The transcript of our trial

In many churches today when the Passion is read, the congregation as a whole is asked to proclaim aloud the parts that were spoken by the crowds. This could not be more appropriate, because we indict Jesus countless times by how we live.

Why Jesus is God

It’s Easter time, and that means that the mainstream media and publishing houses can be counted on to issue debunking attacks on orthodox Christianity. The best-publicized of these is Bart Ehrman’s latest book, “How Jesus Became God.”

Canonizations and the same old factionalism

How often in recent years has someone been heard to say, “I’m a John XXIII Catholic” or “I’m a John Paul Catholic”?The names have changed, but otherwise it’s like the bad old days in first-century Corinth.

Noah: a postmodern midrash

“Noah” is best interpreted, I think, as a modern cinematic midrash on the Biblical tale. The midrashim — extremely popular in ancient Israel — were imaginative elaborations of the often spare scriptural narratives.

Power, majesty and God’s consuming fire

I remember the day I discovered the joy of playing with a prism and the power generated by a magnifying glass. I was sitting on the windowsill of our fifth grade classroom and chatting with friends.

The big reveal: God’s better plan

Blue or pink? That was the secret contained in the cake. My younger brother and his wife are always looking for an excuse to throw a themed party — a World Series game for the Cardinals, an end-of-the-world prediction, the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.