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Bible Reading is Cross-cultural Communication

Communication at its most basic is the use of symbols to affect the understanding of another. The symbols at a communicator’s disposal are both verbal and non-verbal. Verbal tools are spoken & heard symbols that represent ideas. Non-verbal tools are unspoken symbols that represent ideas. Phonology—uses words (individual...
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5 Ways to Avoid Miscommunication

Let’s be honest, when you understand what communication is at its roots, you’ll realize that you cannot avoid miscommunication… not altogether. It takes two to tango (That’s what my betters say, anyway… personally, I’m more of a Bugs Bunny Square Dance sort of fella’) and communication requires both...
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Passion and Awe in Psalm 8

When reading biblical poetry, one must learn to connect with the poem on more than one level. While it is important to carefully define the Hebrew words being employed in any passage, and to track a poem’s use of parallelism and word pairs, and to follow the overall...
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3 Reasons Every Christian Leader Should Learn Biblical Languages

I realize that the second someone makes a statement like, “Every Christian leader should learn biblical languages,” feelings of condemnation erupt. “So, everything I’ve done for X  years was a misguided waste?” “So, I’m not good enough?” “So, I can’t properly interpret the Scriptures in English?” If I...
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Nazarenes, Rednecks, and Other Well-meaning Slurs

I love puzzles, always have. Growing up, I saw puzzles of all kinds as a natural exercise of my desire to be a detective someday, tracing out subtle clues to help me zero in on bad guys. Becoming a biblical scholar, then, has always seemed right on target...
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Stumbling Stones Among Us

Some Scriptures cause me pain, especially when held in tension with others… seemingly conflicting ideas pulling at the soul, demanding wisdom… and let’s face it, wisdom can be exhausting. It’s so much easier to either throw caution to the wind or to develop a strict moral code in...
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That Not So Elusive Poverty

In a recent post, “Worst Nelson Mandela Quote Ever,” I proposed that one of Mandela’s most famous quotes about poverty exemplifies a disastrous understanding of reality,[1] particularly for a political figure with the power to establish policy. It sounds good on the surface, especially in regard to the...
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Ham on Nye: Not my Favorite Philosophical Sandwich

I must confess, I did not watch the recent televised and much talked about creation debate between Answers in Genesis founder, Ken Ham and, local TV legend, Bill Nye the science guy…aside from a few clips here and there. I did, however, read a good deal about it...
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Thomas Sowell on Charity vs. Entitlement Programs

In his book THE QUEST FOR COSMIS JUSTICE, Sowell discusses the internal demand by many to forcibly equalize every inequality, even natural inequalities. Equality has become, not about processes and essence of humanity, but about final outcomes. Some pursue this form of “social justice,” with abandon, as if...
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A Response to “Brothers, I Am Sorry”

http://sarahchristineschwartz.com/2013/11/06/brothers-i-am-sorry To the author of “Brothers, I am Sorry,” which you can read at the above address. Dear Sarah, you are young, and have much to learn about the difference between reasons and excuses, what we wish about reality and what is reality. While I, like you, was not...
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Armed Always with an Axe to Grind

Strolling with my wife today we happened upon a woman walking her dog. She had paused ahead, tying her shoe (or so we thought) and we closed the gap between us. She moved on quickly as we drew near (to run from the scene of the crime obviously)...
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