Author Archives: Benj

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About Benj

I’m a native North Jerseyan, transplanted to Pennsylvania...lived and taught in Eastern Europe for six years…Old Testament professor, author, minister, musician, liturgist…husband to Corrie…father to Daniel and Elizabeth.

Travelogue III: Cape to College

Posted on 19 May 2011 by Benj

It’s been a few weeks since my previous travelogue post, and over a month since I returned from South Africa. A quick perusal of my posts since mid-April will show that I’ve been keeping busy, preaching, playing in the band, … Continue reading →

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Ten Lost Tribes?

Posted on 18 May 2011 by Benj

Maybe not… Continue reading →

Posted in Bible-Theology | 1 Comment

Grabbe on History and Literature

Posted on 17 May 2011 by Benj

Lester L. Grabbe, Ezra-Nehemiah (New York: Routledge, 1998). Part of a holistic reading is not just to see how the text is structured and the parts fit the whole but also to recognize that sometimes a purely literary reading of … Continue reading →

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What Would Jesus Cut, Redux

Posted on 13 May 2011 by Benj

Roger Pilon at Cato has some great work on the morality of the national debt and deficit spending: WSJ article: Is It Immoral To Cut the Budget? (UPDATE: Corrected link–HT: Brian H.) Cato Forum: The Moral Implications of Deficits, Debt, and … Continue reading →

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Well, this is depressing

Posted on 11 May 2011 by Benj

This article in The Nation is not encouraging to those of us pursuing higher education in the humanities: A few years ago, when I was still teaching at Yale, I was approached by a student who was interested in going … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments

Review: “Why Johnny Can’t Preach” (Part II)

Posted on 10 May 2011 by Benj

I suppose the first part of my review of T. David Gordon’s Why Johnny Can’t Preach has turned into something more than just a review–I offered reflections on culture, my own experience, blah blah….But this is my blog, so that’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible-Theology, Culture-Economics-Society | 5 Comments

Review: “Why Johnny Can’t Preach” (Part I)

Posted on 6 May 2011 by Benj

It’s been a while since I’ve done an honest-to-goodness book review on this site. Part of the problem is that I’ve been too busy with anything other than school and teaching to read much of consequence that does not relate … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible-Theology, Culture-Economics-Society | 6 Comments

Meyer on history

Posted on 4 May 2011 by Benj

Ben F. Meyer, The Aims of Jesus. San Jose: Pickwick Publications, 2002 (first edition 1979). History is the asking and the answering of certain kinds of questions. To consider first the asking of a question: ‘Who murdered Dunaway?’ supposes as … Continue reading →

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Ding, Dong?

Posted on 2 May 2011 by Benj

Bin Laden is dead–and we have killed him. The news is very fresh, and the world is still reäcting to the initial shock. Some are happy, others are angry. As a native of North Jersey who saw the WTC towers … Continue reading →

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Preaching Sunday evening in NJ

Posted on 29 April 2011 by Benj

Over the past seven months I have had the honor of serving Preakness Valley United Reformed Church in Wayne, NJ as semi-regular pulpit supply.  These dear brothers and sisters have been without a pastor for over a year now.  I … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment