Julia M. OBrien

"Why are We Still Reading Dickens?" is the title of an article in The Guardian blog.  It's also a question asked by myriad high school and college students.

This week, 60 Minutes ran a piece on firms that represent delebs:  dead celebrities.  Turns out there's a big business in merchandising Elvis, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, and the most recognizable face of our time, Albert Einstein.

In a recent article in The Wall Street Journal, Karen Armstrong and Richard Dawkins respond to the question, "Where does evolution leave God?"   Not surprisingly, Armstrong answers in a way that respects religious belief, while Dawkins uses the opportunity to further disparage religion.

Thanks to all those who responded to my call for Psalms stuff. Here, I report on the array of objects we handled in our first Psalms class.

The second edition of my Readings series volume on Nahum has just been released by Sheffield Phoenix Press.

Was Joe Wilson racist when he shouted “you lie!” to President Obama?  Are supporters of Obama too quick to dismiss honest criticism of the President’s policies as knee-jerk racism?

On Wednesday, I begin teaching a seminary course on the book of Psalms.  After months immersed in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, a turn to poetry/liturgy will take some adjustment.

My step-daughter Brianne is in Japan for the year, teaching English. After reading my last blog post about the ripped Jesus, she sent me this photo.  What is this??

I've never thought of Jesus as meek and mild, but I also never imagined Jesus the way I saw him depicted on a billboard in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, a few years ago.

Last weekend, two biblical scholar friends and I visited the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore and spent time in an exhibit entitled "Shrunken Treasures:  Miniaturization in Books and Art." It features tiny books and objects from the museum's permanent collection.