http://www.joshfurnal.com God's acquaintance is never made hurriedly Mon, 05 Jan 2009 00:47:48 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en "'If God doesn't exist, then everything is prohibited' means the more you perceive yourself as an atheist, the more your unconscious is dominated by prohibitions that sabotage your enjoyment. (One should not forget to supplement this thesis with its opposite: if God exists, then everything is permitted -- is ... http://www.joshfurnal.com/2009/01/05/tidbits-for-your-enjoyment/ the deal in germany was a lot of fun and it was good to get away for a bit. i'm back in ancona doing laundry, paying bills, tracking down packages, and getting ready to turn back around and leave on monday to head to durham, england for an intensive course ... http://www.joshfurnal.com/2009/01/02/im-back-but-just-for-a-bit/ I'm preparing to leave for Germany on Monday for a gathering of missionaries working in Europe. I've been asked to do a seminar on the emergent church and I wanted to give you my basic outline and articles that I'll be using. If you have any others that could help, ... http://www.joshfurnal.com/2008/12/21/what-does-emergent-village-have-to-do-with-cain-ridge/ I just read a very stimulating article by J. Louis Martyn entitled The Apocalyptic Gospel in Galatians. This article is dated a bit, but what it brings to our understanding of "What is the Gospel?" is groundbreaking. As we await the coming of Christ this advent season, I encourage you ... http://www.joshfurnal.com/2008/12/14/recommended-advent-reading/    In the most recent issue of The Christian Century, I came across a good article that would be of interest to those working among the unchurched and disaffiliated. The article discusses how the notion of what it means to be religious is being redefined in the Pacific Northwest. You ... http://www.joshfurnal.com/2008/12/12/the-none-zone/ I said it when I first stumbled across the album for the first time, and I'll say it again: Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago gets "the best album of 2008 award" from me.   Make sure and pre-order their new EP Blood Bank. If you need a little taste ... http://www.joshfurnal.com/2008/12/12/bon-iver-best-album-of-2008/ Why didn't Sinatra sing about sloth and marriage being like a horse and carriage? In a recent interview, Kathleen Norris speaks about her new book Acedia & Me: A Marriage, Monks, and a Writer's Life which I've mentioned in an earlier post: TOJ: In your book you celebrate marriage but without the usual ... http://www.joshfurnal.com/2008/12/10/sloth-and-marriage/ I've been away for a few days and here's a taste of what's been rolling around recently: Bon Iver has a new EP coming out on January 29, 2009 called Blood Bank. I think it would be a fantastic belated stocking stuffer! Backstage Sessions: Bon Iver - Flume from Hard to Find ... http://www.joshfurnal.com/2008/12/08/at-the-exact-center-of-stupor/ I just heard the sad news that one of my favorite postliberal theologians passed away this weekend. Ben has some of the significant links about William Placher. Two of his books in particular have really influenced my thinking: Unapologetic Theology and Struggling with Scripture. Here's a good article by Placher ... http://www.joshfurnal.com/2008/12/03/william-c-placher-1948-2008/ Last week, Ben Myers at Faith and Theology posted a very interesting piece on St. Augustine and Iron and Wine. I wanted to bring it to your attention because Ben is brilliant and doing some very good work. After reading Ben's piece, I began to realize that Sam Beam strangely ... http://www.joshfurnal.com/2008/12/01/confessions-of-the-flightless-bird/