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 ( 4088 )
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Modern Gnostics
It’s not exactly a standard church. At least I don’t think it is, but I’m just learning. (That’s my life’s motto—I’m just learning.) A convoluted path brough... Read more
Posted on 19 December 2023 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Sights of Silence
To an historian who cut his teeth on deep antiquity (if circumstances were different I would’ve ended up a Sumerologist), my current fascination with film... Read more
Posted on 18 December 2023 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Could Have Understood Differently
A lesson many authors need to learn (and I include myself here) is that titles matter. Cutesy, clever titles may work for well-known writers, but something... Read more
Posted on 17 December 2023 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Author! Author!
It happened in Salem. In 1861. The classic American card game, Authors, was published. G. M. Whipple and A. A. Smith devised the game, which has remained... Read more
Posted on 16 December 2023 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Beyond Reason
Emotions are tricky. They’re an essential part of being human, but they don’t function rationally. At least they don’t do so reliably. And nobody is... Read more
Posted on 15 December 2023 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
What Poe Saw
It must be quite a draw, making a film based on Edgar Allan Poe. The psychology of his tales of terror is compelling and modern filmmaking offers endless... Read more
Posted on 14 December 2023 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Call Me AI
Let’s call them Large Language Models instead of gracing them with the exalted title “artificial intelligence.” Apparently, they have great potential. They ca... Read more
Posted on 13 December 2023 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Black Bird
Although we prefer typecasting—it’s so much easier!—Edgar Allan Poe had both depth and width as a writer. He penned funny as well as scary, love poems and... Read more
Posted on 12 December 2023 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Intimate Thoughts
Although I haven’t had much time to devote to my fiction writing—I’m finishing yet another nonfiction title—I do have a Twitter account for my pseudonym. Read more
Posted on 11 December 2023 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
After Effects
Every once in a while you find a book you wish had been published sooner. The Exorcist Effect, by Joseph P. Laycock and Eric Harrelson is one of those books. Read more
Posted on 10 December 2023 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Edge of Civilization
This is not a movie to be watched by someone with PTSD. I watched Outpost for the scenery (I’ve been to the area it was filmed many times) and because the New... Read more
Posted on 09 December 2023 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
The Gift
Each day, each hour is a gift. With my mother’s passing two months ago, I’ve been struck by the sheer number of colleagues that have died this year. Not all o... Read more
Posted on 08 December 2023 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Who’s Knocking?
I’m by no means alone in enjoying Stephen King novels. I’ve read a fair number over the years. I was put on alert for The Tommyknockers by a scholar who... Read more
Posted on 07 December 2023 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Saint Nick
My wife and I have both noticed it. December has been much busier than usual, and neither one of us works in retail. We’re at the age when most people are... Read more
Posted on 06 December 2023 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Hybrid
We really need a better category. Beyond “horror,” I mean. My wife and I have been re-watching the X-Files on DVD (we know how to stream but we bought these... Read more
Posted on 05 December 2023 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Nuts and Bolts
It all began with an innocent laugh at the local hardware store. It was Saturday morning, around 8:30 and I had to get some nuts and bolts. Literally. Read more
Posted on 04 December 2023 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
New Gremlins
I haven’t seen the movie Gremlin in years. I’m adding it to my Christmas list this year, however. Probably because I watched Shadow in the Cloud recently. Read more
Posted on 03 December 2023 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Wild Moose Chase
I don’t remember the details, but I’m pretty sure we didn’t ask permission. It was summer and a seminary friend and I were going camping in Maine. You see,... Read more
Posted on 02 December 2023 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Gateway Horror
I’m in two minds about The Gate. Part of me says “bad movie” while another part says, “Yeah, I’d watch it again.” A third part of me knows I probably will. It... Read more
Posted on 01 December 2023 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Support Roles
It seems to me that many people who strive for a particular life—say writer, actor, rock star—and don’t break through often end up in supporting roles. Read more
Posted on 30 November 2023 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY