Steveawiggins
MY BLOGS
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Sects and Violence in the Ancient World
http://sawiggins.wordpress.com/
A blog that tries to find intelligent things to say about religion and related subjects.
LATEST ARTICLES ( 4522 )
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Five Man Electrical Band
I grew up looking for signs. If you sincerely believe the Fundamentalist worldview, then we are all part of a great, divine dramaturgy in which we have... Read more
Posted on 07 August 2013 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Resurrinception
Like most profound movies, Inception keeps me coming back repeatedly. I’ve already written a post on how the Theseus and minotaur myth lurk deep within the... Read more
Posted on 06 August 2013 ENTERTAINMENT, MOVIES, POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Treasure Hunting
It is raining in Midtown. On my lunch hour I’m in a deserted public square down on my knees with an umbrella over my head. My free hand is reaching under a piec... Read more
Posted on 05 August 2013 SELF EXPRESSION -
By Jove!
When Zeus is taken seriously in the New York Times, even the open minded scratch their heads. It’s not because any of us really believe Zeus is up their... Read more
Posted on 04 August 2013 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Gnostic Agnostic
Hidden knowledge is sweet. Belief in it is very old. Kocku von Stuckrad’s Western Esotericism: A Brief History of Secret Knowledge offers its own kind of... Read more
Posted on 03 August 2013 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
God in the Shops
Over the past few weeks, as I’ve been out and about, I’ve been noticing the way that the divine has been utilized by shop-keepers. Read more
Posted on 02 August 2013 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Firelands
Piper Bayard has been a long-time blogging buddy of mine. She’s kind enough to comment on many of my posts and even kinder to like even more. Read more
Posted on 01 August 2013 BOOKS -
Wars and Holy Wars
An article by James P. Byrd, promoting his new book Sacred Scripture, Sacred War: The Bible and the American Revolution recently appeared in the Washington Post. Read more
Posted on 31 July 2013 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Stone Age Henge
At a hotel during a recent excursion, I saw a National Geographic (I think) special on Gobekli Tepe (this is the fate of those of us kept from a daily sustenanc... Read more
Posted on 30 July 2013 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Christian Rocks
Sitting in traffic outside the Lincoln Tunnel, I see that the Violent Femmes are coming to town. The billboard sends my mind spiraling back to college, when... Read more
Posted on 29 July 2013 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Tempting Truth
Recently I was discussing the internet with friends. Real ones, I mean, physically in the room with me. One asked if the internet made conspiracy theories more... Read more
Posted on 28 July 2013 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Hidden Messages
Symbolic gestures are among the simple pleasures of life. Unobserved, and certainly unappreciated, they comfort only those who perform them most of the time.... Read more
Posted on 27 July 2013 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Fly Like an Eagle
Hummingbirds, according to my bird book, have hearts that beat 1260 times a minute. That translates, if my math is to be trusted, to 21 beats per second. Read more
Posted on 26 July 2013 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Human, All Too
Back in the days of The Scarlet Letter, and before, an even more egregious double standard afflicted the sexual practices of women and men. Read more
Posted on 25 July 2013 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Let It Shine
Stanley Kubrick was not the most prolific of movie makers, yet his efforts often create striking impressions. I saw 2001: A Space Odyssey at a young age, and... Read more
Posted on 24 July 2013 ENTERTAINMENT, MOVIES -
Free Freedom
A weary-looking TSA official asked me why I opted out of the full-body scanner at the airport recently. As always, I responded that it is against my religion. Read more
Posted on 23 July 2013 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
The Good Magazine
I saw this magazine in a store recently. The temptation to buy it was compelling, but with international trips and a child about to start college to pay for,... Read more
Posted on 22 July 2013 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Weird Tales
Since I first discovered H. P. Lovecraft, I believe that I have read all his published fiction. Most recently a multi-year marathon took me through the S. T.... Read more
Posted on 21 July 2013 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
To a Fallen Goddess
One of my favorite places to visit in New Jersey is Grounds for Sculpture. Over the past several years that we’ve domiciled here, we’ve had the opportunity to... Read more
Posted on 20 July 2013 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Cultural Religion
The National Museum of Scotland, like many museums in the British Isles, is free to visitors. Such museums are repositories of national pride and provide a sens... Read more
Posted on 19 July 2013 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY
