Steveawiggins

LATEST ARTICLES ( 4122 )

• Worth Saving

  

  Once we speed past Easter/Passover, holidays start to fall by the wayside as we try to get back to the serious business of either finishing up school for the... Read more

  Posted on 22 April 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Wireless

  Routine.  That’s how many of us make it through the day.  If it weren’t for routine, I’m sure I couldn’t force myself out of bed each day at 3:30 without an... Read more

  Posted on 21 April 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Washington Irving

  Less known now than he was in his own lifetime, Washington Irving is an odd literary character. Many writers, at least of tomes we now have our children read... Read more

  Posted on 20 April 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Pacific Rim

  

  is a movie that once again brings monsters and religion together in the cinema. Since I’m generally late seeing movies, I won’t worry too much about spoilers... Read more

  Posted on 19 April 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• States Right

  

  Can you name your state insect? State bird? State dinosaur? The concept of united states, perhaps more obvious in Europe where languages differ, is a complex... Read more

  Posted on 18 April 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• The Friar’s Tale

  

  Being a fan of Gothic fiction, I recently read an anonymous story from 1792 entitled, “The Friar’s Tale.” Those who linger among Gothic conventions know that th... Read more

  Posted on 17 April 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Honest to Good

  

  The oldest standing building in Oxford is the Saxon era church tower of St. Michael at the North Gate. Dating from around 1040, it still stands, providing... Read more

  Posted on 16 April 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Almost Purgatory

  

  Although it is difficult to tell from 32,000 feet, I think I might have flown over Purgatory on my way home from the UK. The two days I was in Oxford were... Read more

  Posted on 15 April 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Strange Days

  

  The flight from London to New York is eight hours. Although I always travel with books, sometimes the selection made before the actual reality of time on a plan... Read more

  Posted on 14 April 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Colorful Gods

  

  On my last day in Oxford I had enough free time to visit the Ashmolean Museum. The Ashmolean is the earliest public museum in the country, and, although it isn’... Read more

  Posted on 13 April 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Dis-Connected

  

  One of the more bemusing academic exercises is the analysis of the working class. Sometimes sociologists or scholars of religion take it upon themselves to... Read more

  Posted on 12 April 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Oxford Haunts

  

  When I travel, when I have time to plan, I like to visit the haunts of literary figures. It would be difficult to think of two more influential (or... Read more

  Posted on 11 April 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Paper Oxford

  

  It looks like a brilliant blue morning here in Oxford, yet my body is telling me that it’s the middle of the night. And that’s saying something, since I normall... Read more

  Posted on 10 April 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Accept Cookies

  

  You have probably noticed it. As expected as the warmer days of spring are also the Girl Scout cookies. A symbol of wholesome fundraising, Girl Scout cookies... Read more

  Posted on 09 April 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• United We Fly

  

  I’m on a flight from New York to London. This wasn’t a trip I particularly wanted to take (what business trip ever is?). I don’t like flying, and changing time... Read more

  Posted on 08 April 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Pop Goes the Bible

  

  In keeping with a theme, I followed up The Bible in Film—The Bible and Film with The Bible in/and Popular Culture, edited by Philip Culbertson and Elaine M.... Read more

  Posted on 07 April 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• New Faiths

  

  Scientology is never far from controversy. In the light of the new HBO documentary on Scientology by Alex Gibney (with New Jersey roots) the Star-Ledger ran a... Read more

  Posted on 06 April 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Happy Disruption

  

  Last night’s full moon shone brightly, announcing the grounding of the date of Easter, obviously associated with Passover. Unless one has a natural sense of... Read more

  Posted on 05 April 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• A Slice of Pi

  

  Raster images are made of pixels. MP3 files fit into neat little squares. Who owns a watch with an obsolete dial anymore? We live in the digital age. We are... Read more

  Posted on 04 April 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Out There…

  

  Spring is a time of hope. As crocuses poke their heads through the slowly yielding soil, we’re reminded that the long months of darkness are only temporary afte... Read more

  Posted on 03 April 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY