Category: Uncategorized
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Eusebian Canons
Ever wondered what Eusebian Canons are? Neither did I, until I tried (and failed) to navigate a manuscript with them! That said, the Eusebian Canons are actually a pretty nifty work of ancient biblical scholarship. Here you can read about the Eusebian Canons found in the Herzog August Bibliothek, MS Cod. Guelf. 84.3 Aug. 2°.…
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Youth Groups
I will be in a new house come Sunday, so my workload for the past few weeks has been full. I am quite tired, and perhaps a little grumpy. Still, the process of moving has retrieved several memories of my years at my college’s Christian youth ministries. I figured I’d reflect on those times and…
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Addressing the Allowance of Evil
How can a good God allow evil? Here is a place where philosophy shifts its focus to the practical. How do we make sense of the suffering all around us, and is the suffering consistent with the existence of a good God? The problem of evil is that if God is all-knowing, all-powerful and all…
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Parashat Mishpatim
This is adapted from a drash Z. S. will read this weekend at Devar Emet Messianic Congregation. A drash is a brief takeaway from the weekly cycle of texts. This Week’s Readings: Torah: Exodus 21:1-24:18, 30:11-16, Numbers 28:9-15 Haftarah: 2 Kings 12:1-17 Brit Chadashah: Matthew 22:15-22, 34-40 From time to time, I’ll chat about politics with…
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The One About Demon Possessions
All right, everybody. It’s time to go off the deep end. We’re talking about demon possession today. Before I continue, it’s important to address the caveat: how, if I don’t believe in magic, do I believe in demon possession? To that, I cite the Bible, which references magicians and magic but not the process, the…
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Christian Midrash: An Adventure in the Fusion of Theological Methodology
Given my staple here as a writer who submits to and defends the authority of the Catholic Church, I am taking a bit of a step back in these three articles, where I will explore some random theological ideas. The articles are based on a paper I wrote in college in which I hope to…
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Parashat Vaera
This is adapted from a drash Z. S. will read this weekend at Devar Emet Messianic Congregation. A drash is a brief takeaway from the weekly cycle of texts. Torah: Exodus 6:2-9:35 Haftarah: Ezekiel 28:25-29:21 Brit Chadashah: Revelation 15-16 Do you remember the early days of the Coronavirus? I remember studying Va’era last year, in…
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Parashat Miketz
This is adapted from a drash Z. S. will read this weekend at Devar Emet Messianic Congregation. A drash is a brief takeaway from the weekly cycle of texts, or the weekly the parashah. Parashah Readings: Torah: Genesis 41:1-44:17 Haftarah (taken from the prophets): 1 Kings 3:24-28 Brit Chadashah (New Testament): Acts 7:54-60 “Sprezzatura,” “sangfroid,”…
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Melchizedek in the Dead Sea Scrolls
In 1965, A. S. van der Woude published a scroll from Qumran named 11Q13. This scroll only came to us in fragments, so we do not know its full size or the main theme of the original manuscript. However, the second column of the scroll remains fairly readable, and I want to share some insights…
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Obama, Trump, and Hayek’s Road to Serfdom
In the 2015-2016 Republican primary, Trump’s quick rise to the top surprised many who could not understand how a conservative could find a suitable leader in Trump. I was among those sorely disappointed with his nomination (I supported Cruz). Here I offer my explanation for his quick rise, an explanation that may trigger liberals and…
