by Peter D. Spychalla, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of New Testament & Spiritual Formation In last week’s blog, we introduced the ancient art of lectio divina (pronounced lex-ee-oh dih-vee-nuh), a slow, contemplative reading and praying of the Holy Scriptures in order to encounter God and be spiritually transformed. This week, we reflect more deeply on the…
by Peter D. Spychalla, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of New Testament & Spiritual Formation Christians from diverse traditions—Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant—are showing renewed interest in the ancient art of lectio divina (pronounced lex-ee-oh dih-vee-nuh). Count me among the novices learning this venerable spiritual practice! This Latin phrase means “sacred reading” or “divine reading.” Lectio divina is…
written by Brent Dickman, MDiv, Recruiter & Adjunct Faculty, Urbana Theological Seminary Alumni 2011 Just a few days ago movie lovers and film aficionados from all over the country made their way to Champaign/Urbana for Roger Ebert’s Film Festival (Ebertfest). For five days thousands made their way in and out of the Virginia Theatre to see…
written by Brent Dickman, MDiv, Recruiter & Adjunct Faculty, Urbana Theological Seminary Alumni 2011 A little over ten months ago I became a father. My son, Isaac, already lives up to his namesake, commonly filling our home with laughter, joy, and wonder. So often, when I look into his big eyes or hear his voracious little…
By Dr. Melody Green, Adjunct Instructor in Christian Thought Shortly after J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings were published, C. S. Lewis wrote in a review of the series, “Here are beauties which pierce like swords or burn like cold iron. Here is a book which will break your heart.” Since that…
by Dr. Melody Green Over the last fifteen years, fantasy has become by far the best-selling genre in both books and films. According to boxofficemojo.com, 17 out of the top 20 worldwide best-grossing movies at the box office are fantasy films that have been released since 2001, while new fantasy books are being published at…
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