We have a summertime tradition in my neighborhood. Each summer, several of my neighbours will gather up all their junk, garbage and worthless paraphernalia. And then, just before they load it onto a truck to take it to the dump, they leave it strewn across their driveways and front lawns for a few hours.

Oddly enough, people come from miles around to gaze upon this eclectic collection of rubbish, not to mention offer them money for it. And so, motivated by profit, I took part in this year’s event.

And so, this past Saturday, I was up at 6:30 am to see an early morning mist had settled on the neighbourhood. The scene was surreal as I made my morning coffee and watched from my kitchen window.

Like something out of a post apocalyptic movie, the day began to unfold as several strange and quirky looking people began to collect on our street; sniffing at garage doors, looking into windows and peering over backyard fences.

I had been warned about these people the night before. Known as “the early birds,” these oddly eager bargain hunters were attempting to get sneak peaks at my junk.

Personally speaking, yard sales and yard sale bargain hunters have always made me nervous.

Example: Last summer, though I wasn’t even participating in our neighborhood’s annual sale, I had to deal with people milling about on my yard.

In fact, a few times (well once), during last year’s sale, a couple actually knocked on my door and offered me money for the stuff on my porch.

"How much for the planter?" They inquired.

"It's not for sale.” I explained. “I'm not taking part in the neighborhood sale."

"Then why are those people trying out your lawn mower?"

"HEY LADY, LEAVE MY MOWER ALONE!" I hollered. "I'm going to cut grass in a couple of minutes."

"How much for the mower?" She hollered back. "I'll give you three bucks."

"It's not for sale!"

"How about this monster bag of trash bags and the garden gloves? I'll give you fifty cents."

"THEY’RE NOT FOR SALE!"

It was very frustrating – which is why I decided to participate this year. You know what they say: If you can't beat 'em, sell them your garbage.

Anyway, by 6:45 in the morning my neighbours and I were already engaging an army of wily yard sale bargainers.

My first customer told me that my junk was too expensive - adding insult to injury by suggesting my neighbor’s junk was of higher quality.

Yet, after perusing my neighbor’s junk, I found that he had the same kind of junk I had: A hardly ever used abdominal exerciser, a B&W TV, an ancient toaster, a vast collection of stuffed toys, a rusty old bicycle, a Commodore 64 computasaurus and a bunch of ancient, totally out of date university texts from way back in the flat-earth days.

During the day, most of the people I dealt with were very pleasant, though we did have our fair share of nuts, like this guy I’ll call, “Mr. Weedwacker.”

This man was a total menace, as he drove the entire length of our street with his head stuck out his window. Oblivious to traffic or humanity, he checked out every sale from the comfort of his pick-up truck, narrowly missing several pedestrians and parked cars. Then, at the sight of my old orange weedwacker, he comes to a screeching halt in front of my house, leaving his truck idling in the middle of the road.

Several shouts, honks and two dollars later; clutching his new weed-wacker, he runs back to his truck and throws it in the back with approximately 30 other “wackers” he had already collected.

But, my favorite customer of the day was this old miserly curmudgeon of a man who looked at my stuff, looked me in straight in the eye and said, "NOTHING HERE BUT CRAP!"

He then proceeded to buy my old toothless leaf rake, two very ugly and chipped coffee mugs, an unmatched set of salt and pepper shakers, three straw hats, two non-stick (now stick) fry pans and a chewed up old Frisbee that some dog left on my front lawn the night before. Go figure.

Anyway, our yard sale was a success. After doing some healthy business and some much-needed spring-cleaning at the same time, I’ve become a convert. Really, having a yard sale is like giving your garage a laxative.

Tim Cerantola is freelance humour writer (and a complete idiot!)

The European Union bankers have a more apocalyptic take on what to expect here and in the markets overseas where investors are concerned. Anyone with a brain needs to consider this possibility. As for jobs here in the States, economists are finally coming around to admit that we are looking for another year, plus a few months, before the plight of jobless has any hope of improvement. That is pretty grim, especially for those of us that are living on unemployment now or are jobless. Rest assured that if you are in this position that you are not alone. This could be a perfect time to start a small business if you can decide what niche to fill. Think small and start there. It's still worth considering even if you don't have a clue today and may keep a roof over your head. You certainly don't want to join the millions of homeless in America or almost 4% of the people that live in Nashville, Tennessee.

Economists are in the habit of under-reporting the pertinent economic facts and figures. What you are feeling is probably closer to reality than official figures would indicate. The United States is experiencing runaway inflation despite lowball figures of 4%.

Politicians and lawmakers have their work cut out for them as they point fingers of blame. More mass layoffs are in the future with 80,000 jobs lost this month. Business is declining along with consumer spending. The stranglehold of high gas prices are affecting millions. Buying a new car is the last thing on the minds of most Americans. Some are garaging their cars to take advantage of buses or simply walking where possible. Everything is too expensive. What does the federal government expect? Most Americans live in the real world and respond to their personal situation.

John McCain's panacea of free trade won't help at all. Meanwhile, Americans are transitioning from the "breadbasket" to the "bread line". They better have a great plan if they expect to stay in power. Keep in mind that depressed conditions have been caused by greedy bankers, business and politicians that are more concerned with subsidies than reality. Americans are going to stand by while politicians continually bungle?

Typical responses to the economy are like these:

"More good news from the economic sector...the government is methodically stripping we the people of mobility, security and most of all, hope. And neither of the bozos running for president seems to have a ghost of a workable idea on how to begin to reverse our failing economy."

"we have already had to cut back, we are worried that the job my husband has will not last either since it is based on the seasonal items but the last yeaer or so it has slowed some, he and i have been talking about this and are worried how much longer he will have a job."

"It is pathetic that the government does not put our country first when it comes to jobs. I guess it's just screw us. Noted with anger and disgust."

"Term limits for ALL of them INCLUDING the Supreme Court Justices. And while we are fantasizing, let's go all out! Since they all are, for the most part, MILLIONAIRES, the American TAXPAYERS should not have to foot the bill for their health insurance or any retirement perks like their congressional paycheck for LIFE as it is now. Let them get by on their investments and their SOCIAL SECURITY CHECKS!"

Americans aren't happy. Politicians are on the grill for allowing the graft. Americans need to hold them accountable and keep them on the fire.

]]> http://ntwrong.wordpress.com/?p=174 Wed, 02 Jul 2008 08:36:29 +0000 ntwrong http://ntwrong.wordpress.com/?p=174 What's HOT in the lastest Review of Biblical Literature?

Hubertus R. Drobner, The Fathers of the Church: A Comprehensive Introduction (2nd Edition) (2007)

Provides an overview of the most important authors, works and themes from the Apostlic Fathers to John of Damascus. Well, it calls itself "A Comprehensive Introduction", doesn't it? As a result, the reviewer says that the reader gets "profound but limited information" about each author and the background contexts. Sounds just about right for an intro. It also provides excellent surveys of the primary and secondary texts.

Brad E. Kelle, Ancient Israel at War 853–586 BC (2007)

Forms part of the 'Essential Histories' series on military history. Provides a "mainstream" overview. The reviewer, Ernst Knauf makes a detailed discussion on the number of chariots in Israel, vis-a-vis the biblical records. Knauf says this: "Omri's annexation of the Canaanite cities, Moab and Galilee should have filled the royal coffers much in the same way as Henry VIII financed his running expenses (and, for a short time, even a fleet) by his 'reformation' of the church."

Amy-Jill Levine and Maria Mayo Robbins, eds, A Feminist Companion to the New Testament Apocrypha (2007)

Provides twelve essays on various apocryphal Acts. Thecla receives big ups. The reviewer is irritated by the "pretentious jargon" of this newfangled criticism.

Magnus Zetterholm, editor, The Messiah in Early Judaism and Christianity (2007)

The essays derive from a symposium held at Lund University in 2006. Zetterholm outlines four major transformations in the concept of the Messiah from the 'Exile' to the Amoraic period in Judaism. JJ Collins repeats stuff on messianism in Second Temple Judaism. A Collins maintains "Jesus Christ' is not just a proper name in Mark. Zetterholm provides a "novel thesis" on Paul (sure it is ... ). Hedner-Zetterholm looks at Elijah and Messiah in the Mishnah and Talmud. J-E Steppa looks at second century Christianity. The book also provides a timeline and glossary of messianic jargon.

Mark Wilson, Charts on the Book of Revelation: Literary, Historical, and Theological Perspectives
(2007)

Contains seventy-nine charts, timelines, and maps - reproducible for classroom use. Dispensational madness? Maybe. There's a handy chart with bullet-point summaries for and against Johannnine authorship, which turns what is a complex argument into an Oprah Winfrey Revelation Special. There's charts for the dating of the book, a chart which lists various apocalypses, a chart of parallels with books outside Revelation, charts on seals, trumpets and bowels. And there's maps of everywhere that's relevant. While the charts very much need supplementing, some of the charts might come in use as a teaching tool. I'd be wary of the book, though.

Read all about it here on Novemberfive's fine blog.

Jericho, like Firefly, was an astounding television show whose story was cut off because its few millions viewers weren't enough for the network to keep it going. I will probably write one of these every once in a while (more frequently if I receive positive feedback on it from readers) released in PDF format. It's a continuation of the series in narrative form with each installment being around seven to ten pages, covering about as much material as an episode would cover.

For those who don't know the premise of Jericho, it takes place in a small town in Kansas after a massive nuclear strike on the United States. The town finds itself swept up in a struggle between new governments (as Washington DC was hit among other cities) of the remnant of the United States of America, the new Allied States of America, and the independent Republic of Texas. The television show has a full first season on DVD and the miniseries of seven episodes that stands in for a second season also on DVD. If you don't want to spend the money, the episodes are on CBS.com for free. I strongly reccomend watching them before reading this, so you can understand the characters and the plotline.

Here it is: Jericho - The Third Event : Part 1

**Note: This takes place following the ALTERNATE ending, the unaired ending, of the second season that was the intended one should the show continue into a third season. I took it from this perspective because it allowed for a more expansive storyline.

...The day after the Supreme Court ruled that detainees imprisoned at Guantanamo are entitled to seek habeas corpus hearings, John McCain called it "one of the worst decisions in the history of this country." Well.

...the Supreme Court's ruling only begins marking a boundary against government's otherwise boundless power to detain people indefinitely, treating Guantanamo as (in Barack Obama's characterization) "a legal black hole." And public habeas hearings might benefit the Bush administration by reminding Americans how bad its worst enemies are.

...McCain, co-author of the McCain-Feingold law that abridges the right of free political speech, has referred disparagingly to, as he puts it, "quote 'First Amendment rights.' " Now he dismissively speaks of "so-called, quote 'habeas corpus suits.' " He who wants to reassure constitutionalist conservatives that he understands the importance of limited government should be reminded why the habeas right has long been known as "the great writ of liberty."

The above are excerpts from George Will's column on the Washington Post.

BUT....

What does Obama say? Read this from the Senate Floor in 2006:

That is the true genius of America--a faith in simple dreams, an insistence on small miracles; that we can tuck in our children at night and know that they are fed and clothed and safe from harm; that we can say what we think, write what we think, without hearing a sudden knock on the door. .....

Without hearing a sudden knock on the door. I bring this up because what is at stake in this bill, and in the amendment that is currently being debated, is the right, in some sense, for people who hear that knock on the door and are placed in detention because the Government suspects them of terrorist activity to effectively challenge their detention by our Government...

...I would like somebody in this Chamber, somebody in this Government, to tell me why this is necessary. I do not want to hear that this is a new world and we face a new kind of enemy. I know that. I know that every time I think about my two little girls and worry for their safety--when I wonder if I really can tuck them in at night and know that they are safe from harm. I have as big of a stake as anybody on the other side of the aisle and anybody in this administration in capturing terrorists and incapacitating them. I would gladly take up arms myself against any terrorist threat to make sure my family is protected.

But as a parent, I can also imagine the terror I would feel if one of my family members were rounded up in the middle of the night and sent to Guantanamo without even getting one chance to ask why they were being held and being able to prove their innocence.

This is not just an entirely fictional scenario, by the way. We have already had reports by the CIA and various generals over the last few years saying that many of the detainees at Guantanamo should not have been there. As one U.S. commander of Guantanamo told the Wall Street Journal:

Sometimes, we just didn't get the right folks....

To deny habeas corpus to our detainees can be seen as a prescription for how the captured members of our own military, diplomatic, and NGO personnel stationed abroad may be treated. .....

...The Congress has every duty to insure their protection, and to avoid anything which will be taken as a justification, even by the most disturbed minds, that arbitrary arrest is the acceptable norm of the day in the relations between nations, and that judicial inquiry is an antique, trivial and dispensable luxury.

The world is watching what we do today in America. They will know what we do here today, and they will treat all of us accordingly in the future--our soldiers, our diplomats, our journalists, anybody who travels beyond these borders. I hope we remember this as we go forward. I sincerely hope we can protect what has been called the ``great writ''--a writ that has been in place in the Anglo-American legal system for over 700 years...

The observations of the judicious Blackstone . . . are well worthy of recital: 'To bereave a man of life. . . or by violence to confiscate his estate, without accusation or trial, would be so gross and notorious an act of despotism as must at once convey the alarm of tyranny throughout the whole nation; but confinement of the person, by secretly hurrying him to jail, where his sufferings are unknown or forgotten, is a less public, a less striking, and therefore a more dangerous engine of arbitrary government.'"

I was amused last week by a story from Paul Sims on the New Humanist Blog about a really valuable new use for modern technology. Somebody in America (why, oh why, does that particular lexical set so often suggest potential outlandishness the moment it is uttered or written?) has set up a website allowing Christians to email up to 62 of their friends after a particular event.

The event in question is the Rapture - the alleged occasion that some Christians believe will involve them in being transported to heaven, while the rest of us are allowed to remain on earth for a period during the reign of the anti-Christ. (This understanding is just one of the many bizarre consequences of taking the apocalyptic writings in the bible literally.)

If you subscribe to the website (hey, it's only $40 a year - cheap at the price) they will send the emails to your address list 6 days after you (and all your brothers and sisters in Christ) have been taken. (There are 5 members of the trigger team scattered throughout the United States. If 3 of the trigger team fail to login to the system after 3 days the system assumes that they have been taken up in the rapture. The computer waits another 3 days just to make sure, and then sends the emails.) This isn't a spoof site. It is real. They already having paying subscribers.

The purpose of the site is to encourage the Christians to make a final plea to their friends left behind to repent.

I don't think I will be spending my $40 a year on this particular offer for at least 3 reasons. First, I could better spend it by donating it to really good causes like the Humanist Association or the National Secular Society. Secondly, I am not a Christian and don't believe in the Rapture. Even when I was a Christian I never did favour taking weird apocalyptic writing too literally. Thirdly, the whole idea behind the site seems flawed.

Suppose the Rapture did happen. Just imagine that you were one of the ones left behind. Wouldn't the sudden, spontaneous disappearance of millions of people from all over the earth set you thinking? Wouldn't there be someone on the TV saying that a few weird religious people had talked about the Rapture and it appears to have happened? Wouldn't that scare you? Wouldn't you, in the light of those events, seriously consider repenting? I know I would.

My point is simply this. It feels like an email asking me to is slightly redundant. The events would speak for themselves. Wouldn't it be more productive to use the email to say something different.

If I were taken up in the sky and had deposited emails for my family and friends left behind, I think I might want to say something like the following:

• Thanks. Thanks for all that you have brought into my life. Thanks for enriching me in some way. I particularly remember the times when ... and when ... It meant so much to me. Our time has been so short, but having you around has been so significant for me. Our relationship has brought me joy.

• Sorry. I'm sorry for the times when I have caused you pain and when I have disappointed you. Sorry for the things that I never noticed when I should have done. Sorry that I didn't more consistently enrich you in the way that I really wanted to. I deeply regret ... If I were to do it again, I would want to ...

• I have forgiven you. Just in case there was any doubt, I forgave you for that long ago.

(For further commentary see the chaplain's Rapture Ready ).

He really dissects the theological, ethical and literary flaws that seem to just drip from the page. I've read everything that's been written so far, and I loved it. I give this my fullest recommendation. You are hereby very strongly urged to check it out. Even the discussions in the comments on the posts are fascinating. Read this now.

So the COMPLETELY MANUFACTURED oil crisis has been on my mind and I got to thinking about recent posts in the blogosphere that point out oil and gas prices have a ripple effect (or are both effects of other causes--either way they're related) on lots of other areas in the economy like food.

Also, plastic, made from petroleum may become more costly. Since plastics make it possible, I was understandably upset. And thus I envisioned a future dystopia in which plastics had become so scare a whole class of people spent their waking hours scouring landfills for pockets of plastic water bottles or children's toys.

Of course, since I had a lot of time on my hands, they weren't an untouchable class. No, I likened them to prospectors of old, some of them striking it rich, some of them falling down mines and breaking both legs.

The boyf adds to the story: Some would find themselves incredibly wealthy because they happened to own land that had a landfill on it and they'd become like the Robber Barons. Only, you know,  Plastic.

Somehow I think this got merged with the plot of There Will Be Blood.

Publisher's information:
This major new five-volume project presents a comprehensive, detailed, yet highly readable assessment of the historical and theological questions surrounding the origins of Christianity.

‘In this volume Wright trains a penetrating historical and theological spotlight on first-century Palestinian Judaism. By describing the history, social make-up, worldview, beliefs, and hope of Palestinian Judaism, Wright familiarizes the reader with the ‘world of Judaism' as situated within the world of Greco-Roman culture. This is a highly informative book! It provides the reader not only with a sweeping assessment of Jewish history but also with the careful exploration of the symbolic world of Judaism. Eminently accessible to students, scholars will find it interesting and provocative. It deserves a place of privilege on the bookshelf of any serious student of the New Testament.' – Jack Dean Kingsbury

‘The sweep of Wright's project as a whole is breathtaking. It is impossible to give a fair assessment of his achievement without sounding grandiose: no New Testament scholar since Bultmann has even attempted – let alone achieved – such an innovative and comprehensive account of New Testament history and theology.' – Richard B. Hays

Table of contents:
Preface … xiii

PART I: Introduction … 1
1 Christian Origins and the New Testament … 3
1. Introduction … 3
2. The Task … 6

PART II: Tools for the Task … 29
2 Knowledge: Problems and Varieties … 31
1. Introduction … 31
2. Towards Critical Realism … 32
3. Stories, Worldviews and Knowledge … 38
4. Conclusion … 44

3 Literature, Story and the Articulation of Worldviews … 47
1. Introduction … 47
2. On Reading … 50

3. On Literature … 65
4. The Nature of Stories … 69

4 History and the First Century … 81
1. Introduction … 81
2. The Impossibility of 'Mere History' … 82
3. This Does Not Mean 'No Facts' … 88

4. Historical Method: Hypothesis and Verification … 98

5. From Event to Meaning … 109

6. Historical Study of First-Century Religious Movements … 118

5 Theology, Authority and the New Testament … 121
1. Introduction: From Literature and History to Theology … 121
2. Worldview and Theology … 122

3. Theology, Narrative and Authority … 139
4. Conclusion … 143

PART III: First-Century Judaism within the Greco-Roman World … 145
6 The Setting and the Story … 147
1. Introduction … 147

2. The Greco-Roman World as the Context of Early Judaism … 152
3. The Story of Israel, 587 BC–AD 70 … 157

7 The Developing Diversity … 167
1. The Social Setting … 167
2. Movements of Revolt … 170
3. The Pharisees … 181

4. The Essenes: Spotlight on a Sect … 203
5. Priests, Aristocrats, and Sadducees … 209
6. 'Ordinary Jews': Introduction … 213

8 Story, Symbol, Praxis: Elements of Israel's Worldview … 215
1. Introduction … 215
2. Stories … 215

3. Symbols … 224

4. Praxis … 233

5. According to the Scriptures; The Anchor of the Worldview … 241
6. Conclusion: Israel's Worldview … 243

9 The Beliefs of Israel … 244
1. Introduction … 244
2. First-Century Jewish Monotheism … 248

3. Election and Covenant … 259

4. Covenant and Eschatology … 268
5. Covenant, Redemption and Forgiveness … 272
6. Beliefs: Conclusion … 279

10 The Hope of Israel … 280
1. 'Apocalyptic' … 280

2. The End of Exile, the Age to Come and the New Covenant … 299
3. No King but God … 302
4. The King that would Come … 307
5. The Renewal of the World, of Israel, and of Humans … 320
6. Salvation and Justification … 334
7. Conclusion: First-Century Judaism … 338

PART IV: The First Christian Century … 339
11 The Quest for the Kerygmatic Church … 341
1. Introduction … 341
2. Tasks and Methods … 345
3. Fixed Points: History and Geography … 346
4. Filling in the Gaps: Literature in Search of Setting … 357

12 Praxis, Symbol and Questions: Inside Early Christian Worldviews … 359
1. Introduction … 359
2. Praxis … 359
3. Symbols … 365
4. Questions … 369

13 Stories in Early Christianity (1) … 371
1. Introduction … 371
2. Luke and his Stories … 373

3. The Scribe and the Plot: Matthew's Story … 384
4. 'Let the Reader Understand': The Story of Mark … 390
5. Synoptic Gospels: Conclusion … 396
6. Paul: From Adam to Christ … 403
7. The Narrative World of the Letter to the Hebrews … 409
8. The Story of John … 410

14 Stories in Early Christianity (2) … 418
1. Introduction: Form Criticism … 418
2. Towards a Revised Form Criticism … 427

3. Stories but no Story? Q and Thomas … 435

15 The Early Christians: A Preliminary Sketch … 444
1. Introduction … 444
2. Aims … 444
3. Community and Definition … 447
4. Development and Variety … 452
5. Theology … 456
6. Hope … 459
7. Conclusion … 464

PART V Conclusion … 465
16 The New Testament and the Question of God … 467
1. Introduction … 467
2. Jesus … 468
3. The New Testament … 469
4. The Question of God … 471

Appendix: Chronological Chart of Second-Temple Jewish History and of Early Christianity … 477

Bibliography … 481

Abbreviations … 481
A Primary Sources … 482
B Secondary Sources … 485

Indexes … 511
A Index of Ancient Sources … 511

B Index of Modem Authors 525
C Index of Selected Topics 530

Buy this book from Amazon. Click here for some top titles in biblical studies.

This long introduction is designed to put The Day of the Triffids in a context it doesn't transcend. The plot begins with a fantastic meteor shower that strikes all who watch it blind combined with the invasion of an insidious species known as triffids, which kill anyone within a few feet via a stinging lash. These walking carnivorous plants become symbolic repositories for our fears and our collective inability to see what's in front of our faces; as Bill Masen, the overly prim and competent protagonist observes, " 'There's a kind of conspiracy not to believe things about triffids.' " There is, and I felt some horror as I learned more about them, but it was an overly familiar feeling from all those end-of-the-world stories: George Stewart's Earth Abides, which predates The Day of the Triffids by two years, the aforementioned A Canticle for Leibowitz, Larry Niven's Lucifer's Hammer, and even Stephen King's The Stand. Except for A Canticle for Leibowitz, they all share the same styles, themes, and motifs concerning humanity's capacity for darkness and ignorance ("Horrible alien things which some of us had somehow created, and which the rest of us, in our careless greed, had cultured all over the world," we learn in The Day of the Triffids. Notice the lack of subject or article at the beginning of the sentence, where it seems that one or both should appear). I just wish there were more originality in this, although to be fair Earth Abides and The Day of the Triffids are forerunners to the later developments in the sub-genre of apocalyptic stories.

As in many such works, Bill Masen is little more advanced emotionally and intellectually than the nameless narrator of H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds. A curious mixture of competence, chivalry, and sexism, Bill Masen wants to protect his women and while keeping them, you know, in their role. Still, to his credit he thinks about a ten-year-old, "[...] the world in which she was going to grow up would have little use for the overniceties and euphemisms that I had learned as a child [...]" Still, he's not perceptive enough to think that perhaps those "niceties" aren't of use in the current world, as Paul Graham cogently argues. "[His] quest was personal," although that quest is just to find a girl he randomly encountered, and even then it feels not so much personal as generic and something expected by a certain type of society. I sometimes feel the same way when closing time approaches at a bar. Augie March is on a personal quest, but Bill Masen, alas, is not.

Elsewhere, he almost verges on something vaguely resembling insight when he says that, "There is an inability to sustain the tragic mood, a phoenix quality of the mind. It may be helpful or harmful, it is just a part of the will to survive—yet, also, it has made it possible for us to engage in one weakening war after another." Maybe so, but even here the awkwardness of the writing, with the disjointedness created by the first comma in both sentences, weakens the sense of flow and as a result the sentiment that is being expressed. And yet his fundamental argument about the resilience of humanity is not a bad one, even if it is not expressed well, and I would've liked for more on the subject.

As I said, The Day of the Triffids is most interesting as a historical document: Cold War symbolism abounds, and as disaster befalls England one girl "[...] had an utterly unshakeable conviction that nothing serious could have happened to America, and that it was only a matter of holding out for a while until the Americans arrived to put everything in order." Contrast this belief with what Fareed Zakaria persuasively argues about the views of America abroad in The Post-American World. In Day of the Triffids, this exchange takes place a few pages after the first quote:

"Try to imagine a world in which there aren't any Americans—can you do that?"
The girl stared at him.
"But there must be," she said.
[...]
"There won't always be those stores. The way I see it, we've been given a flying start in a new kind of world."

Although the girl who believes in America is presented as a fool, it's still nice to imagine that this sentiment was reasonably widespread during the Cold War. I remain hopeful and perhaps even confident, like Zakaria in The Post-American World, that it will be again in the near future. In the meantime, Day of the Triffids remains dead history rather than living fiction that still speaks loudly to us today, as great literature does.

Bibliographical details:

Publisher's information:
This new edition of Professor Rowland's authoritative classic has been thoroughly revised and updated. In the light of recent work, the author has rewritten the chapter entitled 'Jewish Sectarianism' and renamed it 'Schools of Thought'. The last section of Part II has been reshaped and linked more closely with the sources. Extensive additions have been made to the 'Christianity' section, particularly in relation to Paul and the nature of tradition. An extra bibliography also enhances this new edition of Christian Origins.

'Dr Rowland has written a splendid book. He has put together in manageable space a well-read and well-argued account of the beginnings of the Christian movement: a third of it on the Judaism of the first century, a third on Jesus, and a third on Paul and the development from messianic sect to Christian religion. If you are a student, here are the outlines of your New Testament essays, conveniently cut up into three- and four-page sections. If you are a [minister] or teacher, here are the results of all the years of scholarship since you graduated. If you are a professional, here are many insights and nuances which you can weigh with profit.'
Michael Goulder, Theology

'Dr Rowland's account of Christian origins is very convincing. There is an enormous wealth of factual information here; but better still, the theological and sociological insights he brings to bear upon the subject make his account of the New Testament truly exciting. When I was a theological student myself, I used to think that New Testament scholars lived in cloud-cuckoo-land. I wish I had had this book then.'
Michael Sadgrove, Church Times

Christopher Rowland is Dean Ireland's Professor of the Exegesis of Holy Scripture at the University of Oxford.

Table of contents:
Acknowledgements for the First Edition … xi
Preface to the First Edition … xiii
Preface to the Second Edition … xix
Abbreviations … xxv

PART I Introduction … 1
1 The Rock Whence Ye Were Hewn … 3
2 An Approach to Ancient Judaism … 9
3 The Jews After the Exile … 11

PART II Jewish Life and Thought at the Beginning of the Common Era from the Perspective of the Study of Christian Origins … 21
1 God's Covenant with the Jews … 23
2 The God of the Covenant … 26
3 The Heavenly Host … 30
4 Angelic Mediators … 32
5 The Temple … 37
6 Festivals … 40
7 The Synagogue … 42
8 The Torah … 44
9 The Interpretation of Scripture … 48
10 Apocalyptic Approaches to Scripture: The Disclosure of Heavenly Knowledge … 54
11 Schools of Thought: An Introduction to Sectarianism in the Second Temple Period … 61
12 Schools of Thought: An Outline of Jewish Groups in the First Century CE … 64

13 Diaspora Judaism … 79
14 The Expression of Hope … 86

15 Pragmatism and Hope in Second Temple Judaism … 97

PART III The Emergence of a Messianic Sect … 105
Section 1: Introduction … 107
1 Early Christianity: What Kind of Religious Movement? … 107
2 The Centrality of Eschatology in Primitive Christian Belief … 109
3 The 'World of Jesus and the First Christians … 115

Section 2: Jesus … 119
1 The Quest for the Historical Jesus … 119

2 Using the Gospels to Establish the Character of Jesus' Life and Message … 125
3 John the Baptist … 130
4 The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God … 132
5 The Parables … 134

6 Other Teaching … 139
7 The Signs of the Coming Kingdom … 143
8 Jesus and the Future … 145
9 Jesus and Second Temple Judaism … 151

10 The Death of Jesus … 161
11 Jesus' Personal Claim … 171

12 The Resurrection Narratives … 183

Section 3: Paul … 190
1 Introduction … 190
2 Christianity Before and Apart from Paul … 195
3 Situation and System in Paul's Letters … 201
4 Major Themes of Paul's Letters … 205
5 Apostle to the Gentiles … 212
6 Paul's Method as an Apostle … 218
7 Paul and the Torah … 221
8 Membership of the People of God … 223
9 Paul and Israel … 225
10 The Problem of Authority … 228

Section 4: From Messianism to Christian Religion … 234
1 Early Christian Initiation and Worship … 235

2 The Emergence of Beliefs About Jesus … 247

3 Differing Models of Ministry … 256

4 Coming to Terms with the Old Age … 276

Epilogue … 309

Appendix: The Sources … 311
1 Jewish Literature … 312

2 Early Christian Literature … 322

Notes … 327
Bibliography … 381
Additional Bibliography … 417
Index of Ancient Sources … 431
Index of Subjects … 447

Click here to read the review by Stephen W. Felder, published in the Review of Biblical Literature.

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The Holocaust Declaration by Charles Krauthammer

Washington Post, April 11, 2008

The art of politics and war is to “know thy enemy”. And once the enemy is revealed to be irreconcilable and unappeasable, in this case Iran , because of his apocalyptic and chiliastic nature as an irrational actor and therefore most dangerous, one has to destroy such an enemy before he becomes stronger. If preemption is not going to fall into a state of desuetude and finish up as a comical term losing all its seriousness, it must be used against the “centrifugist” regime of Ahmadinejad relentlessly and efficiently. It’s necessary therefore and timely that the Bush administration makes an open and unambiguous threat to Iran that if the latter does not immediately cease its nuclear program the U.S. will be targeting by an unspecified force de frappe the triangular leadership of Iran, i.e., the mullahs, the high officials of the government, and the higher echelons of the army, in a surprise attack. Only such a clear threat against Iran’s leadership may create a shifting of positions among the latter, and, indeed, a “palace revolt” against the Ahmadinejad regime. And if there are signs that this will not happen, then the U.S. will have no other option but to attack Iran.

Krauthammer’s proposal of the “Holocaust Declaration”, I’m afraid is impolitic. As in America and many other countries in the world many of their peoples still breath the poisonous vapors of anti-semitism, and hence, the “Declaration” will be seen by many as a Jewish stratagem and therefore politically will not become a rallying point.

I rest on my oars: Your turn now

Publisher's information:
Reading the Old Testament is a clear and carefully organized introduction for contemporary readers. It is designed to guide the student of the Bible through the text and its problems, enrich their understanding of the individual biblical books, and explore the way the Bible came to be written.

Reading the Old Testament combines the latest scholarship with a sensitivity to religious issues and Israel's ever-deepening understanding of God's ways. The author gives special attention to recent archaeological discoveries in the Middle East and how these affect our understanding of the Old Testament. The book contains numerous maps, charts, and drawings.

Reading the Old Testament is particularly illuminating about the way Israel's religious experience was translated into written records. No other introduction offers the same thorough treatment of the Exile and the post-exilic periods as crucial times in the formation of the Old Testament message.

Lawrence Boadt, C.S.P. is associate professor of Sacred Scripture at the Washington Theological Union in Washington, D.C. He received his doctorate in Biblical Studies and Near Eastern Languages from the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome and has written numerous articles and books on Old Testament subjects, especially on the Prophets.

Table of contents:
1. Introducing the Old Testament … 11
2. The People and Lands of the Old Testament … 28
3. Archaeology and the Old Testament … 52
4. Literary Tools for Old Testament Study … 69
5. The Pentateuch … 89
6. Genesis 1–11: The Preface to Israel's Story … 109
7. Genesis 12–50: The Patriarchs … 133
8. The Exodus from Egypt … 155
9. The Covenant and Journey to Canaan (Exodus 19 through Numbers) … 173
10. The Israelite Possession of Canaan: The Books of Joshua and Judges … 195
11. Canaanite Religion and Culture … 213
12. 'A King Like Those of Other Nations': The Books of Samuel and Kings … 227
13. Daily Life in Ancient Israel … 245
14. Israelite Worship and Prayer … 266
15. The Kingdom Split into Two … 292
16. The Great Prophets of the Eighth Century … 309
17. The Last Days of the Kingdom of Judah … 338
18. Jeremiah and the Deuteronomic History … 360
19. Prophecy During the Babylonian Exile … 383
20. Sing Us a Song of Zion! … 405
21. The Struggle to Restore the Land (540–500 B.C.) … 431
22. Life in the Post-Exilic Community … 449
23. The Cultivation of Wisdom … 472
24. Faith Confronting New Challenges … 492
25. The Closing of the Old Testament … 517
26. Themes of Old Testament Theology … 543

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Harink writes well and clearly. And, his project is impressive, crossing disciplinary boundaries easily. He is able to address issues with both the traditional and the new perspectives on Paul. The criticisms of the traditional perspective are well worn. Harink's criticism of the New Perspective, on the other hand, is fresh because he does not march out the old soldiers from the traditional view. Instead, he writes things like the following:

dont agree with a few points about "our true power" on the first video etc.. but the info is interesting

In the fifth chapter of Romans, according to Paul, humanity was cursed because Adam and Eve sinned when they ate the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. As Paul puts it:

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. Rom. 5:12

...or as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 1 Cor. 15:22

17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. Rom. 5:17-19

Now we have to remember that Paul saw Jesus in a beam of light on the road to Damascus. He never studied with him or listened to him, though he was alive at the same time. And Jesus, when he was alive, was preaching a pro-Hebrew apocalyptic message. Paul saw fit to subtly change the thrust of Jesus' teaching to what we have now, one-size-fits-all, believe in us or die.

At no point in the OT do we see anything that might qualify as a curse of "Original Sin" to be handed down to all of Adam and Eve's descendants. Yes, their lives are supposed to become more difficult than they had heretofore experienced; but where is all of that is the "Sin" being passed along?

Perhaps more importantly, there is no indication that this sin must be "redeemed" eventually by Jesus? Christianity is anxious to portray itself as the logical and theological offspring of Judaism, but if Paul simply invents a concept and tacks it on to Jewish stories, it's hard to see how that makes it true. If I went around claiming that Jesus spoke to me in a ‘beam of light' and he conveyed new theological concepts to be accepted by all Christianity...how far would I get before being locked up in the funny farm?

In Genesis and all of the way through to the ending of Malachi, there isn't the slightest hint of there being any sort of Original Sin inherited by all humans through Adam and Eve. There are stories of God getting angry at humanity in general...and at the Jews in particular...offering many opportunities for God to point out how everyone is "sinful" because of Adam and Eve. Yet we find nothing about that.

Also, there is nothing about how everyone who isn't "right" with God will go to hell and be tormented... another staple of Christian theology connected to Original Sin. You would think that God would have the civility to mention something this important to us.

Not even Jesus is quoted as having been concerned with Adam and Original Sin. Paul's interpretation is not really warranted by the actual story. This is a big problem. If this interpretation is not right, the whole Christian scheme of salvation falls apart.

Just as the Trinity is made up by later 'Christians', so too is 'Original Sin'.

Christians however, have a uncommon ability to ignore facts.

For latest post go: Here

more cat pictures

Well, I didn't lose much sleep over this.  I figured that I'd find an answer when I had time to do some Daniel studies (something I've been itching to do).  But today I spent a little time skimming through a book I used in one of my seminary classes entitled Hope in the Midst of a Hostile World: The Gospel According to Daniel written by George M. Schwab.

He points out that Daniel is not written with the intention of informing readers about what happened back in the 6th century in Babylon.  Instead, it is intended to teach the saints "what believers should confess and believe in any century" (pg. 12).  Shwab then writes the following:

If the interpreter's agenda is solely to defend - or to deny - Daniel as a historical source, then the point of the stories might be missed.  For example, in chapter 3 the three heroes are in mortal crisis due to their fidelity to God.  One might ask [as I did in my Sunday school class], "Where was Daniel?"  Various commentaries attempt to answer that by reconstructing possible scenarios.  Perhaps Daniel had been called away; perhaps Daniel was not present.  Some commentators wisely ignore the question altogether.  However, the only worthwhile answer does not reconstruct history, but reads the chapter as literature, as a religious romance.  The question becomes, "How does the absence of Daniel change the book?"  The other chapters all feature Daniel, his friends sometimes added as sidekicks.  By excluding Daniel from chapter 3, it is clear that others besides him were also faithful to God in the face of adversity.  The whole book is not therefore about one hero, and a possible misconception of the character of the exile is corrected.  This is why Daniel is absent from chapter 3.  The answer lies with the literary purpose of the story, not with any reconstructed history.

Hope in the Midst of a Hostile World, pg. 12

While perhaps Schwab may be accused of giving a somewhat speculative reason for an oddity in the narrative, he still offers an interesting approach; one that helps as we interpret Daniel as Christian scripture.  I haven't read very many other approaches to the "problem" of Daniel's absence, but I appreciate Schwab's very much.  He is doing the hard work of reading the story with a "hermeneutic of trust" and in doing so, offers a way for readers to see that in exile there were many saints who fought hard to retain their faith in midst of the hostile Babylonian world.  He helps to make sense of an oddity in a way that does not run roughshod over the text itself nor does it offer "pat" apologetic-types of answers.  His more sophisticated literary approach helps to mine this book of some exciting exegetical nuggets and helps us to see how Daniel does a good job as apocalyptic literature; literature written for suffering saints in need of reassurance that God is indeed in control!

___________________________
Andrew Compton
Upland, CA

Other than this little tidbit, of course, the two books are completely different. Matheson takes a rigorous, scientific, naturalistic approach to his vampires, whereas mine are supernatural beasties who can fly around and turn into mist. Still, I find myself pleased to find that my vampire book has something in common with one of the undisputed classics of the genre.

Now if I can just interest Will Smith in starring in an adaptation of Long Before Dawn, that would be another similarity, and one I could definitely live with ...

Well, this is a recent thing for me.  I know most of us, tend to collect comic books when we are growing up.  Some keep at it and become comic geeks conoceurs (not that there's anything wrong with it), others throw them away and forget them.  In my case, I've had a re-discovery of them in what's called graphic novels.  This first one I'll review is called Y: The Last Man by Vertigo Comics.

Now, I can't say I'm a big fan of the traditional superheroes comic books (although we all love the movies, right?) but I'm liking the more non-traditional anti-heroes with more than oblique apocaliptic scenarios.

In this particular story I was attracted to it by it's central point: One day, all of a sudden all of the men, and Y chromosome carrying beings, died.  Considering that most of the business and countries are run by men by a margin of 80%-20% you can imagine the chaos.

Women inherit the earth, but with a catch, they can procreate, so what do they do? The same thing men would do...go crazy.  Well not all of them.  Some try to maintain the government, and try to create order out of the massive disorder.  There also is a group of women that turn into Amazonian (you know, like from where Wonder Woman comes from...they don't need men, yari yari yara).  Other countries start thinking of invading other, and so on.

In the middle of all this craziness, one man and his male monkey friend survive.  He is smart but quite stupid because he losses his temper easily and let's himself to be known by many female along his way to find his girlfriend stranded in of all places, Australia.  His mother a senator of the US tries to keep him locked and safe but of course the kid is a magician and knows how to escape from confinement (well it's better than making him an expert marksman). 

There is more to the story, like an apparent spell that probably started all this, a scientist that can clone people and the actual mistery of how this kid and his monkey survived.  No I know must man think "wow, last man on earth, I can have any woman I want"...I'm not so sure.  Crazy women are not my cup of tea. 

This is just the first volume of the series, which in its way is just a compilation of episodes 1-5 (single comic book).  It started in January 2003 with this volume 1 called "Unmanned" and volume 10 called "Whys and Wherefores", which if I'm not mistaken will be released this summer and could be the last one.  If you like spoilers, then I'd suggest you visit the wikipedia page for the series that has plenty of details, but if you like surprises, keep away from it.

Also I think it's worth mentioning that Hollywood seems to think it's a worthwhile graphic novel, considering that IMDB has on record that a movie will be released in 2009 but with no other information.

If you are interested, you can download a sneekpeak from the Vertigo page.

Publisher's information:
'… this is a useful introduction both to modern study of the Old Testament and to the history and religion of Israel, critical in stance and aware of the limitations of modern knowledge … a useful textbook for first-year undergraduates.' – C. S. Rodd, The Society for Old Testament Study Book List

Written by two leading Old Testament scholars with a wide range of expertise, this unique introduction describes the historical, social and cultural setting in which the Old Testament was written and [offers] a description of the major genres of literature that it contains. It seeks therefore to illuminate the literature of the Old Testament by showing how it was shaped by the events, social structures, and religions and intellectual ideas of the ancient civilizations and cultures in which it was produced.

Unlike most Introductions, it does not build largely on the traditional formats and it also reflects the huge changes that our understanding of the Old Testament has undergone in recent decades.

Rather than a conventional canonical-theological approach, this book offers an approach for those interested in the Old Testament as a monumental cultural achievement, ideal for students of ancient history and religion in general as well as theology, and requires a minimum of prior knowledge or expertise.

John Rogerson is Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at the University of Sheffield.

Philip Davies is Research Professor at the University of Sheffield.

Table of contents:
PREFACE … ix

Part I: THE SETTING
Chapter 1: GEOGRAPHY AND ECOLOGY OF ANCIENT PALESTINE … 3
The Land … 4
Climate and Vegetation … 11
Population and Agriculture in 1200 BCE … 14
Land and Land Use 1200 to 587 BCE … 15
Land and Land Use 587 to 63 BCE … 19
Borders and Boundaries … 21
The Theological Significance of the Land … 22

Chapter 2: SOCIAL ORGANISATION … 24
Blood Ties … 24
Conflicting Loyalties … 26
The Function of Genealogies … 29
Social Groupings … 32

Chapter 3: THE PEOPLES OF THE OLD TESTAMENT WORLD … 39
Peoples within the Borders of Israel and Judah … 41
Peoples on the Borders of Palestine … 44
Occupying Empires … 51

Part II: THE HISTORY AND RELIGION OF ISRAEL
Chapter 4: UNTIL THE TIME OF SOLOMON … 65
Solomon … 66
David … 67
The Period of the Judges … 69
'Conquest' and Exodus … 70
The Patriarchs … 71

Chapter 5: FROM THE DEATH OF SOLOMON TO THE BABYLONIAN DEPORTATIONS … 73
The Revolt of Jeroboam … 74
The Rise of Omri … 75
The Dynasty of Omri … 75
The Reign of Ahab … 76
Internal and External Conflicts … 77
The End of the House of Omri … 78
Kings of Judah … 79
Assyrian Aggression … 81
The Invasion … 82

Chapter 6: JUDAH UNDER THE PERSIANS AND PTOLEMIES AND THE JUDEANS IN BABYLONIA … 86
Judah … 87
Resettlement in Judah … 88
Ezra and Nehemiah's Commissions … 89
Elephantine … 92
The Establishment of the Religious Community in Jerusalem … 93
Alexander and the Ptolemies … 94

Chapter 7: FROM THE MACCABEES TO HEROD THE GREAT … 96
The 'Hellenistic Crisis' (175 to 140 BCE) … 96
The Hasmonean Dynasty … 102
Herod the Great … 105

Part III: LITERATURE AND LIFE
Chapter 8: CREATION AND ORIGIN STORIES … 111
Sumerian and Akkadian Texts … 112
The Problem of Sources … 113
The Meaning of 'Myth' … 114
Genesis 1:1–2:4a … 115
Genesis 2:4b-25 … 117
Genesis 3 … 118
Genesis 4 … 119
Genesis 5 … 120
Genesis 6–9 … 120
Genesis 11:1-19 … 122
Conclusions … 123

Chapter 9: NARRATIVES … 124
'Factual' Versus 'Fictional' Narratives … 124
Simple and Complex Narratives … 126
Complex Narratives … 127
Simple Narratives … 131

Chapter 10: LEGAL TEXTS … 137
Administration of Justice … 138
The Book of the Covenant … 140
Leviticus 17–26 … 143
Deuteronomy … 145
The Decalogue (Ten Commandments) … 148

Chapter 11: SACRIFICES AND PSALMS … 151
Sacrifices … 151
Sacrifice on the Old Testament … 152
The World-View of Leviticus 1–16 … 155
The Psalms … 158
Conclusion … 164

Chapter 12: PROPHETIC LITERATURE … 166
What is 'Prophecy'? … 166
Prophecy as a Social Institution … 167
Prophets in the Ancient Near East … 167
Prophets in Ancient Israel … 168
'Prophecy' in the Old Testament … 169
Individual Prophets and Prophetic Books … 174

Chapter 13: WISDOM LITERATURE … 184
What is 'Wisdom'? … 184
Types of Wisdom Literature … 185
The 'Wise' … 187
The Book of Proverbs … 188
The Book of Job … 191
Qoheleth … 192
Wisdom Psalms … 194
Ben Sira … 194
The Wisdom of Solomon … 196

Chapter 14: APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE … 198
The Meaning of 'Apocalyptic' … 198
Apocalyptic Technique … 199
Divination … 200
Jewish Apocalypses … 202

Chapter 15: BEYOND THE OLD TESTAMENT … 209
'Judaism' … 209
Early Judaism … 210
Outward Characteristics of Early Judaism … 212
Times and Seasons … 214
The Holy Place: Temple and Priesthood … 215
Scripture, Law, and Scribes … 216
The Identity of 'Israel' in Early Judaism … 218
Messianism … 222

Part IV: THE FORMATION OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
Chapter 16: ORAL TRADITION AND COLLECTIONS PRIOR TO THE DEPORTATIONS … 225
A Variety of Oral Traditions … 227
Written Forms of the Old Testament … 230

Chapter 17: THE FORMATION OF THE SCRIPTURAL CANON … 232
What are Canons? … 233
The 'Primary History' … 234
The 'Prophetic' Collections … 237
Writings … 241
The Canon … 242
Text and Versions … 243

INDEX … 246

Click here to read the review of the American edition of this book by Marc Brettler, published in the Review of Biblical Literature.

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