This is an essay I needed to write and I wanted to write. In fact, it took me several efforts to get to this version and I will be sharing more thoughts on the subject in other posts. But this particular essay is also part of the outreach program of The […]
Criticism
26 posts
Anyone else find it odd that this St. Joseph votive candle I bought at a store catering to our Hispanic community has a blond Jesus on it? Really?
Warning: This short post is the definition of pedantic. I am going to quibble with the use of the word “sovereign” as applied to God by many Reformed theologians. It is not surprising that exploring the topic of suffering and grace has led me to consider questions of humanity’s free will, predestination, and God’s sovereignty. For many, the origins and purpose of suffering are directly related to the latter, God’s control over all of […]
I have been a stand up comedy fan for years. One of my first albums was a Bill Cosby and eventually I discovered Mike Warnke, a Christian comedian. Not the best choices, in retrospect. If you have been following the news at all you know about Cosby, but Warnke too was […]
Whenever I hear the word priorities, I think of Ron Weasley (in the movie version, at least) saying that Hermione, who privileges learning above all else, “needs to get her priorities sorted.” The comment is a bit subversive, it is very amusing, but I have a more serious challenge today. […]
Last month we were in Italy for a few days, meeting our daughter who had been studying for the semester in Siena. She is majoring in History, Art History, and Medieval Studies and had reserved for us tickets for the aperitivo at the Vatican Museum. Opening at 7 pm with […]
UPDATE 2017: I originally posted this two years again, when it was first produced. It has been making the rounds again unattributed so I wanted to be sure folks could find Everett’s site. But on looking at it again this Advent, I was struck again by how right he got […]
This past summer I wrote a series of devotions that were published on the Emerging Scholars Network blog . Over the course of this week I will published them here on Targuman. I encourage you to take a look at ESN and consider supporting and contributing yourself. We will be holding […]
Last week was the third season finale of the series Grantchester. Having watched an enjoyed all three seasons to date, I wanted to share my critique of the show. A few preliminary comments are relevant. First, I deeply enjoy this genre, the British period mystery. Now, I have been a fan […]
Never one to be prompt, I am late to this game of sharing my favorite podcasts. “Informally led” by NPR March was the month to declare your love for podcasts with the hashtag #TryPod. According to Edison Research, one in five Americans listened to podcasts every month as of early […]