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 ( 4674 )
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Lost Civilizations
At the rate rain forests are being decimated for our lust for beef, it seems amazing that there are any unexplored regions left at all. Read more
Posted on 02 July 2022 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Life Writing
It’s sometimes thought that a writer’s life is easy. What’s so difficult about scribbling things that people will pay for? I’m absolutely certain that, like... Read more
Posted on 01 July 2022 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Keeping Your Head
Horror is a gift that keeps on giving. Not many horror fans are among my regular readers, but I like to keep a finger in the pie nevertheless. Read more
Posted on 30 June 2022 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Closed System?
Photo credit: NASA, public domainNothing is wasted. Not in nature. Maybe that’s the true economy of life. We humans come in and make our habitat in our own... Read more
Posted on 29 June 2022 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Internet of Nothings
In the vast internet of things, it’s surprising that you can’t order some specific things. This became clear to me recently when there were two separate... Read more
Posted on 28 June 2022 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Dutch Treat
It was back when I was researching my first religion and horror paper that I learned it. Since the paper was about Sleepy Hollow, I’d been reading about... Read more
Posted on 27 June 2022 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Ravens and Teachers
Humans, it is claimed, have a theory of mind. What this means is that we know what others are thinking, or better, at least we can anticipate what they might b... Read more
Posted on 26 June 2022 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Stand with Women
We like to think we’re the most advanced civilization in the world, but we allow the appointment of “justices” who still believe women are inferior to men. Read more
Posted on 25 June 2022 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Following Instinct
An article from the Christian Science Monitor a few years back made me think how common knowledge runs ahead of science, but without the rigorous evidence. Read more
Posted on 24 June 2022 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Paperback Nightmares
I’m not assertive. My voice is not loud and even when I have strong opinions I like to let others have their say. Those of us who’ve been beaten down too... Read more
Posted on 23 June 2022 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Redacted
A friend recently introduced me to Redactle. Yet another of those daily internet games that have become trendy in these pandemic years, Redactle gives you a... Read more
Posted on 22 June 2022 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Solstice Thoughts
At the equator, the difference is nil. The longest day and the shortest day don’t deviate from the standard day length. The further you move from the... Read more
Posted on 21 June 2022 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Devils and Days
The kind of devil envisioned by Andrew Michael Hurley in Devil’s Day may not be the traditional one, but it’s scary nevertheless. Read more
Posted on 20 June 2022 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Celebrate Juneteenth
It’s everywhere you look. Prison statistics. Poverty statistics. Gun violence statistics. We gave lip service to ending slavery but never really made our... Read more
Posted on 19 June 2022 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Thanking Teachers
Those who know me personally are often surprised to hear that my high school gym teacher was one of the most influential people in my life. It is true. Read more
Posted on 18 June 2022 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Godic
I have tried, in my halting way, to articulate what religion has to do with horror. Alison Milbank is more experienced than I and it shows in her book God and... Read more
Posted on 17 June 2022 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Bright Idea
No, I didn’t see a long tunnel with a light at the end, but I did have soot on my hands from the flash. I’m no electrician and the ordering instructions weren’... Read more
Posted on 16 June 2022 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Old Ghosts
As someone who reads about ghost stories, as well as ghost stories themselves, I’ve long been aware of M. R. James. His Ghost Stories of an Antiquary is regarde... Read more
Posted on 15 June 2022 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Souls, All
What is a soul? Can you lose your job for believing in one? Well, maybe not lose your job, but be placed on paid leave. Yesterday’s New York Times ran a stor... Read more
Posted on 14 June 2022 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Updating Irving
Movie quality is measured by many standards. It’s pretty clear that budgets can make a difference—Hollywood movies generally outshine television movies. Read more
Posted on 13 June 2022 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY
