Steveawiggins

LATEST ARTICLES ( 4576 )

• Biblical Art

  

  Although the United States is a religious nation, according to all polls, not many Americans know about the American Bible Society. Read more

  Posted on 06 May 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Who’s Wright?

  

  Upstate New York used to be known as the “Burnt Over District.” In the days of the “Second Great Awakening,” many new religions cropped up in this region—some t... Read more

  Posted on 05 May 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Two Outlooks

  

  The word polymath used to be applied more easily. In these days of highly specialized training, it is difficult to have expert knowledge in more than a couple o... Read more

  Posted on 04 May 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Book Culture

  

  The book is not dead. Yesterday, on a warm, sunny spring day that veritably screamed “outdoors,” I found myself standing in line. I was at the Hunterdon County... Read more

  Posted on 03 May 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Brain Dead

  

  I’ve been thinking about brains (is there any more existential thing to do?). Reading a book this week about the mind (see Thursday’s post) probably has... Read more

  Posted on 02 May 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Google Me This

  

  Technology frequently flummoxes me. Although I use it daily, it changes more swiftly than I can hope to. Working for a British company, for example, my... Read more

  Posted on 01 May 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Mind the Gap

  

  There’s something on my mind. I guess that’s the normal state of a conscious being. William H. Calvin’s A Brief History of the Mind might clarify that a bit. Read more

  Posted on 30 April 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Receive History

  

  Sacred texts, without readers, are mere artifacts. While so evident as to be trite, this truth lies behind the area of biblical studies called reception history. Read more

  Posted on 29 April 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Post Script to Art

  

  At work Christian Century is a magazine that sometimes lands on my desk. I suspect the book reviews are the main reason for this, but I like to skim the... Read more

  Posted on 28 April 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Plainly Ghosts

  

  Sometimes I’ll buy a book and secret it aside to read later as a kind of reward for making it through some heavier material. Research monographs don’t always... Read more

  Posted on 27 April 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Bus Fare

  

  The two things most likely to kill you on the streets of Midtown Manhattan are taxi cabs and city buses. Crossing the Fifth Avenue can be a dangerous game of... Read more

  Posted on 26 April 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Saving Face

  

  Although it has been commented upon in Rate My Professor, my beard is not intended to be impressive. In fact, it’s not really. Since I was quite young I... Read more

  Posted on 25 April 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• I’m No Legend

  

  First there was The Last Man on Earth with that rare, disappointing performance by Vincent Price. Then there was The Omega Man, putting Charlton Heston into... Read more

  Posted on 24 April 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• The Lure of Lore

  

  One of my doctoral advisers, Nick Wyatt, has become a friend over the years. I’m sure he would agree that he is often called a maverick, but in the best possibl... Read more

  Posted on 23 April 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• 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