiced circumcision this was usually in connection with... Read more

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The exalted father of many nations

2025-01-07T08:52:56-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Abraham Saga– Part Six

Last updated on: January 7, 2025 at 8:52 am By Ben Witherington

By Gen.16 Abram and Sarai are already antiques– very old indeed. And clearly Sarai hears the clock ticking for God’s promise to come true, though it is not her biological clock. So she is handing over her slave girl, Hagar, and telling Abram to lay with her, in the hopes of producing some kind of offspring. In a patrilineal, patrilocal, and patriarchal culture, having children, and in particular having males was everything. One has to remember, the only form of... Read more

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The problems of polygamy

2025-01-14T09:32:59-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

An Homage to My Old Friend Richard

Last updated on: January 14, 2025 at 9:32 am By Ben Witherington

Richard Hays and I were friends for more than a Biblical generation— 40 years. We were both chosen to be John Wesley Fellows in the early years of that Scholarship Program. From the start, we had many things in common beyond being orthodox Methodists who felt called to study the NT at the graduate and post-graduate level. We loved baseball, in particular those teams which were both in Boston when I was born— namely the Red Sox and the Braves.... Read more

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As Lewis said

the depth of one's grief reflects the depth you had loved

2025-01-06T10:38:26-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Abraham Saga– Part Five

Last updated on: January 6, 2025 at 10:38 am By Ben Witherington

Without question, Gen. 15 is one of the most important and pivotal chapters, not merely in the Abraham saga, but in the whole Pentateuch, and it’s importance was not lost on Paul, who twice cites this chapter in Gal. 3 and Rom. 4 as defining the nature of genuine Biblical faith. It will behoove us then to pay close attention to this chapter. For instance, it is the first time Abram speaks up and has a crucial dialogue with the... Read more

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Is God ever late?

2025-01-04T16:37:49-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Abraham Saga– Part Four

Last updated on: January 4, 2025 at 4:37 pm By Ben Witherington

On the surface, Gen. 14 seems to be a hodge-podge of several sources, with Abram having to undertake a Seal Team 6 rescue mission when Lot and his lot are taken captive by rulers trying to take over the territory that involved Sodom and Gomorrah among other areas. Abram is able to get some of his new friends in Hebron to help him in this mission, which seems to have a surprise ending, with the mysterious figure of Melchizedek, whose... Read more

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a priest after the order of Melchizedek

2025-01-04T08:45:50-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Coeur Incurvatus in Se– a Poem for the New Year

Last updated on: January 4, 2025 at 8:45 am By Ben Witherington

Coeur Incurvatus in Se (as Luther said) Self-absorbed in the garden He became Narcissus The heart inverted He’ll never miss us. Realized he was naked Fig leaves won’t do, Hide from your maker, Who must remake you. Mirrors and selfies Self-focus supreme Who cares about others If I’m my own dream? The three persons I love Me, myself, I I’m always distant From others who try To win my attention To woo me again To... Read more

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A house divided against itself

2025-01-04T10:19:50-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Abraham Saga Begins– Part Three

Last updated on: January 4, 2025 at 10:19 am By Ben Witherington

The second half of Gen. 13 deserves separate treatment, and as Robert Alter says, the Hebrew verbage indicates that this discussion between Abram and God took place after Lot and his tribe had headed down to the plains of Jordan. This means that the promise is given solely to Abram and his direct line, not to his nephew and his line. And vs. 13 makes a declaratory statement about the residents of where Lot was going, namely to Sodom, that... Read more

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Head to Hebron

2025-01-03T22:01:21-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Day My Cat Interrupted MyTrain of Thought

Last updated on: January 3, 2025 at 10:01 pm By Ben Witherington

You’ve heard the saying– curiosity killed the cat. Well it’s a very good thing that train wasn’t real. My cat Minny is now 16, which in cat years is 70+42, and she sleeps wherever she wants. In a box, on the card table, in Ann’s computer chair, and at night right next to my wife. Ann is the only mom Minny has really ever had, as she was rescued from a horrible animal abuse situation in a house full of... Read more

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And yes

cats have way more neurons in their brains than dogs

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