Mark Olson

David T. Koyzis offers some remarks (with helpful links) on the lectionaries used in various churches. One thing I’ve observed regarding common homiletics and the effect short readings have on our Scriptural interpretation. We are all quite familiar with exegetical methods and pastoral lessons . . . . Continue Reading »

Career. Thirty Years that Shook Physics: The Story of Quantum Theory ... decided my major. Personal Knowledge ... more recently set the stage for my thinking on philosophy of science.Religion Chuang Tzu: Basic Writings locked in my falling away from the church. Chesterton’s Orthodoxy brought . . . . Continue Reading »

In many cultures in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world there is a strikingly different approach to sexuality and the interactions between men and women. These cultures feature an emphasis on honor and shame as well as well as being on the other side of the individual/collective axis from . . . . Continue Reading »

Given that this post points to one digital calendar, here is another, this one, Menologion, which offers an Eastern Orthodox perspective.And if you happen to be in or around the Atlanta area, do drop in on the parish (St. John Maximovitch) to which the author of the software attends. I did while on . . . . Continue Reading »

Frank Turk offers an example of why hermeneutics (what/how we extract meaning from text) is important. I’ll offer a quote to spur discussion:It is curious, to say the least, that many Americans read the Bible and claim to understand what its authors mean. For early Christian authors and their . . . . Continue Reading »

I have a very weird Lenten practice which I’ve attempted to hold to over the last few years. I’m a reader. I’ve always read books. It is the thing I am most likely to do given more than a few minutes free time. Somehow a few years back at the start of Lent, a rhyme that brides use . . . . Continue Reading »

Satan. A word which the LXX and translators of the Masoretic Old Testament chose different methods. A translator has two different choices when dealing with a proper name or title. Transliteration or translation ... that is make the word sound the same, or literally translate the meaning of the . . . . Continue Reading »

A recent post by Christopher Benson on the Sunday of Orthodoxy in which he mused about the anathematising of the iconoclasts ... and what that says about him as a non-icon worshipping Christian. I’m not going to essay and defence of icons, the Lossky/Ousspensky book (The Meaning of Icons) is . . . . Continue Reading »

Frank Turk at Evangel is doing a short series on theodicy. I asked him how/when he would connect his discussion with Job and got the following response.Job is where everyone goes. I think the Scripture pretty much screams out from about every third page an answer which we don’t need Job to . . . . Continue Reading »

The West and East count Lent differently. Lent for the West begins today, with Ash Wednesday. Lent is counted 40 days to Easter and Sunday’s during that period are not part of Lent. For the East, Lent began Monday, Sundays are counted and Lent ends on Friday before Lazarus Saturday (followed . . . . Continue Reading »