Tag Archives: messiah

Another Fine Messiah

Posted on January 23, 2022 by Nathan

The concept of the Messiah is a significant one in both Judaism and Christianity, but I think it was in my Apocalypse class in college that I learned what it actually means, and how the concept developed, particularly in the context … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Cults, History, Judaism, Religion, Zoroastrianism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Conflicting Covenants

Posted on December 10, 2018 by Nathan

One thing I’ve heard a fair amount for Christians that doesn’t seem to really hold up is that Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection freed believers from the Jewish law. And yet the same people will quote verses from Leviticus to condemn … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Judaism, Philosophy, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Give Me Resurrection or Give Me Death!

Posted on March 29, 2016 by Nathan

I’ve looked at the concept of gods dying and being resurrected before, and it really seems like there’s a tendency to ascribe more similarities to the various myths of the sort than there really are. It’s a common theme, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Conspiracy Theories, Egyptian, Greek Mythology, Hinduism, Judaism, Mythology, Norse, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

From Carpenter to Creator

Posted on October 12, 2014 by Nathan

How Jesus Became God: The Exaltation of a Jewish Preacher from Galilee, by Bart D. Erhman – Erhman, a scholar of early Christianity and a former fundamentalist who’s now an agnostic, has written several informative and enjoyable books on Biblical … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Christianity, Judaism, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Zeal Deal

Posted on October 29, 2013 by Nathan

Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, by Reza Aslan – This book received a certain amount of notoriety due to a really stupid interview on Fox News, when Lauren Green asked why a Muslim would write about … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Christianity, Fox News, History, Islam, Judaism, Middle East, Religion, Roman Empire, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

It’s in Revelations, People!

Posted on October 14, 2013 by Nathan

Revelations: Visions, Prophecy, and Politics in the Book of Revelation, by Elaine Pagels – I’ve written quite a bit on the book of Revelation, sometimes in relation to modern Christians who can’t wait for the world to end, but also … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Christianity, Gnosticism, Judaism, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Anoint Me Slowly

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Nathan

I’ve recently seen it suggested that the practice of anointing an official in oil dates back to Egypt, where such a ceremony is represented in images of coronations. It has been proposed that, symbolically speaking, the anointment transfers the power … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, History, Judaism, Middle East, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Fantasy of the Christ

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Nathan

I’ve recently come across several comments on a recent essay that tries to define fantasy as a distinctly Christian genre. Both J.L. Bell and Vorjack at Unreasonable Faith have brought it up, and my immediate reaction was to dismiss the … Continue reading →

Posted in C.S. Lewis, Christianity, Chronicles of Narnia, Fairy Tales, Greek Mythology, Greek Philosophy, Judaism, Mythology, Oz, Philosophy, Religion, Science | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Baha’i Times

Posted on May 22, 2011 by Nathan

It’s not uncommon for one religion to use another as a jumping-off point, as Christianity did with Judaism and Islam did with both of those. The Baha’i Faith, founded in the nineteenth century, continues with this tradition, having developed from … Continue reading →

Posted in Baha'i Faith, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

When Rome Ruled

Posted on December 8, 2010 by Nathan

Since Chanukah is soon coming to an end and I know I’ve at least occasionally had Jewish readers, I feel it’s only appropriate to write something related to this holiday. It’s sort of a multi-faith post, I suppose, as it … Continue reading →

Posted in Chanukah, Christianity, Christmas, Historical Personages, History, Holidays, Judaism, Religion, Roman Empire | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments