A couple of pieces about ‘the Cloud’ from this week.
- TidBITS Networking: The Future is Disposable
- fishers, surfers and casters » iCloud musings
Greenflame
Jottings on science, religion, technology, pop culture, photography and faith from the Aotearoa New Zealand
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While I’m meandering through study leave I’ll be on the look out for books that might serve as text books for classes in 2012 and 2013. Currently I’m looking for a good, introductory text for first-year undergraduates studying contextual theology. These are students who will have done some introductory systematic theology and biblical studies (or perhaps, just turned up in class with no theological/faith background).
Current contenders are:
“Models of Contextual Theology (Faith and Cultures Series)” (Stephen B. Bevans) A solid introduction, but perhaps more suited to second/third year students with more under their belt in terms of church history and theology. Also, I find it quite dense in style and layout.
“Doing Contextual Theology” (Angie Pears) Again, looks like a possibility, but also reads like a PhD thesis that’s been published and wouldn’t necessarily break down into nice chunks for new students to read each week.
“Let’s Do Theology: Resources for Contextual Theology” (Laurie Green)A possibility too. Used some of this in class this year, but perhaps less useful in a university course. Will go back and look at it.My students have enjoyed using books/excerpts from the SCM Study Guide series in the past, but there doesn’t look like there’s anything there.
Any other suggestions?
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After waiting for somewhere over 30 years I finally got to see a Green Lantern movie on the big screen. And as a fanboy of longstanding I have to say my feelings about it were pretty mixed.
On one hand I think they got some things right – the aloofness of the Guardians, Sinestro’s focus at bringing order at all costs, the diversity of the Corps, Jordan’s confidence tempered by his father’s death, the alieness of Oa, and even Carol Ferris. Plus I think some of the CGI worked well. And the little things for the fanboys and girls – like Carol’s ‘Sapphire’ call sign, the green boxing glove construct, and Sinestro’s yellow ring.
What didn’t work so well was that it felt like two movies joined together – the space focus is a key point of the GL mythos, but it felt like they didn’t really think they could take it off Earth for most of the movie. So we ended up oscillating badly between the two. Secondly, the ‘training’ sequence was so abrupt it didn’t make sense at all – in the comic books it takes several months at least – which would make Kilowog’s comment at the end of the movie about training more real. Two villains didn’t work – either could have worked, but Parallax really should have been embodied in some way (like the big yellow insect thing in the comics). And marketed really badly too.
Interestingly, I’ve recently rewatched the first DVD animated Green Lantern film – Green Lantern: First Flight – and I have to say I think it works better in terms of the plot than the new movie. I also watched the new animated film Green Lantern: Emerald Knights which came out a week to two back. That too caught the spirit of the comic books, though not all of the stories in it were as strong as each other.
I’ll buy the DVD when it comes out, and in the meantime hope that if they ever make a sequel they get back out into space more and give Kilowog and Sinestro way more screen time.
In the meantime, here are some links from the GL universe:
- DC Comics Green Lantern Secret Origin (PDF) : Shorter origin story over here.
- List of Green Lanterns in the DC Universe including Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, John Stewart and Kyle Rayner, plus Kilowog and Sinestro. No mention of Alan Scott though – but a good write up on him at Agent of S.T.Y.L.E.: Alan Scott, Earth’s First Green Lantern!.
- io9’s ‘A beginner’s guide to Green Lantern’
- Green Lantern: First Flight (Official Site)
- Green Lantern: Emerald Knights (Official Site)
- Reviews over at Political Jesus: Review of Green Lantern: A fan’s perspective | Political Jesus; Movie Review Tri-Blog (Rod)- Green Lantern | Political Jesus; and Sunday Funnies: The Real Reason I Went And Saw Green Lantern | Political Jesus
- Newsarama.com : Review: GREEN LANTERN Avoids Cheese and Charm in Film Debut
- Newsarama.com : Infographic: Science Fiction Superhero – GREEN LANTERN
- Newsarama.com : Why They Endure: GREEN LANTERN’s Everlasting Light
- The moral power of Green Lantern – The Globe and Mail and Green Lantern and the Psychology of Willpower | Political Jesus.
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Tim points to two biblical studies positions being advertised at Carey Baptist College here in Auckland. One in Old Testament (TIm’s successor) and one in New Testament.
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Hat tip to SAET » Biblical Studies Toolbar » The Society for the Advancement of Ecclesial Theology for the link to the Tyndale Toolbar | Tyndale House.
Might be useful to have it available in the web browser from time to time.
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The day started well yesterday. We had a really good session in the postgrad class ‘Science, Technology, Media and God’ looking at religion and spirituality in the online space, as well as some ethical thoughts on that, and then when I emerged from that there was a copy of “Friending: Real Relationships in a Virtual World“ from Lynne Baab waiting in the mail. Something to set as reading for the next time I teach the class, or for next year’s undergrad religion and media course that I’m waiting for approval on.
You can read a preview here
There’s also this interview here – Social Media “Friending” as a Spiritual Practice? A Q&A with Lynne Baab – Flunking Sainthood
(Will have a quick skim through tomorrow and see if it’s got anything useful for my ACADPRAC project hiding in it).
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Ran a three session workshop on “digital life” for a vestry retreat day over on the North Shore today. I enjoyed it, and there were good questions and comments from people in the sessions and over morning tea and lunch.
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We don’t get Netflix in NZ, but the chart is still helpful for picking a science fiction DVD set to watch 🙂
See Handy flowchart helps you decide which science fiction series to watch next on Netflix
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The most recent Spiritual Outlook programme on Radio New Zealand National is on digital religion and includes an interview with Rachel Wagner (Ithaca College, and author of forthcoming Godwired: Religion. Ritual, and Virtual Reality).
You can listen to the audio here (as well as MP3 and Ogg Vorbis files). Podcast link is http://www.radionz.co.nz/podcasts/spiritualoutlook
Rachel was also interviewed recently over at Second Life (after death) – Tech 24 talks religion, faith apps and video gaming with Rachel Wagner | Les blogs
Related links:
Baylor University’s ‘Christian Reflection’ publication series (which is part journal, part study guide) has a special issue on the theme of Virtual Lives (including the article “Religious Authority in the Age of the Internet” by Heidi Campbell and Paul Teusner). See Baylor University || Christian Ethics || Virtual Lives to access the whole issue or individual contributions.
James McGrath points to a downloadable book of conference papers (“Visions of the Human in Science Fiction & Cyberpunk”) which includes some reflections on virtual religion. See his post over at: Exploring Our Matrix: A Long Overdue Book: Visions of the Human in Science Fiction & Cyberpunk
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I’ve been wondering when something like this might happen. Various gatherings happen around the place – bibliobloggers, panels at conferences and other events, and then the non-denominational gatherings around religious blogging – but I can’t remember seeing anything else like this. Any other similar events around?
Vatican invites bloggers to first-ever summit – Religion and Beliefs – NZ Herald News
