The Sacred Page

Why Materialism Can't Explain Consciousness

2012-01-25T07:16:00.000-08:00

Last month, at the Science and Faith conference at Franciscan University, I gave a short response to Alvin Plantinga arguing that if materialism and Darwinism were both true, we ought not to have minds, that is, sentience or consciousness. In other words, materialist Darwinism cannot account for the mind. I got some blow back from folks who thought I hadn't considered the issue deeply enough. I

The Egyptian Background to the Ark

2012-01-23T15:34:00.000-08:00

Next after the astounding "Sodom and Gomorrah" session with the notorious "heat event," the most interesting presentation I attended at this past Society of Biblical Literature was Raanan Eichler's paper on the Ark of the Covenant. Eichler did a fabulous job of presenting the Ark against its ancient Near Eastern (especially Egyptian) background. Although I had read about this aspect of the Ark

"Why 'Fishers of Men'?: A Forgotten Old Testament Prophecy" (Post & Podcast on the Sunday Readings, 1/22/12

2012-01-21T09:31:00.000-08:00

This Sunday Jesus calls the disciples to be "fishers of men" (Mark 1:17). Where does this imagery come from? Here we look at the Old Testament prophecy that seems to provide the background. Feel free to leave your comments below. You can listen to the podcast on iTunes or below in which we talk about this plus more on Jonah. "Fishers of Men": Podcast on the Sunday Readings (1/22/12) The

Leaving Behind the Nets: The Readings for the 3d Sunday of Ordinary Time

2012-01-20T16:30:00.000-08:00

Responding immediately to the Word of God is the theme for this Sunday's Readings. The First Reading is from the Book of Jonah, one of the twelve “minor prophets” of the Old Testament. Jonah is best remembered for his colorful experience with a great “whale” or sea creature, but the “whale” experience is not actually the theological heart of the book, which is focused on the nature of prophecy

Hawking's Bummer Birthday: No Eternal Universe

2012-01-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

According to an editorial in the New Scientist from a few days ago, Stephen Hawkings got the worst presents ever at a recent conference held in honor of his seventieth birthday. Hawkings made headlines about a year ago when he claimed that the fundamental forces of the universe (like gravity) were eternal and were sufficient to explain the sudden emergence of all matter and energy spontaneously

TSP 15: "Why Jesus was Baptized and Tempted?" with John Bergsma

2012-01-14T15:16:00.000-08:00

In this episode of The Sacred Page Podcast John Bergsma joins me to discuss why Jesus was baptized and tempted in the wilderness? Here we talk about Creation imagery, Exodus motifs, and Davidic typology in the Gospel accounts--and how they are all tied together! You can download the show from iTunes here. Don't forget to subscribe to the show and to rate it over at iTunes (if you like it!).

Podcast on the Sunday Readings: "Hearing the Call" with John Bergsma

2012-01-14T00:57:00.000-08:00

In this Sunday's readings (2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle B) Jesus calls the disciples (John 1:35-42) and God calls Samuel (1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19). Here John Bergsma and I discuss the significance of these stories. Podcast on the Sunday Readings with John Bergsma

Is God a Person or “The Force”? The Readings for the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time

2012-01-13T12:08:00.000-08:00

George Lucas concocted an interesting religion for his Star Wars film series by combining elements of Christianity and eastern religion. Ultimate reality, or “God,” in Star Wars turns out to be “the Force,” an impersonal power with a “dark” and “light” side, similar to the way many forms of eastern religion conceive of the divine. So, instead of the Christian farewell “May God be with you,”

Jesus hates religion?!

2012-01-12T16:25:00.000-08:00

A new viral video makes the claim that Jesus hates religion. Here it is: One of my students, Mary Lane, has posted a brief response, "Why I Love Jesus AND Religion", to which I say, "Amen!" Here's a snippet from her fine post: . . . while it may be tempting to play the, “yeah, I think religious people are lame, too” card in an attempt to get more people to hear our message, we need to be

TSP 14: Who Were the Magi?: Curtis Mitch on the Epiphany [Extended Podcast]

2012-01-07T12:35:00.000-08:00

Who were the Magi? What was the Star of Bethlehem? What is the story of the Magi meant to teach us? This week I was honored to be joined by my good friend, Curtis Mitch, Curtis is the co-editor of the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible. Mitch is also the co-author (with Edward Sri) of a new commentary on the Gospel of Matthew. TSP 14: Who were the Magi?: Curtis Mitch on the Epiphany

Podcast: On the Readings for the Epiphany with Curtis Mitch

2012-01-06T14:34:00.000-08:00

This Sunday we celebrate the Epiphany! In this podcast, Curtis Mitch joins me for some analysis on the Sunday readings. This is just a short summary of the next full episode, which will feature a full length discussion with Curtis on Matthew 2. Curtis Mitch is the co-editor of the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible. Mitch is also the co-author (with Edward Sri) of a new commentary on the Gospel of

Go to the Light: the Readings for Epiphany

2012-01-06T13:53:00.000-08:00

The word “Epiphany” comes from two Greek words: epi, “on, upon”; and phaino, “to appear, to shine.” Therefore, the “Epiphany” refers to the divinity of Jesus “shining upon” the earth, in other words, the manifestation of his divine nature. The use of the word “epiphany” for the revelation of divinity predates Christianity. The Syrian (Seleucid) emperor Antiochus IV, the villainous tyrant of 1-2

Washington Post Editorial on Converting to Catholicism

2012-01-03T09:43:00.000-08:00

Here's something you don't see everyday--at least in the mainstream media: a positive portrayal of Catholicism. The Washington Post has an editorial up by one Bob Arscott. He describes his journey to Catholicism. A major moment for him was the birth of his granddaughter. ". . . it was after I was confirmed that I learned of the power of prayer- through the birth of my grandchild. My daughter

Fr. Robert Barron: "Why I Loved to Listen to Christopher Hitchens"

2012-01-02T22:08:00.000-08:00

If only all Christians could speak with the clarity and charity of this brilliant Catholic theologian. . .

What Made St. Basil "Great"

2012-01-02T01:24:00.001-08:00

Today is the Feast Day of one of my favorite saints: St. Basil the Great, a Doctor of the Church. In honor of him, I just had to post a little bit about him. Good Stock Basil came from a holy family. His parents suffered under Galerius’ persecution of the Church. His father was well-known for his virtue and as a teacher and his mother was the daughter of a martyr. In fact, his parents produced

What is the “Name” of God?: The Readings for the Octave of Christmas

2011-12-31T10:40:00.000-08:00

Years ago, while I was living in Grand Rapids, Michigan, some very nice Jehovah’s Witnesses paid a visit to my home and tried to persuade me that I was missing out on God’s best in my life, because I was not praying to God by the correct name: Jehovah. I disagreed with them, and still do, because of the truths that emerge from the Scriptures read at Mass for this weekend. This Sunday is the

TSP 13: Mary, the Mother of God--Theotokos and Queen Mother

2011-12-30T23:38:00.000-08:00

Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God (Theotokos). What is the history of this feast? How does our understanding of Mary relate to our understanding of Christ? In the first half of the show we cover the Nestorian heresy and the Council of Ephesus. We then move on to talk about something that often gets overlooked: the role of the Queen Mother in the ancient Near East and

The Sacred Page Podcast is Now Fully Functioning on iTunes

2011-12-28T17:36:00.000-08:00

We announced last week that The Sacred Page podcast was coming to iTunes. It is now fully available there. Just do a search for "Sacred Page" or "Michael Barber" and you'll easily find it! You can also just go to this link. Again, we'd really appreciate positive reviews. Please help us maintain a positive rating by going over to the site and posting there. All you have to do is scroll down to

Why are there no Parables in the Fourth Gospel?

2011-12-27T12:38:00.000-08:00

A reader of this blog from Papillion, Nebraska, asked the following via email: Dear. Dr. Barber, I was going over a list of parables when I notice that there are none in John. (I'm not a scholar!). I then read your article on the authorship of John. Do you think that the lack of parables says anything about the authorship? Do you know why there are no parables in John? I tried to do a search on

John 21: Later Addition or Epilogue?

2011-12-27T12:00:00.000-08:00

Is John 21--the chapter where, arguably, we learn the most about the "beloved disciple"--a later addition to the book or was it originally part of the Gospel? It is widely acknowledged that John 20 stands as an appropriate ending to the book. It presents us with, what Beasely-Murray calls, a "total picture of the Easter story": the empty tomb, the witness of Mary Magdalene, the confirmation of

Did John Write the Fourth Gospel?

2011-12-27T00:46:00.001-08:00

Since today is the feast of St. John the Apostle, I thought I'd look at a question many will be talking about: Is the Fourth Gospel written by John? I've written on this before, but I thought I'd revisit this again in two posts today. Indeed, I've been revisiting this material lately. I am currently preparing for a graduate level course on the Gospel of John at JP Catholic, which I will be

St. Stephen's Christ-like Holiness

2011-12-26T14:13:00.000-08:00

Happy Feast of St. Stephen! Since Stephen is one of my favorite saints I couldn't let the day go by without posting something in his honor. In fact, we named our second son after him: Matthew Stephen. This is from my earlier series of posts (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) on the book of Acts. (The picture to the right was taken at the traditional site of Stephen's tomb). One of the most striking

Now on iTunes: The Sacred Page Podcast!

2011-12-24T20:24:00.000-08:00

Today we get to make a huge announcement. After reviewing our podcast, "The Sacred Page with Michael Barber," the largest music store in the world, Apple's iTunes store, has agreed to carry our show. Apple is still configuring all the settings and it is not yet available through the search engine--give it a couple of days. Until then, you can download the show from iTunes here. Please, please

What We’ve All Been Waiting For: Reflections on the Readings for Christmas

2011-12-24T10:21:00.000-08:00

Over the next twenty-four hours there are four Masses celebrated by the Church: the Vigil of Christmas, Midnight Mass, Mass at Dawn, and Christmas Day Mass. The Readings for all four are so beautiful, it is like one continual spiritual feast, a veritable gorging on Scripture. The texts for this Feast Day include some of the most pivotal in all of Scripture, and there is no end to the comments

TSP 12: Leroy Huizenga on Jesus as the New Isaac in Matthew' Gospel

2011-12-23T20:57:00.000-08:00

This podcast I was joined by a very special guest: New Testament scholar Leroy Huizenga. Huizenga is Professor of Scripture at the University of St. Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota, where he also serves as the Director of the Christian Leadership Center (more on that below). I was so excited about having Huizenga on the show because I believe his work is very important. I think his doctoral

Job Opening at JP Catholic

2011-12-21T11:55:00.000-08:00

Want to live in San Diego? Want to be a part of a dynamic Catholic community? See the job opening below: Vice President - Accreditation, Assessment, Planning, and Research JP Catholic University invites applications for the position of Vice President for Accreditation, Assessment, Planning, and Research. Reporting to the Provost, the Vice President (VP) leads and manages the University's: (1)

Podcast: Steve Ray on Archaeology, Bethlehem and Nazareth

2011-12-20T11:01:00.001-08:00

In this episode we continue our series of podcasts on the Gospel reports of Jesus' birth. This time I was honored to be joined by my good friend, Catholic author and apologist Steve Ray. Among other things Ray has produced numerous television shows on the Holy Land (now available on DVD). He also takes large groups of pilgrims to the Holy Land each year. Today we talk a little bit about Nazareth

Beautiful NEW Catholic Scripture Study International Bible

2011-12-17T11:49:00.000-08:00

For all you fans out there of the Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition--the translation employed in the official Catechism of the Catholic Church--there's a new edition of the RSVCE that's been recently published that is worthy of your attention (and your purchase!). I'm speaking of the new Catholic Scripture Study International Bible, published by St. Benedict Press, out of Charlotte,

Podcast: Are the Gospel Stories About Jesus' Birth Historical?

2011-12-17T10:03:00.000-08:00

I've been swamped over the last few weeks finishing up the quarter and so I've been behind in posting the latest podcasts of The Sacred Page program. Now I'm going to get you all caught up. Over the last couple weeks we've been focusing on the readings for Christmas, i.e., the "infancy narratives" of Christ. We've been looking at their historical value and meaning. This show--the first in a

The Once and Future King: The Readings for the Fourth Sunday of Advent

2011-12-17T08:12:00.000-08:00

T.H. White wrote a fantasy novel about King Arthur in the 1950s called “The Once and Future King,” which my English class was assigned to read in 8th grade. The title comes from the legendary Latin inscription on Arthur’s tomb, Hic iacet Arthurus, rex quondam, rexque futurus: “Here lies Arthur, king at one time, and king to be.” For the ancient Israelites, David was their “Arthur”: a king of

My New Book Now on Amazon

2011-12-13T12:34:00.000-08:00

My popular book on Scripture is now posted on Amazon. Actual publication is a few weeks or months off. The book is a condensation of the approach I take to the Bible in my undergraduate survey courses on Old and New Testament. Ave Maria Press, on the campus of Notre Dame, is publishing the book. Click on the image to see the Amazon listing.

Webinar Tonight on the Blessed Mother

2011-12-11T11:23:00.000-08:00

Michael and I will be talking live tonight, starting at 7:00PM EST, as part of a Fullness of Truth Advent Special on the Blessed Mother. Here's the link to sign up for the event.

The Courtship Continues: Readings for the Third Sunday of Advent

2011-12-10T10:47:00.000-08:00

It may seem counterintuitive, but Advent has a courtship aspect to it. Waiting for Christmas is like waiting for one’s wedding. A wedding unites two persons “as one flesh.” At Christmas, the LORD, bridegroom of Israel (Isaiah 54:4-8), unites his divine nature with our human nature, and the two become “one flesh,” as it were, in the incarnation. Advent is like a courtship that anticipates the

Sodom and Gomorrah Excavated

2011-12-07T18:38:00.000-08:00

By far the most interesting session at the recent Society of Biblical Literature Congress in San Francisco was one I wandered into by chance. I am always curious about what is going on in biblical archeology, so one afternoon I decided to skip the dozen or so sessions dedicated to Bakhtinian Decontextualization of Identity Construction in Persian Yehud (I had to tear myself away) and go hear

"Comfort Ye" Sunday: Musical Exegesis

2011-12-04T15:04:00.000-08:00

This weekend I was too busy with the Science and Faith Conference at Franciscan University (more on that later) to blog on the readings, but here's a clip of George Frideric Handel's superb "musical exegesis" of today's First Reading. It's a Dutch recording, in honor of Al Plantinga visiting Franciscan University (just joking):

New Developments in Dead Sea Scrolls Research

2011-11-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

Here's a link to a popular article about research on textiles recovered from Qumran, the site of the Dead Sea Scrolls. It seems the Qumranites dressed exclusively in white linen, just like Josephus' descriptions of the Essenes. The article exaggerates, in my opinion, the amount of debate about the identity of the authors of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The majority of scholars have been convinced

The True Temple in Mark: Podcast and Post on Mark 13 (Sunday's Gospel)

2011-11-26T11:04:00.001-08:00

This Sunday Advent begins. Here is our podcast on the Sunday readings (see below). Podcast: First Sunday of Advent 2011 My friend, New Testament scholar, Leroy Huizenga has some great reflections here. He points out that Jesus' coming in Mark 13 is linked with the destruction of the temple. Here I thought I'd highlight another aspect of the chapter. It seems clear Mark describes the

"Semper Paratus!": The Readings for the First Sunday of Advent

2011-11-26T10:36:00.000-08:00

The last month of the liturgical year was spent reflecting on the Last Things, culminating in the Feast of Christ the King last week, when we pondered the Final Judgment, the separation of the “sheep” and the “goats.” There is actually a fairly smooth transition from the end of the liturgical year to its beginning, because the first week of Advent is spent meditating not on the First Coming of

Thanksgiving Podcast: The "Thanksgiving Sacrifice", the Last Supper & the Eucharist

2011-11-23T19:46:00.000-08:00

Here is our special Thanksgiving podcast! In this episode we explore the idea of the thank offering in the Old Testament, known as the todah, and its connection to the Eucharist. Enjoy! And please remember to leave us your comments! Podcast: The "Thanksgiving Sacrifice", the Last Supper and the Eucharist

New Findings at the Jerusalem Temple Wall

2011-11-23T14:38:00.000-08:00

A new archaeological discovery is confirming the report of the first century Jewish historian Josephus regarding the building of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. Here's the AP report: Newly found coins underneath Jerusalem's Western Wall could change the accepted belief about the construction of one of the world's most sacred sites two millennia ago, Israeli archaeologists said Wednesday. It was

Faithfulness in the Small Matters: The Readings for the 33d Sunday in Ordinary Time

2011-11-11T18:42:00.000-08:00

St. Josemaría Escrivà, the founder of the personal prelature Opus Dei, has often been called the “saint of the ordinary” for the emphasis he placed on achieving holiness in every-day living. In fact, one of his most famous sermons was entitled “The Richness of Ordinary Life.” St. Josemaría once said he could tell a great deal about a man’s interior life by looking at his closet. Good order

The Successor of Peter and Biblical Interpretation

2011-11-10T12:58:00.000-08:00

The Chair of Peter in the Basilica of St. John Lateran Some months ago on this blog, we had a discussion about the role of the Papacy in the Church and specifically with respect to the interpretation of Scripture. I keep coming back to the Pope's homily upon assuming the Chair of Peter in St. John Lateran (7 May 2005). (St. John Lateran is, of course, the Cathedral of Rome--not St. Peter's

Shock CDC Study: Most Teenagers NOT Having Sex

2011-11-08T09:04:00.000-08:00

"Whether you like it or not, teens are going to have sex." This is the message broadcasted in our society. We are told that we must get over our hang-ups and simply come to grips with the fact that most teenagers are having sex. This attitude justifies all sorts of lurid media portrayals of teens. Don't like it? Well, sorry, but you're just out of touch. You're naive. You're ignorant. You're

Great Time at the Shrine

2011-11-06T11:24:00.000-08:00

Shrine Director Leif Arvidson with Drs. Hahn & Bergsma Dr. Hahn and I had the pleasure of visiting and speaking at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin, this weekend. A crowd of 400 came out to make the Marian pilgrimage, and hear talks on Confession and Eucharist, and receive those very sacraments. The Shrine, built by the people of the Diocese of La Crosse under the

Podcast 8: John Bergsma on the Dead Sea Scrolls

2011-11-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

This week we explore the Dead Sea Scrolls with John Bergsma, looking specifically at why Catholics should find them interesting. You can find Dr. Bergsma's audio series on the Scrolls here. There is an excerpt from the series as well as a .pdf of the outline. Please be sure to leave your comments on the show below! Podcast: "John Bergsma on the Dead Sea Scrolls" [right click to download]

The Parable of the Ten Virgins (with John Bergsma) (Sunday's Gospel)

2011-11-04T11:50:00.000-07:00

This Sunday the Gospel reading is taken from Matthew once again and relates Jesus' parable of the Ten Virgins. We were honored to have John Bergsma with us on this episode of the podcast. Here are our thoughts. I hope you enjoy it! Please leave your comments on the podcast. Podcast: "Jesus' Shocking Words About the Pharisees in Matthew 23")(31st Sunday Ordinary Time, Cycle A) [right click to

Off Topic: Steve Jobs' Last Words

2011-11-02T09:56:00.000-07:00

Oh Wow! Oh Wow! Oh Wow! Click here for story. Does it mean anything?

Virtuous Leadership: The Readings for the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

2011-10-29T17:11:00.000-07:00