An accidental blog: December 2010

Wednesday, 29 December 2010

Three great reasons to get a kindle

Sunday, 26 December 2010

Philosophical Frameworks for Understanding IS by Andrew Basden

Andrew Basden has posted online the chapters of his book Philosophical Frameworks for Understanding Information Systems:

Published by IGI Global 2008. To order it with 30% discount, download the flyer (500k pdf)

Thursday, 23 December 2010

The Sacred Meal by Nora Gallagher

The Sacred Meal
Nora Gallagher
Thomas Nelson, 2009
(Ancient Practices Series ed. Phyllis Tickle)
ISBN 978-0-8499-4606-6

This book is part of the eight book Ancient Practices series under the general editorship of Phyllis Tickle.

The sacred meal in question here has been described in many different ways: communion, breaking of bread, mass, eucharist, Lord's meal, etc. Many doctrinal differences surround it: transubstantiation, who may partake, who may serve it; is it merely a memorial, the real; presence of Christ or something else?

Nora Gallagher writes from a Episcopal standpoint. It is this perspective that shapes her ideas and views about breaking of bread. This is very much a personal perspective. The only time she steps out of her seeming denominational bounds are when she asserts that there should be no rules as to who can take it and who cannot.

She writes very well and the book is full of literary allusions and epigraphs. The strength of the book is its narrative format, but that is also its weakness. There is little historical, cultural or theological reflection on the subject; the only exception is the brief chapter 9, 'A history in brief' - unfortunately the chapter is too brief. I would have liked to have seen this chapter developed more. The book is part of the Ancient Practices - but there is seemingly no link between the 'Sacred' meal that Gallagher describes and the ancient i.e. New Testament practice.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Dooyeweerd's Opbouw papers

Glenn Friesen has added his translations of three of Dooyeweerd's papers originally published in the journal Opbouw to his website:

“A Lay Person's Thoughts on Richard Wagner and his Tristan,”
a translation of “Leekengedachten over Richard Wagner en zijn
Tristan,”Opbouw: Maandschrift in dienst der Christ. Levens-en
wereldbeschouwing, van en voor jongeren (1914) 5-10; 66-68.

“The Disconsolateness of Wagnerianism,” a translation of “De
Troosteloosheid van het Wagnerianisme,” Opbouw: Maandschrift
in dienst der Christ. Levens-en wereldbeschouwing, van en voor jongeren
(1915) 97-112

“An Old Debt to a Pariah,” translation of “Een oude schuld
aan een paria,” Opbouw: Maandschrift in dienst der Christ.
Levens-en wereldbeschouwing, van en voor jongeren (1916) 161-180

Wednesday, 22 December 2010

Fasting - Scot McKnight

Scot McKnight
Fasting: fasting as Body Talk in the Christian Tradition
The Ancient Practices Series (Phylis Tickle series editor)
315 KB mobi edition
176 pages
Thomas Nelson, 2009
ISBN 978-0-8499-0108-9

Fasting isn’t a popular spiritual discipline. It’s not the sort of thing people get excited about: feasting, yes; but fasting, no. Particularly at this time of year!
This excellent book by Scot McKnight, part of The Ancient Practices Series under the general editorship of Phyllis Tickle, takes a fresh look at fasting.
Is fasting a form of trying to twist God’s arm? Is it a way of showing God how serious we are? No. McKnight stresses that fasting isn’t a manipulative tool that guarantees results. Indeed results are not important. This approach is refreshingly contrary to many other books on fasting that focus on the benefits and rewards of fasting. McKnight rightly stress that fasting is a response - a response to a grievous 'sacred moment'. These moments include death, grief, impending or actual disaster, the absence of justice, a lack of holiness and so on.

The book is in two main parts: Spirituality and fasting and Wisdom and fasting. The first looks at different aspects of fasting as ... the second at fasting and... . He notes that fasting is not something we should do lightly as it is potentially damaging to the body. The first part looks at the theology of fasting and the second the practice of fasting.

For many fasting is a way of denying the body so they can focus on the so-called ‘spiritual’; it is for many an outworking of a nature/ grace dualism. However, McKnight contends that that fasting is not popular because we have exiled the body from spirituality. He is wanting an embodied form of spirituality. A spirit/ body dualism has denied the body and so fasting, a bodily function, has been ignored. Rather than denying the body, the kind of fasting that McKnight stresses is one that embraces the body.

There is a brief study guide and a list of recommended reading.
This is certainly the best book I've read on fasting.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Santa exposed!

HT Stuff Fundies Like

Tuesday, 21 December 2010

The biblical story - a concept map

Biblical story concept map

View more presentations from Steve Bishop.

Monday, 20 December 2010

Odds and sods

Video excerpts from Jamie Smith's University of Ottawa lecture
Berkouwer and Barth on universalism
BBC iPlayer downloader
18 peer reviewed science papers listed
Why is worldview important?

The ethics of climate change with Stephen Bouma-Prediger

Philosophy in the Making by Anthony Tol

Philosophy in the Making
D. H. Th. Vollenhoven and the Emergence of Reformed Philosophy
Anthony Tol
Dordt College Press, 2010
ISBN 978-0-932914-86-6
549+vi pp; pbk; US$30
Available from:
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com

Recent years have seen a number of works by and on Vollenhoven. This by Tony Tol is the result of his PhD promoted by A. P. Bos from the Free University (VU). It looks at the development of a neo-calvinist philosophy. Tol pays particular attention to the part played by Vollenhoven in this development.

The book started life as a project to edit Vollenhoven’s seminal work the Isagoge Philosophiae a text Vollenhoven was continually changing and revising; there about a dozen different versions of the text! This book then traces Vollenhoven’s thought as it changed and evolved.

This is a welcome addition to the burgeoning interest in reformational philosophy. Vollenhoven’s work is often dense and opaque. Tol has done much of the hard work in helping us understand Vollenhoven and his ideas better.

Contents
1. Vollenhoven’s principled program
2. A bold beginning: theistic and metalogical intuitionism
3. Reforming revisions: from monadology to law-spheres
4. Embarking within bounds of law: the initial definite platform

Sunday, 19 December 2010

Building a Worldwide Network: IAPCHE 1975-2002

Building a Worldwide Network: IAPCHE 1975-2002
John B. Hulst
Dordt College Press, 2009
9787770065187
US$10, 64 pp, pbk
Available here

The International Association for the Promotion of Christian Higher Education (IAPCHE) exists to promote Christian higher education worldwide. This slim booklet provides a brief overview and highlights of its fascinating and turbulent history.

John Hulst was involved with the organisation from its beginnings in 1975 until his retirement as its executive secretary in 2002 and so is well paced to write this inspiring book. The book has its origins as a series of articles in Contact, IAPCHE’s newsletter.

The twelve short chapters take us from proto-IAPCHE in 1973 when the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education (PUforCHE) initiated the idea of a conference in 1975 to examine ‘Reformed Higher Educational Institutions as a Bulwark for the Kingdom of God’. As a result of that conference the seeds for the development of IAPCHE were sown. However, during this time there was conflict between two major Christian Universities, the Free University and the PU for CHE over apartheid. This in part prevented the full development of an international organisation sooner. It wasn’t until 1981 that an organisation, then named the International Council for the Promotion of Christian Higher Education (ICICHE) was formalised. It was in 1992 that the present IAPCHE name was adopted.

Initially rather than an association of organisations it was an organisation of Christian scholars and educators ‘supported by institutions of Christian higher education’. This enabled IAPCHE to maintain ‘its reformational rootage’ and reach out to other s in the broader Christian academic network.

One thing that IAPCHE and its members have stood for is the idea that Christian higher education is about theology and theological schools. Christian education is about all the disciplines coming under the lordship of Christ and being directed by ‘a kingdom of God perspective’.

This is an inspiring read; it narrates the trails and tribulations, the joys and encouragements of establishing an organisation to promote distinctly Christian education. It shows what can be done in the Lord’s strength and with determined, committed and visionary labourers such as John Hulst, Peter Schrotenboer, John VanderStelt, Bennie van der Walt, and many others. Long may it continue!