Places I've Been

A few weeks ago, I mentioned reading a new book by Brett Grainger, In the World But Not of It: One Family's Militant Faith and the History of Fundamentalism in America. You don't get too far into it before you realize that the biographical sections don't take place in America. The author is from Ontario. So the subtitle is more about marketing than description. But I'm nitpicking. Although there are a few small things I didn't like about his book, Grainger is a fine writer who sizes up some things very well. Interested? You can listen to a recent National Public Radio interview with Brett Grainger.

John Hobbins is a young biblical scholar with wisdom beyond his years. His special interest is classical Hebrew. But he's a careful student of much more, too. I've become a regular at his blog, Ancient Hebrew Poetry. Check it out.

Every once in a while someone protests in behalf of mainline Protestantism in the U.S. "There are signs of life!" says one. "We're right on the verge of a mainline revival," says another. I don't want to be uncharitable. I just don't believe them. Not for a minute. No, the mainline will continue its long drawn-out decline. To get a glimpse of why, see the post by James H. Charlesworth, biblical scholar extraordinaire who teaches at Princeton Theological Seminary. In "Psalm 23 and the Fear of Stagnant Waters," Charlesworth describes some of his experiences teaching the Bible to future mainline leaders. The reader incompetence generated by rotten attitudes is enough to kill any church.