Josh Bertetta's Blog, page 8

Medieval Grunge

Married in his twenties, Awwal ibn Muazzam al-Tariq and his wife, secure in finance thanks to Awwal’s dealings in pearls (the “most successful seller of pearls in Jam,” according to Wadud), lived a happy life and wanted nothing more than a child. As much as they tried, he’d said with a subdued laughter, they could […]

Genesis 1-3 (Video Format)

The present lecture focuses on Genesis 1-3, the two creation stories. After discussing distinct elements of each story, we examine the different images of God as presented in each, the creation of humankind in God’s image, and theological issues underpinning each story. Want to learn more? Check out the following: In the Beginning And God […]

Hindu Lecture 9: Goddess Tradition (New Video Format)

Bringing our discussion of Hinduism to a close, we look at goddess traditions of India, looking first at Sarasvati and Lakshmi, then spend most of our time with the Mahadevi tradition, examining first the idea of shakti, and concluding by talking about Durga and Kali. Want to learn more about Kali? Read “Who is Kali […]

COMING SOON! The Story of the Four: Volume I

Four lives. Four stories. Four journeys through a dying world where gods and angels, demons and other dark things are as real as the sky is blue. Announcing the upcoming release of my first novel, The Story of the Four. Rahim the orphan, Darrath the bullied, Erosoi the self-satisfying “golden boy,” and Jen and the self-righteous […]

Lectures now on You-Tube!

As per a friendly suggestion, I learned how to add some video to what was just audio and now, after a little trial and error, I have begun to place the lectures from my Introduction to World Religions course on you-tube. I’m pretty happy with the first, my lecture on Vishnu (you-tube link), and look […]

Hindu Lecture 8: Shiva

Today’s lectures features a discussion of Shiva, concentrating on transcending duality, his symbolism, and his devotion in relation to the linga. Afterward, we just skim through a few images of other Hindu divinities.    Tagged: Duality, God, gods, Hinduism, India, Mythology, Perception, Reality, Religion, Sex, Symbolism

Final Exam

Here’s my latest from FlashFriday Vol 3-18. The story, based on the prompt below, also had to inlcude reference to a spy. The trouble with spies is that they hide in plain sight. Read the three choices below, then answer the following question. A) Two men in a black SUV are parked outside a bank. They […]

The Manliest of Man’s Manly Man

Here’s my latest from FlashFriday Vol 3-18 for which I made Special Mention. The story, based on the prompt below, also had to inlcude reference to a spy. He’d reached the age when every man reflects on his life. He’d played with toys that never hit the market and drove only the best of cars. He’d […]

Guest Post: The Advantages of Discoverability

Originally posted on Archer's Aim:
Today’s guest blog started as a post last week entitled, Book Sales Ruminations & Why You Need A General. Recently featured author in “Fantasy Authors Unplugged”, Autumn Birt, responded with a few cogent points of her own to the post. I invited Autumn to write a guest post and…

UnitingBloggers is now online!

Good Sunday all, Last week I posted an announcement for a new blog I created called UnitingBloggers which is essentially a hub for us bloggers to come together for the purpose of guest-blogging. While still a work in progress, as I still need to make it a little “prettier,” and I conceive of it as […]