After over a decade of writing and editing, and months of preparing, we were all set to hold a live book launch–but the coronavirus had other plans. Fortunately, we were still able to hold the event online, enabling even more people, from well beyond our neighborhood, to join us in a discussion of heroes, biblical …
I am honored to share an interview about my book recorded for the 929 podcast. In it, I discuss conversations with my father-in-law about Jacob’s deceptions, David’s most heroic moment, the nuanced way that the Bible depicts heroes, and the place of educators as our culture’s foremost heroes. Also, check out the 929 website, where …
After many years of writing, procrastinating, discussing, teaching, mulling and mulling, today is the official publication date of my new book! I want to thank everyone along the way who came to hear my ideas, share their insights, give me encouragement, send me tips, or in the case of my wife, draw her thoughts on …
In Plato’s dialogue Protagoras, the famous sophist philosopher explains the need for heroes as follows: A student should read great works of literature because “in these are contained many admonitions, and many tales, and praises, and encomia of ancient famous men, which he is required to learn by heart, in order that he may imitate …
Dr. Li Wenliang was a 34-year-old ophthalmologist in Wuhan, a large city (11 million inhabitants) that had been relatively unknown to the world beyond China. He, along with his native city, might have continued to live with the blessings of obscurity were it not for the coronavirus that is now an epidemic in China and …
Among the pleasures of working on my new book, The Biblical Hero, was the opportunity to read some old chestnuts that took the notion of the hero seriously. One such book is philosopher Sidney Hook‘s The Hero in History. The book’s main argument opposes determinist readings of history (Marx, Hegel), which claim that individuals are …
If you’re looking for some books that are well written and researched and are filled with fascinating information, insights and perspectives, here are some of my favorites from the recent past.Scribal Culture and the Making of the Hebrew Bible, by Karel van der Toorn: Through a comparison with scribal culture in adjacent ancient Near Eastern …
Thank you for stopping by my website. Since the publication of my current book is imminent, I thought I would create a site where people could learn about my other work and interests, and I could offer suggestions for further reading and reflections. Stay tuned–blog posts are on their way.