Gordon Matties
Associate Professor of Biblical Studies & Theology
Resources
for the CMU course BTS-2250/3 Creation, Environment & the Bible
The reading by Lynn White can be
found by clicking here
or here
Ancient
Stones, Living Stones: Perspectives on the Holy Land:
A
Middle East Study Tour
I invite you to join me on a journey in the spring
of 2010 (tentatively April 29-May 21) through time to the land of Joshua and
Jesus! Through the 21-day tour you will:
· Walk into the world of the biblical texts.
· Visit the ancient stones, the important biblical/archaeological sites and pilgrimage locations.
· Meet the living stones, the many and varied people-groups living in present-day Israel/Palestine (Jews, Christians, and Muslims).
· Discover the complexity of conflict and the prospects for peace between Israelis and Palestinians, and wrestle with the challenges facing Middle Eastern and Western Christians, Jews and Muslims over this issue.
As you make the connection between the ancient stones
and the living stones, you will discover the wonder and the complexity
of these two worlds, and see how they coexist side-by-side. Often the two
worlds will press in on you at the same time—the world of the biblical text,
and the world of contemporary issues and political agenda. When the tour is
over, you will be able to say: “I will never read the Bible or the news the
same way again.” More…
NEW! To check out the new Ancient Stones, Living Stones Study
Tour Blog Click here.
Maps of Israel/Palestine
Index
Bibliography:
Biblical Interpretation in the Context of the Israel-Palestine Conflict
For a variety of
links to bibliographies, organizations, and online articles on the integration
of faith and learning, click here. For my
short reflections on the topic, see the following:
Integration: My Pursuit of Coherence and Conviction in Christian University Education
Nurturing the Mind, Minding
the Heart, Mending the World: Education as a Renewing Activity
Pursuing Coherence and Conviction in Christian University Education (much revised version of the first item, published in Canadian Christianity).
The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God. Dallas Willard. San Francisco, Calif.: HarperSanFrancisco, 1998. 428 pp. Click to read my review.
The Fabric of Faithfulness: Weaving Together Belief and Behavior During the University Years. By Steven Garber (rev. ed.; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2007). This is probably the best book available that addresses practically and creatively the problems students face in the contemporary university, and that offers strategies for intellectual, moral, and spiritual formation in that setting. See my review of the 1996 edition. This book is now out in a new edition.. For more . . .
Movie Theology: Reviews and
Resources. I’ve gathered a variety of links that will take you to
some of the best movie review sites.
Let’s
Rent a Movie! Making Movie Nights Work. A short article I’ve
written on how to facilitate group discussions (IdeaBank 14/1 [March
2001]).
“On Movies as Spiritual
Discipline,” Direction 34/2 (2005): 270-86. A review essay on
recent books on film & faith.
A Bibliography on Religion
& Film. Prepared by Gordon Matties.
A Short, Select list of Resources
Recent Books on Faith &
Film. A brief review of some of the best books on the topic. This file has not
been updated recently. Please see the Bibliography above.
Online Articles on Faith & Film. From academic articles in The Journal of Religion & Film to popularly written articles in a variety of websites.
Article on my
course “Film, Faith and Popular Culture” in Journal of Religion & Film.
Sites on the movie The Matrix. These
sites apply theological, mythic, or comparative religion approaches to the
movie.
The
Apostle: In Conversation with the Apostle Paul.
A Movie Discussion Guide
Amazing Grace. Links to my review of the
movie, to discussion guides, and to a variety of resources on the modern
anti-slavery movement: organizations, bibliography, etc.
Seeing
is Believing: Conversations Between Film & Faith
Seeing is
Believing is a unique
opportunity for those who enjoy viewing and discussing movies. Each session
begins with a Sunday matinee screening of a film at Cinematheque (100 Arthur,
Winnipeg), followed by a light dinner, dessert, and discussion at a
neighbourhood restaurant. More
. . . [I am not running this series right now]
Bibliographies. A variety of links to
bibliographies on anything from Old Testament Theology to Middle East.
Biblical Studies Links
and Resources
Gospel Parallels. Examples
of online resources.
How to Write a Book Review,
by Loren L. Johns, Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, Indiana.
How to
Write a Book Review, from the Queens University library website. See also
the Writing
Centre guide.
Writing Book Reviews: A list of links to various writing guides hosted by the University of Calgary.
A Guide to Biblical
Exegesis, by Richard Ascough, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON
Guide to Biblical Exegesis, by Christine Mitchell, Duke University (adapted from Ascough. Pdf file).
Critical Reading:
A Guide, by John Lye, Associate Professor of English, Brock University.
A Few (Strong)
Suggestions on Essay Writing, by Telford Work.