Steveawiggins

LATEST ARTICLES ( 4659 )

• How Did We Get Here?

  

  Where do we come from? Leaving aside the puerile snickers of our younger selves, we eventually learn “the facts of life” and get on with it. Read more

  Posted on 12 January 2018 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Addicted to Heaven

  

  I once wrote a scene—please don’t look for it; it’s never been published—in which a character awakes after attending a concert the night before. In my own life... Read more

  Posted on 11 January 2018 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Jedi Bible

  

  A long time ago in a galaxy far away there was no paper. This is something I didn’t realize until I read a book of essays by Ryan Britt a couple years back. Read more

  Posted on 10 January 2018 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Middle Age Demons

  

  One of the consequences of watching horror movies is the interest in the origins of various monsters. Since many such films feature demons, their backgrounds an... Read more

  Posted on 09 January 2018 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Setting Terms

  

  I never met Jonathan Z. Smith, although he was hard to miss at conferences. By the time I was a doctoral student his writings were deemed essential reading in... Read more

  Posted on 08 January 2018 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• The Big Shill

  

  Once in a while I have to shill. As an erstwhile academic I’m aware of the cachet my employer bears for colleagues and the elite among the general public. Still... Read more

  Posted on 07 January 2018 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• What Year?

  

  Dave Barry’s end of year review is part of our annual ritual for changing over the calendars. For those unfamiliar with Barry’s work, he was a columnist with th... Read more

  Posted on 06 January 2018 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Sticky Labels

  

  Who gets to decide on their own label? We all generally know how we’d like people to think of us, but labels are limiting and divisive. Read more

  Posted on 05 January 2018 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Science and

  

  Do science and religion have to fight? It’s not evident that they do, but some on each side of this divide like to keep the conflict going. Read more

  Posted on 04 January 2018 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Gaston Avenue Freeze-Out

  

  I was not, as yesterday’s post indicated, looking forward to the renewed commute into New York City. We’ve been having a cold snap here in the Northeast, and... Read more

  Posted on 03 January 2018 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• The Grind

  

  I’m headed back to New York City after a staycation of almost two weeks. Even shifting standard arising time back only an hour from 4:00 a.m. seems cruel and... Read more

  Posted on 02 January 2018 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• 2017 in Books

  

  At the end of each year I think back over the books I’ve read in the past twelve months. Since I don’t blog about every single book, I use Goodreads to keep... Read more

  Posted on 01 January 2018 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Let the Memory

  

  One of the rare and long-anticipated treats of being near New York City is the prospect of a live show. For practical reasons we don’t go to shows very... Read more

  Posted on 31 December 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Reading Preferences

  

  How do you decide on a favorite author? The question has been looming in my head as I’ve been reading through old novels on my shelves. It’s a question that... Read more

  Posted on 30 December 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Ancient Perspectives

  

  Around the holiday season, on social media, stories relating to the Bible tend to pop up. When my wife mentioned a New York Times story about “Gabriel’s... Read more

  Posted on 29 December 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Unidentified Angelic Phenomena

  

  Few topics have to be approached as gently as space aliens. Those who’ve seen UFOs are subject to an immediate ridicule response partly generated by the belief... Read more

  Posted on 28 December 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Honest Doubt

  

  Kurt Vonnegut was never required reading in my high school English classes. I read Slaughterhouse-Five when I was in seminary, and picked up a few of his other... Read more

  Posted on 27 December 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Investment Advice

  

  One of the more obvious transitions to adulthood involves Christmas becoming less of a holiday for receiving gifts. As we get older we learn that very few thing... Read more

  Posted on 26 December 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• All Is Bright

  

  As a Christmas present to myself I finished my third book yesterday. I’ll be posting details once the title is finalized. And “third” is only an approximation. Read more

  Posted on 25 December 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• All Is Calm

  

  For those who prefer their solstice celebrations in Christian flavor, today’s Christmas Eve. As various denominations warn us to keep Christ in Christmas,... Read more

  Posted on 24 December 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY