The Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) tried something new in March 2023: holding a virtual global meeting. SBL was founded in 1880 and is “the oldest and largest learned society devoted to the critical investigation of the Bible from a variety of academic disciplines.” SBL holds an Annual Meeting in North America (which now draws […]
COVID-19
Democratic Senate Candidates to Watch in 2022: The Vital Importance of the Midterms
Our nation remains fractured politically and divided on a wide range of issues. The Big Lie perpetrated by the disgraced, twice-impeached, one-term former President Donald Trump and his cronies – that the 2020 Election was fraudulent and illegitimately deprived Trump of a second term – still persists. Smaller lies that negatively impact Americans – such […]
Now We Get to Work!
It’s Friday the 13th, but for many of us, that feels like a very positive date on the calendar! Despite what Donald Trump and his supporters might say and wish, they have been defeated at the polls, and it is time for him to prepare to move out of the White House (the People’s House). […]
Two Powerful Messages for Our Times
From The Council of the Society of Biblical Literature and Executive Staff of the Society of Biblical Literature A Statement on Black Lives Matter, Right to Protest, and Bible as Prop The Council of the Society of Biblical Literature and Executive Staff of SBL issue the following statement: We are appalled at the murder of […]
So-called “Flushable Wipes:” A Case Study in Hyperindividualism and Striving for the Common Good
One of the more bizarre and annoying fallouts from the COVID-19 pandemic has been the hoarding of toilet paper and other essentials. For weeks, shoppers found the TP shelf of their grocery store completely empty, with only a meager supply of so-called “flushable wipes” available as a substitute. Many psychological reasons have been given for […]
Television Ads in the Age of COVID-19
Watching just a few hours of television in early April 2020 reveals dozens of advertisements for the whole range of goods and services available in our society. Whatever we may think of the American version of capitalism (more properly “hypercapitalism”), it is our economic reality. It is thus an interesting and instructive exercise to examine […]