We certainly need to read the Bible for personal and lofty reasons, in search of spiritual formation. As with textual interests, there are methods that are applied to the self.[1]   Back in post #4, I...

Frankly, the basics are pretty straightforward:  think of every biblical text as a friend, and then treat your friend the way you want to be treated. Start by listening to your friend and don't keep i...

“What does Bible study even mean?” Strange as that may sound, not everything that calls itself “Bible Study” is.

What It's Not

Unfortunately, this phrase gets attached to just about everything:  

...

It is not in spite of, but because of our love for our ancient, precious biblical texts, that we, with energy, seek out how to read them. We respect methods developed over centuries, and they are not ...

How do you know when the Spirit of God is speaking? 

Claiming that "the Spirit told me" something is very easy to do.  And when you hear someone say that, it's almost as if you are not allowed to ask...

All readings of biblical texts should be Spirit-led. If any method of reading is Spirit-led, it will at least attempt to be responsible to what that text is trying to say and do.

The Psalmist says, “...

We’re talking about reading the Bible. So, right up front, let’s put this on the table: When reading the Bible, we need the Spirit of God. All reading of biblical texts should be Spirit-led. All!

Thi...

Power-Reading the Bible can fundamentally transform how we look at the Bible, how we handle it, what we get from it, and how we apply it to ourselves and to others. 

So, starting now, and week by wee...

Note:  this post is an early version of the introduction of a new translation of the Apocalypse now available only for private sale (by personal request), or as a promotional gift under the following ...

If free speech is a desirable thing, and if Christians are sometimes schizophrenic about it (see previous post), should we be thoughtful in how we pursue it?  Such a question will cause most to say so...

Free speech. An important concept. Worthy of discussion.  Of course to do that, some measure of it has to exist already. 

Saying "I believe in the importance of freedom of speech," is like saying "I ...

Like a timely chess move, during March 2023, the social media presence of IABC is moving off of Facebook and onto a platform called MeWe.  Those who sign up for a free account can access our new socia...

A society, large or small, built on the pursuit of critical inquiry is a precious thing. Where there is a collective hunger for the genuine exchange of ideas, of testing and evaluating what and how we...

A very hot topic—abortion as a religious value—was brought into focus today on a short Fox Entertainment interview of two people: (1) a pastor [Shane Idleman] and (2) the president of Union Theologica...

In the movie, Gladiator, young Commodus says to his father, Marcus Aurelius (emperor of Rome 161-180 CE):

You wrote to me once, listing the Four Cardinal Virtues: 

1. Wisdom,
2. Justice,
3. Fortitude,
...

I’m certain that I would not be considered a patriot by many people. I am grateful for many things about the country of my birth and life, and I could write extensively about those things, including t...

By Gary D. Collier (Index:  1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5  )

I want to thank you, Alan, for kindly inviting us to look over your shoulder during a personal experiment in reading and exploration. It is my hope th...

Response by Alan Mudd  (Index:  1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5  )

I don't know how to respond to the list of questions you made. To me, they do the job of inferring or implying an infinite regress of irrelevant i...

Response by Gary D. Collier  (Index:  1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5  )

Being in near total agreement with your entire treatment of this subject, I want to recall your quasi-canonical use of Thomas Hobbes’ text w...

Response by Alan Mudd  (Index:  1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5  ) 
(See editor's note at the end.)

I take it from your post that your position on the question, “could Adam & Eve have left the garden if they'd want...

By Gary D. Collier (Index:  1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5  ) 

What do you think?  Could Adam and Eve have left the garden on their own had they wanted to?  Were they free to come and go? Were they prisoners? Cou...

The list below—an instance of what I'll term CAD—was projected during a sermon I heard.

 With some guidance, one might legitimately compare brief texts by six different authors with six different l...

My encouragement to all who would read the book of Revelation is this:  Spend less time listening to theories about the book (how it is said to apply to this or that thing today or tomorrow), and more...

A reader has sent the following paragraph and granted the right to post it: 

Yet, I see the author(s) of the book of Revelation giving their interpretation and ideas of what is going on in their time...