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Theology

Morocco actor amused by Satan-Obama comparisons

With gray hair pulled back in a ponytail, an expressive face and a slim Errol Flynn-style pencil mustache, Mehdi Ouazzani doesn't look a great deal like America's 44th president — but then he doesn't resemble a stereotypical Satan very much either (Associated Press)

A Book Doctor in Dallas Patches Up Well-Loved Bibles

The Bibles that Candice McKay repairs can be the marked-up ones of regular churchgoers or ones old enough to have palm leaves stuck in them from when Grover Cleveland was president (The New York Times)

Why It’s Not Always Good to Forgive

How difficult is it, or should it be, to achieve redemption after a breach of trust? (The New York Times)

Dig Finds Evidence Of Another Bethlehem

Israeli archaeologists now say there is strong evidence that Christ was born in a different Bethlehem, a small village in the Galilee. (NPR)

Book Review: Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives

The salvation we yearn for is not simply a truce, with some economic prosperity, but the healing of our very selves, says Pope Benedict's newest book. (Anthony Esolen, The Wall Street Journal)

Opinion: Hark! The Herald Angels Didn’t Sing

It takes a strong imagination to approach Scripture literally (Tanya Lurhmann, The New York Times)

Evidence Suggests Flood, Noah's Ark Existed, Says Archaeologist Who Found Titanic

Robert Ballard is using advanced robotic technology to travel back nearly 12,000 years. (The Huffington Post)

'Jesus Of Nazareth:" Pope's Final Book On Jesus Claims No Animals In Manger; Virgin Birth Was Historical Truth

Just in time for Christmas, the Vatican on Tuesday unveiled a new book by Pope Benedict XVI focused on Jesus' birth and childhood, the final installment of his trilogy on the life of Jesus. (RNS, Huffington Post)

Opinion: Enlisting the Biblical Abraham as Peace Broker

The notion of 'Abrahamic religion' tries to reconcile Judaism, Christianity and Islam. (Jon D. Levenson, The Wall Street Journal)

Christian Right Is Preparing for an Obama Win

By focusing on their belief in a higher kingdom, they will be able to console themselves (Kevin Roose, New York)

Archaeology

Mysterious Stone Structure Discovered Beneath Sea of Galilee

It appears to be a giant cairn, rocks piled on top of each other (LiveScience)

The Biblical Pseudo-Archeologists Pillaging the West Bank

Finding the elusive, unregulated Israeli bureaucrat who lets American evangelicals run amok in the Palestinian territories. (The Atlantic)

Online Battle Over Ancient Scrolls Spawns Real-World Consequences

Raphael Haim Golb, 53, is headed to jail for waging an Internet campaign against his father’s academic rivals over the origins of the Dead Sea Scrolls. (The New York Times)

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Jesus

Sculpture of Jesus the Homeless rejected by two prominent churches

It takes a moment to see that the slight figure shrouded by a blanket, hauntingly similar to the real homeless who lie on grates and in doorways, is Jesus. It’s the gaping wounds in the feet that reveal the subject, whose face is draped and barely visible, as Jesus the Homeless. (Toronto Star)

Painting of Jesus coming down in Jackson school

Sallman "Head of Christ" had hung in school hallways in Jackson since 1947. But the district voluntarily ordered its removal out of fear of legal fees if it lost a lawsuit brought by two parents and a student (The Columbus Dispatch)

How to Save a Dying Language

Geoffrey Khan is racing to document Aramaic, the language of Jesus, before its native speakers vanish. (Smithsonian Magazine)

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Theology

Hangout for ‘MennoNerds’

Two online groups are allowing Anabaptists around the world to form relationships through theological discussion — and leave a trail of Anabaptist resources as they go. (MWR)

The Curious Case of the German Church

One needs to be careful when discussing German Christianity. Twenty-two regional church bodies may together hold membership in the Evangelical Church in Germany, but these churches profess different theologies. (First Things)

Why It’s Not Always Good to Forgive

How difficult is it, or should it be, to achieve redemption after a breach of trust? (The New York Times)

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Bible

Bible Class in Texas Schools Faulted as Unconstitutional

Religion’s place in public schools is a decades-old debate, often focused on prayers at athletic events or other extracurricular activities. The for-credit Bible classes inject the question into the middle of the school day. (Bloomberg)

Governor Orders Bibles Back To Georgia State Park Lodging In Church State Battle

Nathan Deal argued that if the state didn't pay for them, it can't be seen as endorsing them. (AP)

GSN Considers Adding Church-Based Dating Show

The idea would be to build on the success of the Game Show Network’s “American Bible Challenge.” (The New York Times)

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Prosperity Gospel

Eagerly Awaiting Release of Brazilian Evangelical's Autobiography

This was not the release of a smartphone. There were no Beyoncé tickets on sale, no books featuring vampires or boy wizards to be purchased. What these people wanted was to be the first in the United States to purchase the autobiography of Bishop Edir Macedo, a Pentecostal pastor with some five million followers worldwide. (NYT)

Christianity is Under Threat, Says Primate Okoh

Anglican leader says greatest threats are Boko Haram, African traditional religion, and prosperity gospel (Vanguard, Nigeria)

Ghana: Man of God Exposes Fake Pastors

THE HEAD Pastor of the Christ Power Ministry International, Rev. Dr. Michael Akwasi Adu, has stirred yet another controversy in the religious arena by revealing what he describes as little secrets of fake Men of God who use voodoo powers to perform extraordinary miracles. (allAfrica.com)

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