The Uncensored Unprofessor

The Old Testament was vague at best concerning the afterlife and what happens to the self. The Inter-Testamental period represents a significant shift thereon. Why? What changed? What was going on among the ancient Jews to cause such an enormous paradigm shift? Did Jesus believe more like an OT Jew or an inter-testamental Jew? Even more pressing, was God still at work during this "silent" period? Or, is God only at work when it concerns us and our era?

What did the ancient Hebrews believe about death and the afterlife? What was their emphasis? How does the Old Testament set the stage for what occurs in the New Testament? Was Jesus consistent with or divergent from the Old Testament when he taught on the afterlife? How did the Hebrews differ from their surrounding neighbors concerning death and the dead? This episode helps us to see how divergent Jesus was in his person, teachings, and actions.

This is episode 1 in a series on Heaven & Hell. Why don't Christians any longer talk about or imagine life following the resurrection? What caused believers to make the afterlife irrelevant? What did Jesus believe about the afterlife? Answering questions like those, we will also look at some Barna polling agency stats on American belief in the afterlife. And, of course, I'll mix in some of my dry and zany humor!

Some ramblings to celebrate my 50th episode. Includes my favorites: food, all-time church, Bible-passage, and thing to do. My reflections on society: why are some so angry? Why do so many want to be controlling? An assorted reflection on the existentially tainted nature of time. Plus, I'll tell you some jokes along with some strange "bird" stories. Also share some information about my highest and lowest downloaded episodes. Come and think with me!

If God knows everything what is the point of praying? Won't he just make things happen regardless? But, what if God built the universe such that prayer is an integral tool for us? After all, God is a being who loves to share. What if prayer is less about work and more about sharing? Me? I believe prayer is part of our God-given toolbox to complete both the cultural mandate (Gen. 1) and the Gospel (Mt. 28:19). Even more? Prayer is just good for your soul!

Did God make commandments forbidding rituals? Why did the Devil tempt us with rituals? Why, for billions of people, and millions of Christians, do rituals work? Was Jesus in any way ritualistic? Can God communicate to us without using words? Is any beauty to be found outside of words? Come an think through this important aesthetic category with me.

500 years ago the Reformation took a big billy club to beauty, nearly eliminating beauty from the Christian way of life. Why did that happen? Was it justified? Was it a good thing? Oh, and, what are the effects of the Reformation on our practice of Christianity today? What should we take, and what should we reject, from the Reformation? Lacking art in our churches, are we contemporary believers any less guilty of idolatry than ages past? This is part 3 in my 4-part series on Beauty.

Whereas our society is superficial and loud, beauty comes in depths and peace. What are the benefits of enjoying beauty? Or, just what is beauty? Why do so many Christians ignore beauty? Is society right when it tells us that pretty and handsome are the same as beautiful? Why does the U.U. love beauty so much? How is beauty like God? Why would God have created the world with such beauty? Those questions are woven into my reflections here on one of the most overlooked gifts on the planet: beauty!

Beauty is a gift from God, but we tend to keep that gift in the closet. Why do we do that? Or, do we really do that? Is beauty an idol? Are art and aesthetic always idols? What possibilities are there for employing beauty in the Christian mission? The beginning of a series on beauty, this is a quick hitter, so come and think with me for 10 minutes.

What's it like to run a marathon? What's the point of running a marathon? What was involved in earning my Ph.D.? Or, more broadly, what has caused us today to want things to be so easy? Why should you ever do something difficult? Come and laugh and think with me about something we do our diligent best to avoid: hard work.