Author Archives: Tyler F. Williams

Research in Religious Studies Conference Call for Papers

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This announcement will be of interest to all Albertan students studying religious studies, biblical studies, and theology. This is an annual student conference put on by the Religious Studies department at the University of Lethbridge. Note that this year the regional AAR/SBL meetings are being held at immediately following the student conference at the University of Lethbridge. I am hoping to bring a number of students with me to the conference this year and perhaps stay for the regional SBL meeting — I encourage you to do as well!

Call For Papers

5th Annual
RESEARCH IN RELIGIOUS STUDIES CONFERENCE
HIGHLIGHTING THE FINEST STUDENT RESEARCH

Thursday, May 3 – Friday, May 4, 2007
University of Lethbridge
Lethbridge, Alberta

The conference is an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate level students to present papers on the history, belief, practices, cultural contexts, and artistic or literary expressions of any religious tradition. Papers from every discipline within the academic fields of the humanities and social sciences are welcome.

It is open to students from any educational institute at any point in their educational career. Although we encourage PhD students to attend, we are particularly seeking papers by undergraduate and masters level students.

Paper Sessions: Papers will typically be given a maximum of 30 mins (20 mins for the presentation and 10 mins for questions). Papers will be organized according to basic topic areas (e.g. Hinduism, Biblical Studies, Mythology, etc.). Diverse topic areas will be scheduled into an open paper session.

Panels include a series of related papers and a single question period at the end, or responses by other contributors. You may propose a panel discussion, especially if you know other interested folk with a paper on a relevant topic (great for final year seminar courses). Contact Dr. J. R. Linville at the address below if you would like to help organize a special panel.

Poster Session: Whether you are presenting a paper or not, bring a poster highlighting your BA Honors paper, MA research (completed or planned), or other research project, and see if you can get some feedback. Posters will be prominently displayed and time will be scheduled to discuss the advertised projects with the folks who are willing to share ideas with those who are interested, curious, or just plain mystified.

Click here to propose a paper (deadline: March 23, 2007)

We will do our best to accept all deserving papers, but there is a limit to the number of papers we can accept. All proposals will be adjudicated by March 31, 2007. Late submissions will only be considered if schedule allows.

Presenters must pay the required registration fee to attend the conference.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO DISCUSS PAPERS, SPECIAL SESSIONS, AND WHAT NOT, CONTACT:
Dr. James R. Linville
403-329-2537
james.linville@uleth.ca

Also, the Religious Studies Department at the University of Lethbridge also has a blog where you can get updates and more information.


2007 Rugby World Cup Tickets On Sale

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RugbyCanada.jpgSo, if you are thinking of buying me a Christmas present, you can always buy me some tickets to the 2007 Rugby World Cup since tickets go on sale today. Of course, you would have to buy me airplane tickets to France as well, since that is where the World Cup is being held next year.

Team Canada will have an uphill battle since we will playing in Pool B along with Australia, Wales, Fiji and the winner of the top team from Asia. Australia will be the toughest challenge. I also like Wales, but that is more because I have Welsh heritage. Canada’s first game is against Wales in Nantes on 9 September 2007 and will then we play Fiji in Cardiff on 16 September, Asia 1 in Bordeaux on 25 September and Australia in Bordeaux on 25 September.

I can’t wait. Rugby is the best game in the world!

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Canaanite Burial Ground Found in Jerusalem

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Israel’s Antiquities Authority announced yesterday the discovery in Jerusalem of an ancient Canaanite burial ground dating back more than 4000 years.

Here is the report from Arutz Sheva:

Archaeologists working at the site of the Holyland Park building project in Jerusalem have discovered a graveyard that is over 4,000 years old.

The graveyard formerly had a model of the Second Holy Temple on top of it. The model was recently relocated to the Israel Museum.

The graveyard, the archaeologists estimate, was used during the Bronze Age, from 2200 BCE until 1600 BCE. It is filled with amulets, weapons and work tools from that period, as well as complete pottery vessels of a high quality.

The AFP story had a bit more information in their article:

The site, uncovered at a construction site, covers more than 20 hectares (49 acres) and contains human and animal remains, as well as metal and ceramic artifacts and weapons, dating back to between 2,200 and 1,600 BC.

The dig’s director, Yanir Milevsky, said that this was not the first such site found in the Jerusalem area but that “the quantity of items and their particularly good state of conservation will allow us to enlarge our knowledge of farming villages … during the Canaanite era.”

The ancient land of Canaan covered present-day Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza Strip, as well as adjoining coastal lands and parts of Lebanon and Syria. The Hebrew people, following their liberation from exile in Egypt recounted in the Bible, moved into the area around 1,200 BC and began to conquer it.

This looks like a pretty significant archaeological find.

UPDATE: Todd Bolen over at the Bible Places Blog posted on this discovery back in September. He has some great pictures as well: click here.


Bible Stops Bullet

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The Bible can save your life — literally! Associated Press reports about a man in Florida “credits two small Bibles in his shirt pocket for saving his life when they stopped a bullet.”

Wow… just think what they could have stopped if he actually had the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible as well!

UPDATE: This is a bit from Woody Allen that Michael noted in the comments that I felt should be included in the actual post.

Woody Allen: “Years ago, my mother gave me a bullet…a bullet, and I put it in my breast pocket. Two years after that, I was walking down the street, when a berserk evangelist heaved a Gideon bible out a hotel room window, hitting me in the chest. Bible would have gone through my heart if it wasn’t for the bullet” (source).

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God’s Coming Kingdom…

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As someone who has a couple pet rabbits, I couldn’t help but want to post this picture (and, no, they are not food, but companions to the lion cubs!).

bunnies_lions.jpg

6 The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf bunny and the tiger lion and the fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze,
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
9 They will not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:6).

(HT Reuters)