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The Son of God
3–5 minutesWe read in Romans 1:4 that Jesus is “declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead.” With the able help of N. T. Wright I want to explore the worlds of meaning of the phrase “Son of God” and then conclude this post with implications for missiology. What does it mean to be “Son of God”? N.T. Wright concludes his masterful tome The Resurrection of the Son of God with a section entitled “The Meanings of the Son of God” where he outlines the “world of meaning which was generated for…
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Recipe: Chou Soup
2–3 minutesMoving to a new country, learning a new language, and learning a new culture isn’t about doing what you’re used to doing (eating, drinking, etc) in a new setting, but rather it’s about learning to do as they do, eat what they eat, drink what they drink, etc. Plus, it’s a great way to have a lot of fun. Since we live in Savoy, I checked out a Savoyard recipe book from our local library to see what some traditional dishes are for this region of France. There are many recipes for soaps and pies (savory meat pies) and many call…
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How Not to Do a Bible Translation
1–2 minutesAn Alaskan radio station is reporting on the dire reception of a new Tlingit (an indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast of America) encyclopedia. “The problem is: The language in the book is not recognizable by contemporary scholars, or Native Tlingit speakers.” All in all, the story is absolutely baffling and provides a very clear negative example for Bible translators. What the author did wrong: She did not employ the already established Tlingit writing system, leaving her work illegible She used a non-conventional spelling of the language in the title She’s entirely unknown to the the people for whom…
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The Written World
1–2 minutesIf you’re not a regular listener of BBC Radio 4’s program(me) “In Our Time,” you may have missed the series of five episodes that just aired on the history of the writing and how it has shaped intellectual history. Of particular interest to my readers will be episode three, how the invention of writing influenced the spread of religion. The five episodes cover: How making signs on clay, wood or parchment enabled the development of human culture. The impact of the invention of the book. How the invention of writing influenced the spread of religion. How the written word, originally…