Jan van Eyck, "Adoration of the Mystic Lamb," c. 1390-1441 In the early chapters of the Book of Genesis, there are four rivers. Two are unknown to us today; the others are the Tigris and the Euphrates, flowing through present-day Iraq. At the end of the Bibleโs narrative arc, there is also a river. John …
How to build a Bunnings sausage
By Rod Benson You know how it is. It's Saturday arvo, the mowing is done, and you pull in to the Bunnings car park with the fam. And what happens? The unmistakable aroma of caramelised onions and fat-seared sausages hits the old olfactories, reminding you that you came for a tap washer but you might …
Snow on the mountain: Welsh gnomic poetry and the practice of attention
By Rod Benson Recently, I have been reading a lot about Celtic history and spirituality. For someone like me, who identifies as a follower of Jesus, the most compelling feature of Celtic Christianity is arguably its integration of biblical faith, disciplined prayer, missionary adventure, poetry and attachment to place. It invites us to explore a Christian …
Continue reading "Snow on the mountain: Welsh gnomic poetry and the practice of attention"
Drill, baby, drill: Noahโs Ark, fundamentalist faith, and the search for evidence
The Durupฤฑnar site on the border between Tรผrkiye and Iran, showing the structure claimed to be Noah's Ark, in 2007. By Rod Benson According to the Book of Genesis, Noahโs Ark once saved the worldโs animals from extinction. Today, in the latest of many archaeological expeditions to the region, a dry sonic core drill is …
Fiction and the language of power
Who gets to name the world? By Rod Benson Imagine a government announcing that it will โright-sizeโ a service. The phrase sounds responsible, yet tells us little. Will people lose their jobs? Will a hospital close? Who decided what the โrightโ size is? The wording has not concealed every fact, but it has delayed the …
