I came across this short notice in The Catholic Sun that the co-founder of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Sofia Cavalletti died in Rome yesterday Cavalletti was 94 years old nbsp Cavalletti a Hebrew and scripture scholar began her work with children in 1954 after a discussion with childre
John W. Martens
John W. Martens is an associate professor of theology at the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minn,where he teaches early Christianity and Judaism. He also directs the Master of Arts in Theology program at the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity. He was born in Vancouver, B.C. into a Mennonite family that had decided to confront modernity in an urban setting. His post-secondary education began at Tabor College, Hillsboro, Kansas, came to an abrupt stop, then started again at Vancouver Community College, where his interest in Judaism and Christianity in the earliest centuries emerged. He then studied at St. Michael's College, University of Toronto, and McMaster University, with stops at University of Haifa and University of Tubingen. His writing often explores the intersection of Jewish, Christian and Greco-Roman culture and belief, such as in "let the little children come to me: Children and Childhood in Early Christianity" (Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 2009), but he is not beyond jumping into the intersection of modernity and ancient religion, as in "The End of the World: The Apocalyptic Imagination in Film and Television" (Winnipeg: J. Gordon Shillingford Press, 2003). He blogs at www.biblejunkies.com and at www.americamagazine.org for "The Good Word." You can follow him on Twitter @biblejunkies, where he would be excited to welcome you to his random and obscure interests, which range from the Vancouver Canucks and Minnesota Timberwolves, to his dog, and 70s punk, pop and rock. When he can, he brings students to Greece, Turkey and Rome to explore the artifacts and landscape of the ancient world. He lives in St. Paul with his wife and has two sons. He is certain that the world will not end until the Vancouver Canucks have won the Stanley Cup, as evidence has emerged from the Revelation of John, 1 Enoch, 2 Baruch, and 4 Ezra which all point in this direction.
Posted inThe Good Word
Adam and Eve: Real People?
Albert Mohler President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary yesterday posted False Start The Controversy over Adam and Eve hat tip to Joe Carter at First Things which details the dispute in evangelical circles regarding the historical nature of human origins as described in Genesis and
Posted inThe Good Word
Peter and Power
I have never felt connected to the Apostle Peter in the same way I have felt connected to the Apostle Paul Some of this I think is simply a preference for Paul the man who emerges as someone full of boundless energy and confidence in his mission and who emerges more completely from the pages of hi
Posted inThe Good Word
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Today is the solemnity of Assumption of nbsp the Blessed Virgin Mary You can find the readings for today here and a video reflection at the USCCB website here Richard Leonard S J s thoughts on the Feast of the Assumption from 2008 on the America Good Word site nbsp are well-worth considering
Posted inThe Good Word
London Riots and Biblical Themes
Mike Ovey Principal of Oak Hill College in England wrote on the rioting in London and elsewhere in England a few days ago the piece itself does not bear a date nbsp Ovey warns against treating the rioters as the ldquo other rdquo which he accuses both liberals and conservatives on the polit
Posted inThe Good Word
Let Them In
What happens when God truly does something new in our midst The readings nbsp for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time give us a glimpse of how the extraordinary manifests itself in day to day life and events though we might not think it extraordinary any longer We have lost the sense of wonder
Posted inThe Good Word
Book Review: Sarah Ruden’s “Paul Among the People”
On occasion I offer reviews of books which I believe have some popular appeal for a wider audience These reviews tend to be lengthier and more academic than regular posts Sarah Ruden rsquo s book Paul Among the People The Apostle Reinterpreted and Reimagined in His Own Time New York Image Boo
Posted inThe Good Word
Listening for the Voice of God
God speaks in many ways but if you want to hear him you need to be prepared to listen nbsp In 1 Kings 19 12 following wind earthquake and fire ndash which is the name of a 70s band I believe ndash Elijah hears a ldquo sound of sheer silence rdquo NRSV or ldquo a tiny whispering sound
Posted inThe Good Word
Three Things My My Wife Taught Me About Reading The Bible
Biblical scholars especially but all of us in general are sometimes tempted to think of reading and interpreting the Bible as a solitary enterprise Scholars have no excuse for this egotism as they should recognize that they are constantly standing on the shoulders of others some giants and some
Posted inThe Good Word
Gallup Poll on the Bible
The data for a new poll on the Bible is up on the Gallup website I am slightly confused by what the poll was attempting to measure as it seems to confuse literal interpretation of the Bible with belief in nbsp the Bible as the actual word of God Here is an excerpt from the accompanying descrip