Scriptorium Archive
for July, 2006

Squirrel Appreciation 101

Fred Sanders | Avant-Garde | 07.31.2006

Gather around, all of you. Look with me at this drawing. What do you see? Yes, that's right, a squirrel. A happy squirrel? Yes. Climbing a tree, that's right. Stop pushing. This is a marker drawing of a squirrel climbing a tree, under a cloud under the sun. Would you say this is a sunny day or a cloudy day? "Partly cloudy" is a good answer, the kind a meteorologist would give. But if you think about the art... Read More...

Reuben ARCHIE Torrey

Fred Sanders | Misc. | 07.30.2006

Reuben Archer Torrey (1856-1928) is a revered figure among conservative evangelicals with good memories. He was Dwight L. Moody's right hand man, a world-travelling evangelist, the first dean of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, and the inspiration behind the honors program where we work, which is of course named for him. We've cited him here before (and before and before), and you can expect to hear from him again at... Read More...

Additional Scriptorium for July, 2006

“One prominent anti-Christian terrorist and human-rights abuser went on to write the Epistle to the Romans.”

Fred Sanders | Misc. | 07.30.2006

Pope Benedict XVI has been calling on Christians to pray for peace in the middle east, and adds that believers should "pray also for the terrorists, because they do not know that they are doing evil not just to their neighbor, but, first of all, to themselves.” Pray for terrorists? Pray for anything but swift and thorough vengeance to fall on their heads? Yes. Pray that t... Read More...

Christ Preexistent: “Bethlehem Was Not His First Home” (Faber)

Fred Sanders | Misc. | 07.28.2006

"Preexistence" is an awkward word. It looks like it needs a hyphen (pre-existence) or a diaeresis (preëxistence). Plus, the "pre" in preexistence begs to be clarified: Insurance Agent: Do you have any pre-existing conditions? Patient: Yes. Wait. I have a condition, and it exists. Insurance Agent: So does it preexist? Patient: Well, if it preexists, wouldn't that... Read More...

Leon Morris, 1914-2006

Fred Sanders | Misc. | 07.27.2006

Justin Taylor reports that New Testament scholar Leon Morris died earlier this week at age 92. In Morris' obituary, Peter Adam says: He wrote over fifty books of theology and biblical commentary which have sold nearly two million copies worldwide and been translated into many languages. ... He was well-known throughout the Christian world as a careful, conservative bibli... Read More...

Trinitarian Philosophical Theology on the web

Fred Sanders | Misc. | 07.26.2006

What happens when professional philosophers, trained with all their formidable analytic skills, turn their attention to an important Christian doctrine like the Trinity? Things get tidy; radically tidy. Philosophers do their philosopher thing, sorting things out, clarifying terms, making sure definitions are used consistently, criticizing bad arguments, and trying out... Read More...

Americantology: Like Bill Mauldin in Fallujah

Fred Sanders | Misc. | 07.26.2006

The military newspaper Stars and Stripes reports that a new religion has been born in Iraq. A whole new religion! It is called Americantology. Invented by a Marine deployed in Fallujah (Company C, 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment), this religion's chief symbol is the American flag, its only priest wears a civil war cap (blue: this is a yankee unit that calls itself "... Read More...

“Lady” is a Lovely Mess

John Mark Reynolds | Misc. | 07.24.2006

Box Office Mojo > News > 'Pirates' Loot Piles Up, 'Lady' Walks Plank M. Night Shyamalan used to mean must see in our house. He creates films that make my family think, while giving us a good time. He has managed to create films that the morally traditional who are not prigs can enjoy. His best films (Signs! The Village!) frighten as Doyle or Poe would frighten with intellige... Read More...

An American in Paris . . . and Britain VI: Warwick Castle, King Makers, Arthurs Grave, and Dissing Disneyland

John Mark Reynolds | Misc. | 07.24.2006

We continue our journey through Britain and Paris by looking for Arthur, attacking Henry, and wondering about Warwick. When I imagine the sky, I always see it through the leaves of the Glastonbury thorn. The Southern California sky is too empty and the sun too bright for my weak eyes. The sun of England is not so strong and the gentle shade of the Thorn tree helps me see.... Read More...

May her soul rest in peace. . .

John Mark Reynolds | Misc. | 07.23.2006

It is with great sorrow that I am informed of the following (based on my post regarding the Scott home) Dame Jean Maxwell- Scott, the last direct descendant of Sir Walter, a great, great, great grand daughter died just over 2 years ago. As a result the future of the house is in doubt at the moment and there is no Scott relative in residence. Read More...

Bayeux Paper Towel

Fred Sanders | Avant-Garde | 07.21.2006

Since the Bayeux Tapestry is not a tapestry anyway (it's an embroidery), I figured it would be okay to do an homage to it on a roll of industrial paper towel. The original depicts the Battle of Hastings in 1066, but with brown marker in hand, Freddy age 5 produced a more generic knights-ready-for-battle scene, intentionally mixing various types of armor. Read More...

Creation Set Free

Fred Sanders | Misc. | 07.20.2006

Here's a sneak peek at a book review I wrote for a future issue of Cultural Encounters: A Journal for the Theology of Culture. The summer 06 issue is just out. Hassle your library to subscribe! This book, Sigurd Bergmann's Creation Set Free, is interesting, but I can only recommend it in the qualified ways I describe in the review. I got to hear Bergmann speak at the ... Read More...

Bush: Pro-Life as He Promised

John Mark Reynolds | Misc. | 07.19.2006

His first veto was to save unborn children. His first veto will not be popular, but listen to what he said: In this new era, our challenge is to harness the power of science to ease human suffering without sanctioning the practices that violate the dignity of human life. Do you think Hilary would have taken this stand? Or Kerry? Are both parties the same? If s... Read More...

An American in Paris. . . and Britain Part V: Richard III, Jimmy Carter, and Evensong

John Mark Reynolds | Misc. | 07.19.2006

What does Jimmy Carter have in common with Richard III? Who is Jon Olson? What do Constantine and James Herriot have in common? What is so great about York Minster? These and other questions will be answered at long last in our continuing journey through Britain. Read More...

A Shot Across the Bow: is McCain a bigot?

John Mark Reynolds | Misc. | 07.19.2006

John McCain keeps saying things like this: ..."I urge my friends who complain about the influence of the religious Right, get out there and get busy. That's what they do! Now, if we believe in the Republican party of Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt, the big-tent party, then we have to get out there and show that. The fact is, some of us have sat idly by while those ve... Read More...