Last week’s Christ the Center podcast (a show I almost always enjoy but always find something to get angry about) featured an extended interview with Michael Haykin, who has apparently…

Revised Common Lectionary Readings for 28 February 2010 (Year C, Lent) Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 •  Psalm 27 •  Philippians 3:17-4:1 •  Luke 13:31-35 Abraham’s story is one that tempts me towards sloppy thinking…

I’ve always been a sucker for a good monster story. As a boy, I would browse through my parents’ books, especially the encyclopedias, and stop whenever I saw an illustration…

A New Kind of Christianity: Ten Questions That Are Transforming the Faith By Brian D. McLaren 320 pp. HarperOne. $24.99 When I praise Plato and defend my teaching Republic to…

Revised Common Lectionary Readings for 21 February 2010 (Lent, Year C) Deuteronomy 26:1-11 •  Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16 •  Romans 10:8b-13 •  Luke 4:1-13 I’m a bit ashamed to admit that, although I could…

What I Have Learned in 50 Years as a Theologian part 1 by Jack Cottrell Yes, that’s my tradition. As some of CHB’s readers know, I was baptized into Christ…

Revised Common Lectionary readings for 14 February 2010 (Epiphany, Year C) Exodus 34:29-35 Psalm 99 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2 Luke 9:28-36 The Transfiguration is one of those stories that I’d like…

For anyone who’s interested, I have an article (“William Faulkner’s Failed Augustine”) in the current issue of The Explicator (January-March 2010). Here’s the webpage. But if you want to read…

Today, the third of February, is feast day of St. Laurence (Laurentius) of Canterbury.  He was an early figure of the branch of Christendom we might style “Germanic”: St. Laurence,…

Revised Common Lectionary readings for 7 February 2010 (Epiphany, Year C) Isaiah 6:1-13 Psalm138 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Luke 5:1-11 It’s not hard to affirm or criticize youth ministers’ commonplaces.  I…