The Bible Code

The Bible Code is a best selling book by Michael Drosnin which, if anything, demonstrates the popular craving for novelty and a sense of wonder. I’ve talked to otherwise intelligent people who are impressed by this highly questionable book. But … Continue reading →

The Bible

The word Bible comes from the Latin after the Greek biblia, or “books.” Biblia is a form of byblos, meaning the papyrus paper exported from the ancient Phoenician port city of Biblos. Also known as the Holy Bible, the Bible … Continue reading →

Peter, Paul and Women – Another look at the Early Church

Among Christians, St. Peter is often compared to St. Paul. Peter is seen as the rule man. Paul, the innovator. Together, they are usually cited as the two most important early Christians after Jesus Christ, himself. Women in Early Christianity Feminists … Continue reading →

Persona – Age old concept with a whole new twist

Roots of Persona The idea of the persona has been around for ages, with roots stemming back to ancient Greek and Estruscan civilizations. Over the centuries the use of the term has shifted, evolved and, in response to new technologies, … Continue reading →

Pelegianism and authoritarian personalities

Preamble: Why I’m not too enthusiastic about Christian theology  (skip to main entry, Pelegianism) Reading over material for this update, I came to feel that Pelegianism is a great example of why I’m not overly enthused about the history of Christian … Continue reading →

Looking through a glass darkly – The paranormal, normal and bias

The Latin prefix para means beside or beyond. Like the word supernatural, paranormal refers to any phenomenon that eludes explanation through normal science or conventional wisdom. Paranormal can be a misleading term because what is ‘normal’ is open to debate … Continue reading →

Panpsychism – The Future Calls?

Panpsychism is the belief that all things possess consciousness. Some extend this belief to say that the type of consciousness matches the complexity of a thing’s organization. The idea goes back to ancient times and has appeared around the globe. … Continue reading →

Quiddity – What is?

Embed from Getty Images Quiddity (Latin: quidditas = whatness) is a medieval scholastic term referring a thing’s essence (primary substance) in contrast to its observable form (secondary substance). This kind of distinction goes back to Plato and plays an important … Continue reading →

Ragnarok – Old Norse for “Fate of the Gods”

In Scandinavian myth, Ragnarok is a terrible final battle in which the gods are destroyed, along with most of creation and mankind. According to the story, Ragnarok is preceded by lawlessness and anarchy. There are only two survivors of the … Continue reading →

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888-1975) – Great unifier or opinionated reductionist?

Embed from Getty Images Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888-1975) was an Indian scholar of religion and philosophy who taught at the University of Calcutta and Oxford. He became the first Vice President (1952) and the second President of India (1962). More interesting … Continue reading →