Steveawiggins

LATEST ARTICLES ( 4572 )

• Time Killer

  

  The internet, while it’s no longer free, still at least offers many opportunities to connect. No matter what your obscure passion, you’ll find others who share... Read more

  Posted on 16 December 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Why Horror?

  

  Some people wonder why I like horror. Well, “like” is hardly the proper verb here, I’d rather go the passive route—why I’m compelled by horror. That fits better... Read more

  Posted on 15 December 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Wise Women

  

  At a neighborhood holiday gathering the topic of a local living nativity came up. This year they need some wise men (don’t we all!) and some of the women... Read more

  Posted on 14 December 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Inventing Christmas

  

  While not always classified among the most intellectual of writers, Charles Dickens was a complicated man. Able to conjure words that reflect emotions, often... Read more

  Posted on 13 December 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• In Control

  

  Those who know me know that I treat my workdays like clockwork. I leave the apartment every day, catch the same bus, and leave work at the end of the day, all... Read more

  Posted on 12 December 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Old Salt

  

  Time has been at a premium lately, but when I have a few spare moments I like to read the Oxford Dictionaries blog. Those of us who make a living with words... Read more

  Posted on 11 December 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• The Art of Commuting

  

  You can tell when the holiday season settles on the city. The commute home takes longer because developers simply can’t ignore a highway and the potential it ha... Read more

  Posted on 10 December 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Ravages and Kings

  

  I was recently thinking about King Saul. If it’s been a while for you, Saul was the “first king” of Israel, according to the books of Samuel. Saul had a problem... Read more

  Posted on 09 December 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Anneliese Or Emily?

  

  If it weren’t for the movie The Exorcism of Emily Rose, the name of Anneliese Michel would undoubtedly be less recognized than it is. Read more

  Posted on 08 December 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Dominus Flevit

  

  I couldn’t believe I was actually there. Ever since I was a child I’d read about this place. The city conquered by David and visited by Jesus. The city around... Read more

  Posted on 07 December 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Spiritual Education

  

  The water was hot. Notoriously hot. Our Junior High School had been built in the days of the prison esthetic, with heavy, cinderblock walls painted in penitent... Read more

  Posted on 06 December 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Not So Gnostic

  

  A certain, amorphous indignation comes over those of us trained in history when we encounter abuses of the same. In my case, some thought me conservative when... Read more

  Posted on 05 December 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Someone to Blame

  

  There’s many ways to look at monsters. A friend recently sent me an Atlas Obscura article “The Modern Lives of Medieval Monster Scholars” by Cara Giaimo. Read more

  Posted on 04 December 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• After Dark

  

  So many spooky things happen at night. If you’ve read much on this blog you’ll know I blushingly confess to a horror movie addiction. So much so that I wrote a... Read more

  Posted on 03 December 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Home of Cthulhu

  

  Travel by train seems to be so much more civilized than flying. You don’t need to arrive at the airport two hours in advance for the privilege of standing in... Read more

  Posted on 02 December 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Museum Piece

  

  So the Museum of the Bible is now open in Washington, DC. It actually opened while a quorum or more of biblical scholars were busy making their way to Boston fo... Read more

  Posted on 01 December 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Popularity for Purchase

  

  I only watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with one eye. Since my office is just two blocks from the store, it’s a little too much like work. Still, I can’... Read more

  Posted on 30 November 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• More Than Baptism

  

  Few things distinguish American Christianity as much as its divisions. These aren’t precise, however, and often the borders are fuzzy and held more by cultural... Read more

  Posted on 29 November 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Holiday Season

  

  It was just after dark and the red and blue lights were shredding the night in Wallkill, New York. We’d driven past this mall just over an hour ago to take our... Read more

  Posted on 28 November 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Inventing Breaks

  

  Breaks are good for many things. Time with family and friends. Hours of non-bus time for reading. Watching movies. So it was that we went to see The Man Who... Read more

  Posted on 27 November 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY