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W. Travis McMaken @wtmcmaken.bsky.social · Aug 30

kermit the frog is wearing a suit and tie and holding a glass of wine and saying `` hmm . cheers . ''

ALT: kermit the frog is wearing a suit and tie and holding a glass of wine and saying `` hmm . cheers . ''

media.tenor.com

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W. Travis McMaken @wtmcmaken.bsky.social · Aug 30

It's always fun to get a shout-out from @trippfuller.bsky.social on the Homebrewed #Christianity podcast. And, yes, I *would* call that #idolatry! Listen to figure out what we're talking about.

www.homebrewedchristianty.com/2025/08/28/n...

Nichole Torbitzky: Student Beliefs & The Evolution of Faith on Campus

www.homebrewedchristianty.com

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W. Travis McMaken @wtmcmaken.bsky.social · Jun 23

"The #church cannot claim for itself privileges it would deny to others." - Jan Lochman

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W. Travis McMaken @wtmcmaken.bsky.social · Jun 23

Paul's single #resurrection reference in #Galatians establishes the #apocalyptic framework: there's a cosmic war between #spiritual forces, and Christ's resurrection is the beginning of #God's victory over #sin, death, and the #devil.

§2. Introduction & Salutation, 1:1-5 (session 5, part 2)—Paul’s Letter to the Galatians: A Presbyterian Adult Spiritual Formation Series

DET is a multi-author theology blog that engages the Christian tradition's diversity but is especially rooted in 20th century theology.

derevth.blogspot.com

W. Travis McMaken @wtmcmaken.bsky.social · Jun 22

"It is a good thing to...produce more space for concrete humanity to cross all ideologies. ... The reduction of ideologies within the church, both in message and in practice, is indeed our task." - Jan Lochman

W. Travis McMaken @wtmcmaken.bsky.social · Jun 21

"In a 'dogmatic society' the church should be, by its very existence, a champion of intellectual freedom and open-mindedness." - Jan Lochman

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W. Travis McMaken @wtmcmaken.bsky.social · Jun 15

"The history of modern secularization is also the history of the shrinking credibility of Christianity. And Constantinian Christianity is not without blame." - Jan Milic Lochman

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W. Travis McMaken @wtmcmaken.bsky.social · Jun 12

"God's Ghostwriters" isn't just about who wrote what—it's about how systems of enslavement were woven into the very fabric of early #Christianity. The texts we call sacred emerged from and were shaped by those power structures. ⚖️ #SocialJustice #NewTestament

What Am I Reading? Candida Moss’s “God’s Ghostwriters"

DET is a multi-author theology blog that engages the Christian tradition's diversity but is especially rooted in 20th century theology.

derevth.blogspot.com

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W. Travis McMaken @wtmcmaken.bsky.social · Jun 11

The people you think wrote the #NewTestament didn't write it the way we imagine. Candida Moss reveals how enslaved collaborators were the hidden hands behind these sacred texts. The #history we weren't taught. 📚✨ #BiblicalStudies

What Am I Reading? Candida Moss’s “God’s Ghostwriters"

DET is a multi-author theology blog that engages the Christian tradition's diversity but is especially rooted in 20th century theology.

derevth.blogspot.com

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W. Travis McMaken @wtmcmaken.bsky.social · Jun 9

That's very kind of you to say!

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W. Travis McMaken @wtmcmaken.bsky.social · Jun 9

Great point. I should have emphasized that more (perhaps I'll edit it). I don't know the specialist lit well enough on my own. But that piece made so much sense when you said it - stating what should be obvious but isn't - that it really "clicked" for me.

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W. Travis McMaken @wtmcmaken.bsky.social · Jun 9

Writing in the ancient world wasn't a solo act—it was intensely collaborative. From scribes to carriers to interpreters, enslaved people shaped the meaning of texts that would become the New Testament. @candidamoss.bsky.social shows us the invisible labor behind the New Testament.

What Am I Reading? Candida Moss’s “God’s Ghostwriters"

DET is a multi-author theology blog that engages the Christian tradition's diversity but is especially rooted in 20th century theology.

derevth.blogspot.com

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W. Travis McMaken @wtmcmaken.bsky.social · Jun 5

"The fear of false familiarity is the beginning of historical wisdom" - Paula Fredriksen

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W. Travis McMaken @wtmcmaken.bsky.social · Apr 23

Anxiety around AI and authorship? We've been here before. My new article with James Hutson draws surprising parallels between biblical scribes and generative AI, revealing authorship as always collaborative.

Ghostwriters Then and Now: Biblical Scribes, Generative AI, and Collaborative Authorship

DET is a multi-author theology blog that engages the Christian tradition's diversity but is especially rooted in 20th century theology.

derevth.blogspot.com

W. Travis McMaken @wtmcmaken.bsky.social · Apr 23

I think that's a fair point. I'm thinking more of folks who would automatically treat use of gen AI tools as de facto plagiarism.

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W. Travis McMaken @wtmcmaken.bsky.social · Apr 23

That way of thinking about authorship w/ref to AI oversimplifies things and engenders misplaced polemics about the use of AI

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W. Travis McMaken @wtmcmaken.bsky.social · Apr 23

That was of thinking about authorship w/ref to scripture or other ancient texts renders invisible the collaborative agency of enslaved / low class scribes.

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W. Travis McMaken @wtmcmaken.bsky.social · Apr 23

You're right that the parallel isn't exact, but the comparison importantly complicates how we conceive of authorship. The key thing for me is to get away from the solitary, authoritative "author"

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Reposted by W. Travis McMaken

J. Scott Jackson @jscottjackson.bsky.social · Apr 22

"Rather than seeing AI as a radical break from traditional authorship, our article suggests we're witnessing the latest evolution in a long history of collaborative creation." ~ @wtmcmaken.bsky.social

Ghostwriters Then and Now: Biblical Scribes, Generative AI, and Collaborative Authorship

DET is a multi-author theology blog that engages the Christian tradition's diversity but is especially rooted in 20th century theology.

derevth.blogspot.com

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W. Travis McMaken @wtmcmaken.bsky.social · Apr 22

What do #biblical scribes and #ChatGPT have in common? My new article with my colleague James Hutson, "Dictating the #Divine," explores how mediated authorship connects ancient religious texts to today's AI outputs. Turns out collaborative creation isn't new.

Ghostwriters Then and Now: Biblical Scribes, Generative AI, and Collaborative Authorship

DET is a multi-author theology blog that engages the Christian tradition's diversity but is especially rooted in 20th century theology.

derevth.blogspot.com

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W. Travis McMaken @wtmcmaken.bsky.social · Apr 3

"Inactivity is as basic a form of #sin as hubris." Powerful insight from Lochman on how the Promethean myth challenges #Christian #theology to embrace liberating engagement in #history. Read more!

Prometheus’s Three Challenges to Christian Theology According to Jan Milíč Lochman

DET is a multi-author theology blog that engages the Christian tradition's diversity but is especially rooted in 20th century theology.

derevth.blogspot.com

Reposted by W. Travis McMaken

Nevermet @nevermet.bsky.social · Mar 31

So I am reading Cocksworth & @wtmcmaken.bsky.social ‘s edited volume on Karl Barth’s spiritual writings. There’s a quote on p.45 that I feel is powerful, but I suspect a lot of North American progressive Christians would dislike. I’m unsure what to do with this tension other than to name it: (1/x)

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W. Travis McMaken @wtmcmaken.bsky.social · Mar 31

The Promethean #myth isn't just #Greek mythology—it became a powerful challenge to #Christian thought. Jan Milíč Lochman shows how this "theological mirror" reveals blind spots in how we understand #God, #sin, and #grace.

Prometheus’s Three Challenges to Christian Theology According to Jan Milíč Lochman

DET is a multi-author theology blog that engages the Christian tradition's diversity but is especially rooted in 20th century theology.

derevth.blogspot.com

W. Travis McMaken @wtmcmaken.bsky.social · Mar 30

New blog post: Prometheus's Three Challenges to #Christian Theology According to Czech theologian Jan Milíč Lochman. How the mythological #titan became a focal point in Marxist-Christian dialogues of the 1960s. Read more! #Theology #Marxism

Prometheus’s Three Challenges to Christian Theology According to Jan Milíč Lochman

DET is a multi-author theology blog that engages the Christian tradition's diversity but is especially rooted in 20th century theology.

derevth.blogspot.com

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W. Travis McMaken @wtmcmaken.bsky.social · Mar 3

This popped into my feed as suggested, I read it, enjoyed it, and when I went back to like and repost, I couldn't find it...

So, check this out from @laurenrelarkin.bsky.social

What is Truth?

The following is the opening portion of a Christmas letter I wrote at the end of 2024. I’ve been meaning to post it, but haven’t gotten around to it…until now. So, here are some r…

laurenrelarkin.com

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