Reading the Bible sensibly
(April 7, 2025)The Bible isn’t always an easy book to read and understand. Here are 7 suggestions to help read it sensibly.
Tag: history
Making assumptions about the Bible?
(October 18, 2023)What if many of the assumptions we bring to the Bible are actually questionable?
First Nations: how did we get to here?
(August 28, 2023)My previous post (Is God woke?) led to me being asked some questions about First Nations people in Australia, and whether they deserve any special consideration by Government or white people generally. I think we can only understand, and respond to, the present situation if we have considered the history of First Nations peoples and […]
Australia Day and sensitivity towards our indigenous brothers and sisters
(January 26, 2023)Five years ago we attended a service of lament and support for indigenous christians who cannot celebrate Australia Day with the rest of the country. The service highlighted issues that I think we all wish weren’t there, or would go away. Last night we watched an online prayer service conducted by Aboriginal christians seeking to […]
When the church ignores Jesus
(June 10, 2021)In history, the church often supported the wealthy and the government. That isn’t what Jesus taught. What about today?
Getting to know Nazareth
(June 20, 2020)Archaeology continues to reveal new insights into Jesus’ boyhood town and the culture of its inhabitants.
Can I say anything new about the resurrection of Jesus?
(April 18, 2019)I have been re-reading NT Wright’s chapter on the “The Surprise of Resurrection” in Jesus: the final days, where he corrects some doubtful christian ideas about the resurrection, and offers reasons why we should regard the gospel accounts as basically historical.
Which Jesus did you worship this Christmas?
(December 24, 2018)Jesus is such an important and admired character in world history and western culture that everyone seems to want to claim him for their tribe. So there are many different versions of Jesus for us to believe in. Shopping mall Jesus This is the most obvious Jesus, and the easiest to see through. Two months […]
Book review: Beyond the Texts
(August 28, 2018)You can find a lot of different views on the internet about the accuracy of Old Testament history and how archaeology does, or doesn’t, support the Old Testament accounts. Minimalist historians, and internet sceptics, will tell you it’s almost all invented myth, while maximalist historians and christian apologists will tell you that archaeology supports the […]
"Because of her, we can"
(July 18, 2018)Like many countries colonised by European nations, Australia has a sorry two century history of poor treatment of our indigenous peoples, resulting in a significant reduction in their numbers and the quality of their lives. But they have survived, their numbers are building again, and many indigenous leaders are become more forthright in their pleas […]