I just wanted to give Naked Bible Readers a heads up to something that begins today. In an effort to get my thinking and content to a wider audience and prepare uninitiated readers to what they'll read in The Unseen Realm and Supernatural, I'll be writing a weekly...
Interpretation
New Logos Resource Series for Understanding Biblical Criticism
The Logos Bible Software blog announced a pre-pub today for a four-volume book series (with ample visuals and info-graphics) that I'm excited about. Its aim is to educate (in plain language) non-specialists in the methods of biblical criticism scholars use with...
What is Exegesis Anyway?
Words like "exegesis" and "exegetical" are thrown around by biblical scholars all the time. Those not in the guild or who haven't taken courses in biblical languages or hermeneutics might wonder what the terminology means. If that's you, I recommend reading this post...
Naked Bible Podcast: New Series on Bible Study Begins
I just uploaded the latest episode of the podcast. Wasn't sure I'd get to it this weekend with all the "last minute" MEMRA stuff, but I did. I expanded my "Heiser's Laws for Bible Study" essay into an introduction for a series on learning how to move beyond merely...
Reflections on Jesus for Liberal Theologians and Their Hermeneutic
A little more than a month ago I attended the Northwest regional meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society. The society had invited two guest speakers: Craig Blomberg, a professor at Denver Seminary and Marcus Borg, now professor emeritus at Oregon State. Both...
Done with Eschatology
Just wanted to sign off on this topic. I really can't muster any more interest in it. Changed my mind on sharing any personal thoughts, other than to say that I believe the reason that many positions can appear coherent is that they are all correct in certain...
Why an Obsession with Eschatology is a Waste of Time, Part 13
Previous post found here: Seventy Weeks Prophecy in Daniel 9: A Messianic Perspective I want to start this post with something I'd do in class during my teaching days at Christian colleges that I think will make this post -- which is about the question of whether...
Understanding the Christian Fundamentalist View of UFOs and Aliens, Part 9
Here is a link to my ongoing eschatology (end times) archive over on my other blog. I'm still showing how any view of end times is based on guesses and presuppositions. I should warn readers at this point, though. If you are married to the pre-trib / pre-mill view of...
Understanding the Christian Fundamentalist View of UFOs and Aliens, Part 8
Readers will recall that we're looking at elements of Christian eschatology as preparatory to me getting into my concerns as to the marriage of one specific view of eschatology to the UFO / ET question on the part of Christians into UFOs and ETs. Here is the latest...
Why an Obsession with Eschatology is a Waste of Time, Part 1
Naked Bible enthusiasts (and despisers) may recall that, long ago, I posted a list of presuppositions that are brought to the Bible that ultimately dictate one's position on eschatology ("end times"). I posted this because all too many Christians assume that their...
The Use of the OT in the NT
I had occasion to send this file to someone by email who asked whether or not NT writers used Second Temple Jewish interpretive methods when handling the OT. They do. We've talked about this subject a couple of times before, so I thought you'd be interested in the...
Blogging with Dr. Barry, Part 4
Same format - my material is indented and prefaced by "MSH". ------ HERMANEUTICS: RAPE, ADULTERY AND BLINDNESS MSH: It's spelled "hermeneutics". Moving to the present, on Sunday, October 3rd, 2009, the History Channel presented the James Fox program, I Know What I...
It Had to Happen: Heiser-isms About the Bible
A few days ago while I was traveling this popped up on my Twitter account: 10 Quotes That Challenge the Way You Study the Bible It's a post by Jake Mailhout of Lexham Press about my new book, The Bible Unfiltered: Approaching Scripture on Its Own Terms. While blogging...
Did Ancient Egyptians Identify Themselves as a Black Race?
I know I blogged about this recently, but I came across the item below today and thought I'd post it now instead of later. As to the question in the post title .... Short answer: No. Anyone who has look at Egyptian art knows that Egyptians portrayed foreigners as that...
Revisiting Heiser’s Laws for Bible Study, Part 2
As noted in my first return to my old "laws," I'll be periodically be posting items drawn from a little writing project I've been working at on the side. Here's the second sample: Bible study is a discipline, not a ritual event. Two of the hardest things about serious...