Monday, November 30, 2009

An Introduction

I initiated my first blog in 2005, after becoming a fan of blogs during the 2004 election season. That blog, DWK's Notes On Life, is still around but dead from neglect. I also have posted on blogs such as The Practical Press, though not recently.
So why a new blog?
The primary reason for this new start is that I want to host a content-specific blog, in this case a blog where I can record my musings on a topic of consuming interest to me, The Bible. The Bible and its many, many offspring -- in the forms of literature, art, music, architecture, philosophy -- have become in the past few years an area of study, contemplation, discussion, and inspiration.
Is this a religious blog?
Well, sort of. While I am a man of faith, many would describe it as an unconventional faith. I view The Bible as more than a religious document. It is that, of course, but it is also a foundation of Western thought and culture. Its chapters, verses, lines and words constitute an abundance of source material that has fed our poets, painters, composers, builders, preachers, teachers, scientists, and healers endlessly for thousands of years. Studying The Bible has led me on journeys, taken me down rabbit holes, allowed me to travel through time, peer into the minds of men and women through the ages, and most importantly, to discover new pathways through my own mind.
Is it the only foundation for our culture?
No. Western culture is equally inconceivable without the religion and thought of the ancient Greeks, the still-wondrous constructions of the Sumerians and Egyptions, the music and ritual of the Celts and the contributions of many other early people. But The Bible, I would contend, holds a special place. One reason is, of course, its dominant influence over Western history, but beyond that it is a work of true abundance, a work in which any reader can find support for predispositions or, more profitably, the substance to generate new thoughts and perspectives.
My hope is that this blog will generate thought and discussion. It may be too much to hope that some people may find comfort in it, although if that happens I will be grateful.