Author Archives: Benj

Over the last two weeks, I taught an undergraduate elective course on the book of Isaiah at Philadelphia Biblical University. One of the most encouraging aspects of contemporary Isaiah studies is that the focus has generally moved away from the … Continue reading →

Hard but refreshing words from Richard Hays’ commentary on 1 Corinthians (Interpretation Series, 1997): In a culture that evades telling the truth about death, the teaching of the resurrection comes as a blast of fresh air.   If asked, “What … Continue reading →

I realize that I’ve been off the grid for a while. I’m smack-dab in the middle of a two-week class on Isaiah at PBU. More on that later; this is my first attempt at teaching a full three-credit course on … Continue reading →

Probability and statistics have always fascinated me. I’ve never been a gambler–unless a $5 game of Texas Hold ‘Em with some buddies counts–but when I was a kid I would look eagerly in the sports section of the paper for … Continue reading →

This is a fascinating swing of the pendulum. The WSJ has published a piece entitled, "Boredom Enthusiasts Discover the Pleasures of Understimulation:" To get to the conference, Jo Lee took an hour’s train ride from the seaside town of Brighton. … Continue reading →

I hope everyone is having a Merry Christmas, as well as a Happy Boxing Day (HT to my sister and Canadian brother-in-law living in the UK). I just wanted to let you know (if you aren’t already aware) that you … Continue reading →

I’ve attached some photos of the parentally-proclaimed World’s Cutest Baby®. Daniel is growing quickly, holding his head and upper body up well–not quite sitting up at 4.5 months. He smiles quite a bit and loves to snuggle–much to the delight … Continue reading →

Various news outlets (here and here) have picked up the story of David Epstein, a 46-year-old professor at Columbia University who is accused of having a “consensual” incestuous relationship with his 24-year-old daughter. I find the public response to cases … Continue reading →

Happy birthday to me! Today is my 27th birthday, so I am 26 years old. Woot. Apparently, I share a birthday with two coworkers, a child of a friend from church, and the great entertainers Donny Osmond and R. Stephen … Continue reading →