Singin' in the Shower

Do you sing in the shower?  This article purports to tell you why.

And you thought your husband was lousy!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060131/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_japan_wives

This is an interesting article on how Japanese men are taking a day for their wives – how sweet.  They are going to get off of work early and spend some quality time with their spouse.  What is early?  8pm!!

According to the article, some Japanese men will often spend the night at the office.  Man, that’s a serious work ethic!

Valentine's Day Ideas

Take the love of your life out for a White Castle hamburger.  According to this article, “White Castle wants to help lovebirds on a budget. The fast-food restaurant’s 22 of 76 Chicago locations will take reservations, put out white tablecloths and play romantic music on Feb. 14.”

"No sex!" campaign promise

This is the strangest campaign promise of all time. Premier Silvio Berlusconi, an Italian politician, promised a religious leader, at a recent campaign rally, that he would not have sex until the election.

Ok. So, I googled his wife to see what she looked like. She is actually rather attractive. Good luck, Silvio!

Abortion Update

http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=42102

Here is a very interesting article for those interested the abortion debate.  (And, really, who is not interested???)

It seems that South Dakota (a state with which I have personal ties) is at the forefront of a possible challenge of the Roe v. Wade decision of 1973.  As always, it seems that much of this debate goes back to the issue of whether a fetus is a human being.

The article here also cites the research that unborn babies feel pain… If in doubt about whether an unborn baby is a person, why not err on the side of the baby?  Especially if the baby can feel pain…This whole issue is important to pray for on a regular basis, because there are many women who face very real questions about abortions every single day.  For me it is a theoretical thing.  For them it is real life.

Man signs his name as 'God'

Man signs his name as ‘God’…..There are some people you just can’t understand…well, I guess God made this guy so maybe there is someone who understands him!

Is Love My Full-Time Pre-Occupation?

Passage of the day: 1 John 3:16-18

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. (NIV)



Christ lived a life of love.  He lived to minister to the sick, to teach his disciples, to teach the people around him, and to spread the good news of God’s kingdom.  In the end, he sacrificed his life for the sins committed by human kind.  He was the ultimate example of laying down a life for another.

Do I love my Christian brothers and sisters?  Do I “lay down my life” for my brothers and sisters?  I will give to others if it is in my range of giving tolerance.  That is, if it is not too inconvenient for me or if it does not interfere with my schedule.  But I’m not sure this kind of giving is really what it means to lay down my life.  Do I give even when it hurts?  Do I give to the breaking point?  Is love my full-time occupation?  

I understand that there are other occupations in my life that I must commit time and energy, but I’m just saying that I have no clue what it means to live a sacrificial life.  I will never be asked to die on a cross for the sins of humanity, but I will encounter daily opportunities to give time, money, encouragement, and blessings to others.  Will I lay down my life – each and every day – for these things?  These “little” things?  Is love my full-time pre-occupation?  In this way I fulfill the law of Christ.

The Pearly Gates are Wide Open

The Pearly Gates are Wide Open
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/173/story_17348_1.html


“One of the central tenets of evangelical Christianity is that to be saved—to earn admission into heaven—you must accept Jesus Christ as your savior. Yet 68% of “born again” or “evangelical” Christians say that a “good person who isn’t of your religious faith” can gain salvation, according to a new Newsweek/Beliefnet poll.”

To me this piece is extremely fascinating and goes back to something I have always thought:  Despite what people are being taught by their Pastors most Christians have serious doubts about how non-Christians can be condemned to hell.  In my opinion there are not a lot of Pastors and spiritual leaders these days who: a. Truly believe that only those who accept Jesus Christ will be saved and b. Actually deal honestly with the issues that most of us these days are wrestling with.

There are Pastors who believe that Jesus is the only way, but fail to actually address the contemporary issues and difficulties.  Conversely, there are those who understand the issues people are wrestling with, but don’t really believe that Jesus is the only way and therefore do not address the issue.

The guy who wrote this piece, Waldman, states:
“How could so many Americans be tossing aside such a central element of theology? I think the Newsweek cover story that grew in part out of this poll has the best theory. Americans have become so focused on a very personal style of worship—forging a direct relationship with God—that spiritual experience has begun to supplant dogma.”

Boys and girls ARE different!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9285515/site/newsweek

Boys and girls are different…a shock to everyone, I’m sure.


More on the way that boys learn.
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10965522/site/newsweek/

The Internet and Society

The Internet and Society.

Interesting article on how the dynamic of relationships in the age of cyperspace.

Google is gagged!

Google is gagged!

A funny link to some comedy related to the recent announcement that Google.com will enter the Chinese market, but must submit to censorship:
http://michellemalkin.com/archives/004385.htm

(Personally, I don’t think it is that big of a deal, but I have to give my Google Brother Dave a hard time – I couldn’t resist.)

Update on the existence of Jesus lawsuit

Update on man suing a Priest for claiming that Jesus exists!


Here is my original post on this:
http://theosproject.blogspot.com/2006/01/did-jesus-really-exist.html

In Search of the Spiritual

In Search of the Spiritual
Newsweek
by Jerry Adler

This is a very interesting article from Newsweek on the current state of spirituality and religion in America.

Remember the Time article on the death of God? Adler writes:

“History records that the vanguard of angst-ridden intellectuals in Time, struggling to imagine God as a cloud of gas in the far reaches of the galaxy, never did sweep the nation. What was dying in 1966 was a well-meaning but arid theology born of rationalism: a wavering trumpet call for ethical behavior, a search for meaning in a letter to the editor in favor of civil rights. What would be born in its stead, in a cycle of renewal that has played itself out many times since the Temple of Solomon, was a passion for an immediate, transcendent experience of God. And a uniquely American acceptance of the amazingly diverse paths people have taken to find it.”


A definite trend is a search for spirituality, religion, and God outside of the doors of the church. Many reasons for this, but here is Adler’s comment:
“Whatever is going on here, it's not an explosion of people going to church. The great public manifestations of religiosity in America today—the megachurches seating 8,000 worshipers at one service, the emergence of evangelical preachers as political power brokers—haven't been reflected in increased attendance at services.”

The article also reflects on the general search for “spirituality” in the vague sense:
“The fastest-growing category on surveys that ask people to give their religious affiliation, says Patricia O'Connell Killen of Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash., is "none." But "spirituality," the impulse to seek communion with the Divine, is thriving. The NEWSWEEK/Beliefnet Poll found that more Americans, especially those younger than 60, described themselves as "spiritual" (79 percent) than "religious" (64 percent). Almost two thirds of Americans say they pray every day, and nearly a third meditate.”

More on religious diversity:
“"There are many ways to be spiritual," says Megan Wyatt, a blond Ohioan who converted to Islam three years ago. "People find it in yoga. For me, becoming a Muslim gave me the ultimate connection to God."”

Interesting thought here:
“Michael Novak was quoted in Time, saying, "If, occasionally, I raise my heart in prayer, it is to no God I can see, or hear, or feel." To make the point, we gave Novak, who is now 72 and among the most distinguished theologians in America, the chance to correct the record on his youthful despair. And he replied that God is as far away as he's ever been. Religious revivals are always exuberant and filled with spirit, he says, but the true measure of faith is in adversity and despair, when God doesn't show up in every blade of grass or storefront church. "That's when the true nature of belief comes out," he says. "Joy is appropriate to the beginnings of your faith. But sooner or later somebody will get cancer, or your best friends will betray you. That's when you will be tested."”



A brief thought from myself:

Is there a difference between being “religious” and being “spiritual”? Is there a difference between being a spiritual seeker and the person who actually finds God? Is it possible to find a certain level of spiritual satisfaction and still miss the person of God? What does it look like to actually find God?

God’s glory and Divine Power is all around us. And we are spiritual beings. It makes sense that we would be able to make deep and meaningful spiritual connections in this world. But I wonder if it might be that we can have a small taste of God through the creation and even have a deep sense of His presence and yet miss the real heart of God.

Does your Senator Blog?

http://news.com.com/Congress+catching+on+to+the+value+of+blogs/2100-1028_3-6031314.html

Everybody is blogging these days.  Even old and out of date Senators like John Kerry!

The Belief-O-Matic

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/76/story_7665_1.html

Don’t know what religion you belong to???  Try the Belief-O-Matic.  A simple survey will determine to which belief system you most closely align.

Relax, it's only religion!

Very brief thought here…

In today’s world it is considered en vogue to believe that all religions are pretty much the same – you know, that all beliefs are basically going to wind up in the same place.  And, at first glance, this seems to be a cool idea.  After all, you don’t have to worry about judging others or taking a position that makes your view appear better than any one else’s perspective.  Also, you don’t have as much friction – Why argue and fight about religions if they are all basically the same?  We could obviously cut down on religious fanaticism, which would make much of us relax a bit more.  In fact, that’s basically what we are talking about here – RELAXING!  Hey, it appeals to me, too.

So, I’m thinking along these lines and I’m thinking about Jesus’ words in the New Testament: “I am the way, the truth and the life.  No one comes to the father but by me.” (John 14:6)  (Ok, that’s rather exclusive and dogmatic, eh?!!?)  And then in the Old Testament you have a million and one instances where God’s people are criticized and even punished by God because they worship other gods.  And many times they would continue worshiping God, himself, but they would just worship God and the gods too…you know, cover all your bases and make sure all the “gods” are included!

The point is that in the whole entire Bible one of the big things is that God wants a sell out.  By that I mean God is looking for someone completely committed to him.  Nothing in the middle.  No compromise.  100% sold out to God.

And isn’t that really what we want, anyway?  How meaningful is a religion or a belief system if we are so relaxed about it that it doesn’t make a real difference, anyway?  Most people are so relaxed about religion that it is trite and meaningless – a belief that is in name only.  But, as the old saying goes, you haven’t really lived life unless you have something you can die for.

If I ever decide to take up the old ball and chain and get married, I want to be able to say to my wife that I would die for her – to keep her in my life.  I don’t want to say, “Well, you know, women are all basically the same and if you aren’t here with me, you know, I’ll just find someone else…”  Same thing with God.

"...males are the weaker sex..."

Well, it’s official, I guess…girls are better and now they have the scientific evidence to prove what they knew all along!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060124/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_boys

The worst day of your life?!?!

Was today the worst day of your life?  According to this article many experts said that it should have been.  Why?  Well, it’s the end of January.  The weather is bad, our New Year’s Resolutions are shot, there’s nothing really cool to look forward to….kind of depressing – until you remember that the new season of 24 has begun and is in process!

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/385381p-326987c.html

DNA frees man after 24 years in prison

http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/01/23/dna.exoneration.ap/index.html?section=cnn_topstories

Certainly makes advocates of the death penalty (er, ahem, of which I am a part) think twice about the death penalty.  A man is freed from prison after 24 years of serving time for a crime he didn’t commit.  An amazing story.

"Oh, you are just tooo much!"

http://www.nature.com/news/2006/060123/full/060123-2.html

Ok, guys.  If you don’t have a date for Valentine’s Day yet…which would include myself…but more on that later…if you don’t have a date yet, try humor.  This recent study verified the old stereotype that women are attracted to a man with a sense of humor.

Any of you women looking for a guy?  Just laugh at his jokes and make him think he’s funny, smart, witty, etc.  Trust me it works….but then you probably already knew that…

Open Your Eyes!

You’ve got to love those routine check ups at the doctor’s office. You’re in the office for about an hour or so for a check up that takes a grand total of two minutes. But after all doctors are in a social class all themselves. We the people must wait until it is convenient for them to grace us with their presence. Nay! We must be grateful for the opportunity to wait!

Thankfully we live in the era of cell phones and while I waited in the office I was able to talk to some people, get some plans in order and do some catching up – technology is certainly a wonderful thing.

To the point then…the result of my trip to the doctor’s office is that after my laser surgery on my eyes my vision is now 20/15. This means that for the rest of you, who merely have 20/20 vision, I can see something that is 20 feet away with the same clarity that you can see the same thing only 15 feet.

I had laser surgery done on my eyes. I absolutely recommend it to anyone – assuming you have a good doctor. My experience was excellent. My vision was horrible prior to the surgery and after it, well, 20/15! I have a small idea now what it was like for the blind man of John 9:1-12. Of course, I knew what it was like to see because I had glasses and/or contacts prior to my surgery. But even still, there is nothing like being able to see with your own eyes. It is incredible!

Uh, by the way, as a little side question: Why did Jesus make mud out of his spit in order to heal the man’s sight in John 9:1-12? Why not just heal him with a touch? Or with a word?
erdman31@gmail.com

Did Jesus really exist?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,182341,00.html

This is interesting.  An Italian priest is being taken to court to prove the existence of Jesus Christ.  Luigi Cacioli, a life-long atheist, has filed a legal complaint against the priest for "abuse of polular belief" and "impersonation" in which someone gains by attributing a false name to someone.

I'm not a historical scholar, but from my understanding the historical evidence for Jesus' existence is rather strong.  The article cites Favius Josephus' "Jewish Antiquities" dated within the first century.  There are also Pliny and Tacitus as ancient historical sources.  In addition, there are the overwhelming amount of surviving biblical manuscripts some of which can be dated to within a few centuries of Christ.  The biblical record, of course, makes much mention of the historical person of Jesus.  And then there is the whole difficulty of explaining the rise of the Christian religion, which began on the basis of an actual historical person called Jesus who died and rose from the dead and appeared to many witnesses.  (See 1 Corinthians 15:1-8)

For more on the historical evidence for Jesus see William Lane Craig’s article online at:
http://www.leaderu.com/truth/1truth22.html

For a dissenting opinion on the issue you can check out our friends at infidels.org:
http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/theism/christianity/historicity.html
They don’t know what they’re talking about, but, hey, at least they try real hard!!

"Message in a Bottle"

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060119/wl_uk_afp/britainaustraliabottle_060119184151

Sting’s song “Message in a Bottle” comes to mind….a little girl sends a bottle to Australia and gets a message back?!?!  I’m still having a hard time believing this one!

Decide in under 500 milliseconds!

http://www.websiteoptimization.com/speed/tweak/blink/

A new study indicates that web users make decisions about websites in under 500 milliseconds.  Interesting, huh?!?  The fact that we can make some sort of pre-cognitive decisions about things is very interesting.  “Pre-cognitive” simply means that we decide whether we like a website before thinking about it.  We all like to pride ourselves on having “reasons” for things – especially men, I think, and those of us more “rational.”  But I have long been interested on how many decisions we make and things we do that are affected by pre-cognitive (prior to rational thought) factors:  intuitions, emotions, and various psychological factors.

Now, here is what is really interesting about this whole thing:  Is it possible that we have certain spiritual inclinations and dispositions that are pre-cognitive (prior to thought and reflection)?  Consider belief in God.  Do we have a disposition to believe or not believe in God based prior to even beginning to think about it?  And even after we begin to reflect on God, how does our bias (either for God or against God) affect the way we think about God?

Consider ice cream as an example.  If you have a deep love (call it a pre-cognitive bias!) for a certain kind of ice cream it can affect your thinking process.  If you are on a strict no-ice-cream diet and then are suddenly confronted with the possibility of indulging in your favorite ice cream suddenly a wide array of possible excuses and justifications begin to enter your horizon!  These justifications challenge the mind and the will, pushing them to the brink and the breaking point!  And why???  Because you want the ice cream.  This is a pre-cognitive influence.

The same kind of thing could be said of our moral decisions.  When we want to commit a sexual sin a wide array of possible justifications and excuses enter our horizon that challenge our thinking and even our own conscience.  And this is just one of several ways that we have pre-cognitive spiritual inclinations.  For better or worse that’s our human situation.

jon
erdman31@gmail.com

References from the web article:
Ledoux, J., The Emotional Brain: The Mysterious Underpinnings of Emotional Life
(New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996).
Lindgaard G., Fernandes G. J., Dudek C. & Brown, J., "Attention web designers: You have 50 milliseconds to make a good first impression!"
Tested subjects by displaying web pages (saved to disk) for 500ms or 50ms for "visual appeal." The report concludes that "...visual appeal can be assessed within 50 msec suggesting that web designers have about 50msec to make a good first impression." Behaviour and Information Technology, 25:115 - 126 (2006).

The Lion and the Lamb?

A hamster and a snake are roomies?!?!  Certainly a heartwarming story…or maybe just plain creepy!

http://www.boston.com/news/odd/articles/2006/01/18/hamster_snake_best_friends_at_tokyo_zoo/?p1=MEWell_Pos4

"The times they are a changin'"

http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/local_story_018210605.html

Some news from the cornfields of Indiana…Our great state has always been on the same time year round, i.e. we are not on daylight savings time and hence have never had to change our clocks. After an intense debate our state finally decides to switch to daylight savings. (I know, I know, it shouldn’t be a big deal. But this is Indiana and we really don’t have a lot to fight about. So, when something comes along we need to take advantage of it!) But the fight didn’t end with daylight savings time. Oh, no. We then had to have a good ‘ole go ‘round about Eastern or Central time zone. (Indiana is right smack dab in the middle of the time zones.) And after finally deciding on the Eastern time zone there was great decent amongst Hoosiers who wanted Central time. Ok, so here’s the funny thing: We’ve still got a bunch of counties that refuse to switch! So, there will be small pockets of counties in Indiana who will be on central time while the whole rest of the state is on Eastern time!

The Fattest and Fittest

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,180876,00.html

Congratulations to Chicago who, through a rigorous program of neglect, stress, and fine foods has managed to capture the coveted title of “Fattest City”!  (I couldn’t help but think back to the old Saturday Night Live “Da Bears” sketch – you know, the one with Chris Farley and the heart attacks.)

Indianapolis holds steady at number 11….gee, ya’ think that maybe it’s hard for those of us in the blistering blizzards of the Midwest to get outside and get a good workout?!?!  Yep, I think so.

Movie Reviews for 06

Movie Reviews for 2006!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,181964,00.html

Ok, good article here on movies coming out this year (2006).  Like the guy in the article said, I was also a bit disappointed by the movie selection this year.  Star Wars, Revenge of the Sith saved the year for movies – as far as I’m concerned.  I liked Kong as well as the Narnia Series, but otherwise there was very little that made me want to shell out the necessary seven or ten bucks to catch a flick on the big screen.  (By the way, if you haven’t seen Kong you need to do that before it goes out of the theater.  If you see Kong it has got to be at the cinema – the movie is just too big for your tv!)

So, I’m ranking these movies on a scale of 1-5
5 – I would rearrange my whole life (and the lives of anyone around me) to see this movie the day that it comes out in the theater.
4 – Definitely going to see it in the theater….most likely…
3 – Might see it in the theater if I’ve got nothing much else going on, or if a friend wants to see it on the big screen.
2 – As long as I’m alive, I would never waste my time or money watching it.  But might watch it on DVD or television.
1 – Even if I’m dead I wouldn’t be caught in the same zip code as this movie.

Movies :

Superman:
I love the super hero movies.  Batman Begins was incredible, as has been the Spiderman movies.  Remake of the most super of all of the super hero movies gives this a 4.25 on the Erdman scale.

Mission Impossible III:
I’m excited about this one.  I’m a big fan of the espionage/action flicks and I’ve enjoyed all of these Tom Cruise movies.  The only knock I have on this series is that it lacks the “It Factor.”  That’s right, no It Factor.  Don’t ask me to define what I mean by that because the It Factor is very intangible.  But whatever it is I can tell you that it really hasn’t been in the first few of these movies, which is a surprise because Cruise usually brings the It Factor to any movie he does.  3.9

X3:
Much the same story as MI3.  I’ve liked this series and I’ll probably see this one on the big screen.  3.75

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest:
Looking forward to the second installment of Johnny Depp’s big blockbuster.  As an actor he is growing on me.  I really enjoyed The Secret Window.  3.5

The Da Vinci Code:
I can’t really explain exactly why I like this one, but I’ve got a good hunch about it.  Suspense with Tom Hanks sounds interesting.  I haven’t read the book, but here it is a very, very good read.  I’m going to take a risk and give it a 4.2.

Other movies I’m looking forward to include Miami Vice and the latest M. Night Shyamalan film Lady in the Water.  (As a general tip, if you’re going to see a Shyamalan flick you really need to go to the theater.  Or watch it with a group of Shyamalan fans on someone’s big screen.)  I also am really looking forward to Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto, but I’m not sure how you follow up a movie like The Passion without disappointing a lot of people.  But I’m going to give Mel an honest try on this one.  The Pink Panther might also be of interest with Steve Martin playing Inspector Clouseau.

A real fANatic!

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/football/nfl/specials/playoffs/2005/01/17/bc.fbn.heart.stoppingst.ap/index.html

A man suffered a heart attack after his team fumbled the ball in the last minutes of the football game….now that’s my kind of fan!!

TV is bad for your sex life

TV is bad for your sex life:

http://www.slate.com/id/2134380/fr/rss/

I can attest to this. I have a TV in my room and I do not have sex.

Ok…one more article on the sexy side…a parrot reveals that an English guy’s girlfriend was cheating on him – reality is stranger than fiction…
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/01/17/uk.parrot/index.html?section=cnn_topstories

The Children of the World

http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=41869

Very Sad.  Pray for the children of the world.

Intelligent Design debate continues..

Intelligent Design Debate
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,181905,00.html

Ok, I can’t quite understand what the big deal is about id (intelligent design).  Somebody help me here!  What could possibly be wrong with teaching an alternative to the theory of evolution?  (Yes, evolution is one of several theories of the origin of the world…having no one on the planet who has observed the phenomenon of the world’s beginning we are only speculating.)  I’m no scientist, but id deals with probability, i.e. what is the probability that the universe what created via the process of time + chance versus the probability that an intelligent designer created this whole thing we call the universe.  

Ok, so what’s the deal?  Just tell the young kiddies that some people think that id is a good idea and leave it at that.  Is that so threatening?  In the above story id was taught as part of a philosophy course.
The origins of the earth are not just a “scientific” study.  There are philosophical and religious issues that go hand in hand with it.  I get a bit perplexed by supposed scientists who turn a blind eye to this reality and pretend to be “objective” and “unbiased.”  Absolutely ridiculous!  Hey, just keep it real, man.  That’s all I’m asking.

Academic Papers

Here is a listing of my academic papers....

Qohelet and Deconstruction

Aletheia and the Correspondence Theory of Truth
This is my research on aletheia and the correspondence theory of truth...

Truth Dichotomy
This essay examines certain philosophical trends in truth-research in light of the Gospel of John to ask the question of whether it is possible that truth has many forms (polymorphous) and also question whether truth has an "essence."

Open Theism: An Introduction
A very lengthy introduction to the theological movement known as "Open Theism." In this paper I take no position on Open Theism, but try to analyze the movement based upon the writings of its major advocates.
This paper was also published on the official Open Theism informational website. You can access this same paper here: http://www.opentheism.info/pages/opposition/

Kevin Vanhoozer's "Discourse on Matter"
An indepth interaction with Vanhoozer's essay dealing with a key hermeneutical question: To what degree is understanding an activity of the interpreter and to what degree is the interpreter a passive recipient?

Hermeneutics and an Internalist Epistemology This paper examines the impact of epistemic Internalism on biblical hermeneutics. In the past Internalism has dominated epistemology. What is the impact of this upon biblical hermeneutics? I think the impact is substatial. This paper I completed as part of a course requirement for a fantastic hermeneutics class taught by a fantastic Prof. - Dr. D. Brent Sandy.

A Problematic Theology
A short essay in length, but very broad in scope. I question the theological methodology that sets as its goal the solving of theological problems (for example the "problem" of free will and predestination, or the "problem" of the Trinity, etc.).

The Strange and Exclusive Claims of Christ
Ok, this one is short and really isn't very "academic," but here it is.


The Imprecatory Psalms:

I wasn't sure this really fit the category of "academic," but I did complete them as a part of a class assignment at Grace Theological Seminary. It was a series of three sermons. These are written in regular and common language and are written to be spoken. The sermons represent a great deal of research that I have done on the Imprecatory Psalms, particularly Psalm 137.

Sermon One - An Introduction to the Imprecatory Psalms
Sermon Two - The Cries of the Heart
Sermon Three - The Imprecatory Psalms: What does it all mean?

The Imprecatory Psalms - A Summary
This is a summary of my thoughts on the Imprecatory Psalms.

Academic Research on the Imprecatory Psalms
Here is some of the research associated with the above sermons. Unfortunately, I do not have the footnotes on this yet...but, God willing, I will someday! This is the deep and tedious exegetical research - exegesis at its worst!!

Aletheia and the Correspondence Theory of Truth

In this paper I try to combine careful exegesis with philosophical refelction. My subject is the correspondence theory of truth. This theory has been defended with great fervor by many in Evangelical circles. I have attempted to examine this theory strictly from the perspective of the aletheia of the Fourth Gospel and allow the proverbial chips to fall where they may.

The result? I find that the correspondence theory is necessary and is foundational for making sense of certain alethic passages in The Gospel of John. However, I also find that it is not sufficient to capture the aletheia of the Fourth Gospel. I find in my research that it would be advisable not to restrict "truth" to the correspondence theory. To do so seems to deny the author his alethic intent and thus do harm to the Fourth Gospel.

You can find the full text here:
http://erdman31.googlepages.com/Correspondence-aletheia.pdf

Here are a few excperts:
The purpose of this paper is to carefully analyze the concept of alētheia developed by the Gospel of John and to examine how this relates to ­the Correspondence Theory of Truth. The first step in this process, then, is exegetical. The goal is to apply an organic understanding of alētheia as it appears in several key passages in the Fourth Gospel. The second step is to turn the focus on the Correspondence Theory of Truth to understand the implications for the theory. Specifically, we want to examine the necessity and/or the sufficiency of the theory.

By necessity we wish to examine whether the Correspondence Theory of Truth is foundational to alētheia in the Fourth Gospel. Is it possible to understand the use of alētheia without holding to the Correspondence Theory of Truth? Or must we hold to some form of the theory to make sense of John’s alētheia as he develops this concept in various contexts?
When we speak of sufficiency we are dealing with explanatory scope. Specifically, we are asking if the Correspondence Theory can adequately account for everything that alētheia entails in the Gospel of John. What is important to note in our approach is that it is possible for the Correspondence Theory to be necessary, but not sufficient. It is not an all-or-nothing proposition whereby the theory if necessary must also be sufficient. But then it is obvious on this account that if the theory is found to be unnecessary, then this would entail that the Correspondence Theory is also not sufficient.

By focusing on the Gospel of John, we are examining a book in the Scriptures that has a very deep regard for truth (alētheia)....

...we return to the Groothuis quotation we cited earlier, “The correspondence view of truth is not simply one of many options for Christians. It is the only biblically and logically grounded view of truth available and allowable. We neglect or deny it to our peril and disgrace.” On the one hand we understand Groothuis’ enthusiasm to preserve the necessity of the Correspondence Theory. This is clear from our study of the use of alētheia in the Gospel of John. We particularly analyzed 4:18 and 19:14 to see that some form of the Correspondence Theory was absolutely necessary and foundational to alētheia in the Fourth Gospel. We saw that the whole meaning of these passages would collapse without this common sense notion of correspondence. It is imperative that we defend the necessity of the Correspondence Theory.On the other hand, to say, as Groothuis does, that this view of truth is “the only biblically and logically grounded view of truth available and allowable” seems to dramatically overstate the case and puts us in danger of denying the very Bible Groothuis is seeking to defend...

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