12 tips for better academic reading

By Dr Rod Benson These 12 tips are designed for academic readers, especially theological students, but any reader can use them to improve reading comprehension and efficiency. Choose a regular time to read. Ideally, this should become a daily habit โ€“ half an hour, an hour, or whatever you can manage. Youโ€™re looking for a …

Seven tips for giving criticism

by Dr Rod Benson One of the best ways to build healthy teams and community groups is to grow positive relationships.ย ย Encouragement is always a winner, but there are times when a critical comment is warranted. Here are seven tips for giving criticism, adapted from leadership guru John Maxwell: Clarify your motive.  The goal should be to …

Mountains of Scripture (9): unnamed mountains of the Hebrew Bible

Sunset over mountains in Lebanon, to the north of Israel. Advent is upon us, the end of the academic year approaches, and for our final reflection on mountains in the Hebrew Bible I want to take you to a special unnamed place. There are many references to unnamed mountains in Scripture. For example, in Deuteronomy …

A short history of the NSW Baptist Social Issues Committee

An address to the Baptist Historical Society of NSW by Rev. Rod Benson, 4 November 2010. Part of the large crowd gathered to listen to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's historic apology speech to members of the Stolen Generations in Canberra, 14 February 2008. Introduction The year is 1968, the year of my birth. There are …

The Bible in Photography: Index, Icon, Tableau, Vision

Sheona Beaumont, The Bible in Photography: Index, Icon, Tableau, Vision (London: T&T Clark, 2024). 227pp. ISBN 9780567706539 Reviewed by Dr Rod Benson Women grinding wheat at Ramallah, Palestine, early twentieth century. Photo: public domain. In this book, British academic Sheona Beaumont explores the photographic representation of biblical narrative through the lens of twentieth-century cultural criticism. …