Some readers may find this question offensive. Others may think it is long overdue. Both reactions are understandable. Still, we should not avoid the question. To many traditional Christians, the question may sound blasphemous. To some critics, it may seem obvious. We should not respond with a reflex in either direction. Instead, we should take…
The question of whether God had a wife has received considerable attention in recent decades. Books, documentaries, and online discussions have all taken up the topic. Much of this popular material has moved beyond the boundaries of scholarship and into speculation. From this, a bold claim has emerged: that a goddess named Asherah was once…
If you have read much about sexuality in ancient Greece and Rome, you have probably run into one big idea. It goes something like this: for the Greeks and Romans, sex was not really about love or pleasure. It was about power. Who was on top, socially and literally. Who penetrated and who was penetrated….
If you read through the Hebrew Bible, you may notice something peculiar. Nearly every named character seems to own land, have servants, arrange marriages with significant dowries, or argue with neighbors about property. Slaves and attendants appear in the background, almost as if they are always present but rarely the focus. Many books focus on…
The question of what happened to Jesus’ body after his death is one of the most debated topics in the study of Christian origins. Most discussions tend to portray it as a choice between two options. The first is the traditional Gospel account, where Jesus is buried in a new rock-cut tomb provided by Joseph…
The topic of suffering has been a difficult idea to reconcile with a loving God. The question, why do bad things happen to good people, has been at the forefront of this. The book of Job tries to answer this question, while also examining various popular beliefs at that time. Yet, unlike what many would…