As you may recall, two years ago the mainstream media was all abuzz about the discovery and translation of the Gospel of Judas. This lost Gnostic text, written in Egyptian Coptic likely during the second or third century, supposedly put a positive spin on the life of the disciple who betrayed Jesus and, according to the press, could shake the foundations of Christianity. The National Geographic Society, the group footing the bill for the research, aired a documentary on the manuscript, and four million viewers tuned in. In its latest issue of The Chronicle Review, The Chronicle of Higher Education, which is no Christian apologist organization, reported:

But almost immediately, other scholars began to take issue with the interpretation of [translator Marvin] Meyer [professor of religious studies at Chapman University] and the rest of the National Geographic team. They didn’t see a good Judas at all. In fact, this Judas seemed more evil than ever. (more…)

A lot has been said and written about Barack Obama’s “bitterness” remarks. Writing from a Christian theological perspective, Albert Mohler delves into what he calls “the real issue” here:

“… Sen. Obama has given us a near-perfect expression of a functional view of religious belief. In other words, Sen. Obama said that “religion” is a coping mechanism for hard times — lumping religion with other issues his audience members were presumably to find strange and alien.

A functional view of belief assumes or “brackets” the question of whether the beliefs are true. One who holds to a purely functionalist view of religious conviction is not concerned with the truthfulness of these beliefs, but only with the effects the beliefs have on the believer, both privately and in social contexts.

No one but God knows Sen. Obama’s heart, but we are left with his words. In this case, the words are very similar to what is so often heard from political figures. When speaking of their own faith they often speak of how it functions. Sen. Clinton spoke this way at the “Compassion Forum” at Messiah College on Sunday night, but we must note that Republicans often speak the same way — valuing “faith” as if faith has no object.

Read Dr. Mohler’s entire post here.

Often a lot of buzz comes from the Sunday morning news talk shows, which usually feature some of the most newsworthy figures of the week. Many Christians, however, unless they tape or TiVo the shows, miss out on what’s being said because they’re, of course, in church. On his radio show earlier this week, Albert Mohler reminded his listeners that there’s another option: video and audio podcasts. And he added that you could listen or view what he calls “the three most important news programs of the week” in this manner in much less time than you would have watching them live.

Mohler’s point in encouraging people to access these shows is that he believes that they are extremely important in the national conversation that is going on around us and that we should be actively discussing these issues with others, especially with our families at the dinner table.

Here are links to where you can download or subscribe to the podcasts of the three shows Mohler recommended (as wells their counterparts on CNN and FOX):

• ABC’s “This Week With George Stephanopoulos”
• CBS’s “Face the Nation With Bob Schieffer”
• NBC’s “Meet the Press With Tim Russert”
• CNN’s “Late Edition With Wolf Blitzer”
• “FOX News Sunday With Chris Wallace”

Click here for a lineup of the guests for tomorrow’s shows.

Albert Mohler interviews Jim Wallis, whose new book suggests that a Great Awakening is on its way.

In Dethroning Jesus, Darrell L. Bock and Daniel B. Wallace make a case for how popular culture is attempting to replace Biblical Christianity with “Jesusanity.” Bock and Wallace define the term “Jesusanity” as:

… the alternative story about Jesus. Here the center of the story is still Jesus, but Jesus as either a prophet or a teacher of religious wisdom. In Jesusanity, Jesus remains very much Jesus of Nazareth. He points the way to God and leads people into a journey with God. His role is primarily one of teacher, guide, and example. Jesus’ special status involves his insight into the human condition and the enlightenment he brings to it. There is no enthronement of Jesus at God’s side, only the power of his teaching and example. In this story, the key is that Jesus inspires others, but there is no throne for him. He is one among many – the best, perhaps, and one worthy to learn from and follow.

In an article about the book, Albert Mohler adds, “Biblical Christianity teaches that Jesus Christ is both fully human and fully divine. Thus, Jesus does not need to be ‘humanized.’ As the Apostle Paul taught in Philippians 2:5-11, Jesus humbled Himself to take on full and authentic humanity. So, the real issue in Jesusanity is not humanizing Jesus, but denying His deity. Christianity and Jesusanity tell two different stories and represent two very different faiths.”

On his radio show earlier this week, Dr. Albert Mohler fielded questions about the wise men, whether Christmas traditions are biblical, the virgin birth, the meaning of the term “Christmas,” and the Christian response to Santa Claus. It’s a good podcast to listen to while walking the dog or while traveling over the river and through the woods to Grandma’s house. (Just be careful that the little ones aren’t listening during the Santa Claus part!)