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.

Read With Caution

Posted on 14 December 2010 by Benj

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 →

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Birthdays

Posted on 9 December 2010 by Benj

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 →

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The Erosion of Inerrancy?

Posted on 7 December 2010 by Benj

Should Scripture be the basis for our understanding of Scripture? I hope so. Reading the Bible faithfully means trusting that Scripture is true, and that the God of Scripture has been faithful to his nature and his promises to us. … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible-Theology | 3 Comments

Revelation 5: A Slain Lamb, Not a Dead Lamb

Posted on 6 December 2010 by Benj

“A Slain Lamb, Not a Dead Lamb” is a sermon I preached at Preakness Valley United Reformed Church in Wayne, NJ, in November 2010. The text is Revelation 5. Here is the MP3 audio (28:49, 26MB), and an excerpt: Revelation … Continue reading →

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Deuteronomy 7: God’s Freedom, God’s Purpose

Posted on 2 December 2010 by Benj

“God’s Freedom, God’s Purpose” is a sermon I preached at Preakness Valley United Reformed Church in Wayne, NJ, in November 2010. The text is Deuteronomy 7:1-16. Here is the MP3 audio (29:34, 27MB), and an excerpt: God himself is completely … Continue reading →

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Mark 10: Nice Guys Finish Last?

Posted on 30 November 2010 by Benj

“Nice Guys Finish Last?” is a sermon I preached at Preakness Valley United Reformed Church in Wayne, NJ, in October 2010. The text is Mark 10:35-45. Here is the MP3 audio (28:18, 26MB), and an excerpt: We have a choice … Continue reading →

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If I Wanted To Be Sexually Harassed, I Would Have Gone to the Airport

Posted on 23 November 2010 by Benj

Some thoughts for those of us traveling during the holidays… I think most people are concerned about the full-body scans and invasive pat-downs that are now required at airports. Here’s some information, and more here. As I’ve been thinking about … Continue reading →

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Torrents (Two-rants)

Posted on 13 November 2010 by Benj

On November 17, 1968, NBC made a crucial programming mistake that altered the course of entertainment history. With 65 second left in the AFL game between the Jets and the Raiders, NBC abandoned its coverage and went to its scheduled … Continue reading →

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“The Art of the Conference Paper”

Posted on 11 November 2010 by Benj

As I’m working on some papers for the spring conferences, I found that Alessandro Angelini at InsideHigherEd has written a wonderful guide for graduate students looking to make a good academic presentation. Here’s a particularly catchy excerpt: Graduate students especially, … Continue reading →

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Review: Amazon Kindle (Updated)

Posted on 10 November 2010 by Benj

About 6 weeks ago I received a free Kindle as part of a credit-card offer. I’m not usually in the habit of signing up for credit cards to save a few bucks, but this offer looked excellent: a free Kindle … Continue reading →

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