In the polytheistic culture of the Ancient Near East, deities were worshipped by means of sacrifices made in particular places. Most gods were considered to have what we might consider “regional” power (the Babylonians having a few patron deities vs. those of say the Assyrians); and within those regions to have particular locations in which...
Tag: understanding the Bible
Understanding the Bible 07: David & the Monarchy
David is a central protagonist in the biblical story. And though his triumph over Goliath and his moral failings with Bathsheba are the stuff of great art, it is his establishment of the monarchy in Israel that both shapes and foreshadows future events. David is born in Bethlehem (c. 1040 BCE). He spends his childhood...
Jesus at 7PM – Live Audience Q&A in Irvine, CA
Honest answers to sincere questions are essential to the work of love. Indeed the lessons that have been most formative in my spiritual life have not come from books and lectures (important though they are!), but from the candid conversations that came at the cafe or in the parking lot after the formal lesson was...