Daniel C. Peterson's Blog, page 1176

“Oldest gospel fragment discovered in mummy mask”

    Jabra Ghneim brings this interesting article to my notice:   http://www.digitaljournal.com/science...   Here’s a reaction to the find from my friend and colleague John Gee, who specializes in texts out of ancient Egypt:   http://fornspollfira.blogspot.com/201...   And, while I’m at it, here’s an important heads up regarding New Testament textual criticism and the controversial [Read More...]

“John Dehlin and the Art of Baking (Narratives)”

    Yup.  Here’s another link about John Dehlin that I deem worthy of passing on:   https://dearjohndehlin.wordpress.com/...   Those who’ve come near to passing out over my posting such links are entirely free to pass on this one.   But some of you, I think, will like it and find it interesting.  If you do, [Read More...]

Putting the Kingdom of God second

    Elder Neal A. Maxwell, of the Quorum of the Twelve, was fond of this statement from the English clergyman William Law (d. 1761), who famously lived what he taught:   “If you have not chosen the Kingdom of God first, it will in the end make no difference what you have chosen instead.” [Read More...]

News from the Middle East: Two items

      1.   http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01...   Saudi Arabia is facing a time of transition, as this generation of the royal family passes on.       2.   http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/0...   The situation in Yemen continues to deteriorate, which suggests that the rosy picture of foreign policy success in the Middle East sketched by Mr. [Read More...]

New Testament 46

    Matthew 12:1-8 Mark 2:23-28 Luke 6:1-5   I’m reminded of a story told (as I recall) by a General Authority some years ago.   It was back when he was still a local leader.  He was headed toward a Sunday meeting in a rural area, and was running just a bit late.  Hurtling [Read More...]

“The Paradoxes that Threaten to Tear Modern Cosmology Apart”

    https://medium.com/the-physics-arxiv-...   Articles such as this one (which was kindly brought to my attention by David Wills, of Adelaide, Australia) are reminders of why humility is actually a very important attribute for scientists, as well as for ordinary mortals.    

Margaret Barker and the Maxwell Institute

    LOL.  I’ve just happened upon the suggestion, offered pseudonymously online (natch!), that the changes at the Maxwell Institute in 2012 may have been motivated by a desire to persuade the extraordinarily interesting British biblical scholar Margaret Barker to publish with the Institute.  It seems that, until my brand of apologetic pseudo-scholarship was surgically [Read More...]

“Hebrew Inscriptions”

    John Gee weighs in, yet again, on the general topic of history and the Hebrew scriptures, which has been a matter of controversy online over the past few weeks:   http://fornspollfira.blogspot.com/201...   It’s a discussion that I’ve proposed continue directly between the three main interlocutors, so that corrections might be made, positions clarified, implications [Read More...]

“The Parable of Chesterton’s Fence”

    One of my favorite LDS commentators, Cassandra Hedelius, reflects upon one of my favorite comments from G. K. Chesterton:   http://ldsmag.com/the-parable-of-ches...    

“A tribute to heroes in the kingdom”

    This week’s Thursday Deseret News Peterson column has appeared:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/86...