666 & the Mark of the Beast

New Release

Besides delivering conference papers and writing articles, Rockhurst University faculty also publish books.  Here's my first academic book in print which I'll incorporate into my Book of Revelation class.

Read what some endorses have said about it:
"Daniel Stramara whirls his way through Revelation, imaginatively unfolding a complex web of intriguing possibilities to argue that Revelation draws from liturgical lections associated with the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost). Read along—it's certainly a fun ride."
—Warren Carter
Professor of New Testament  Brite Divinity School

"Daniel F. Stramara, in his engaging new work, God's Timetable, sheds light on many of the exegetical enigmas in the Book of Revelation. Stramara reads Revelation within the liturgical context of the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost (Shavu'ot), a festival whose apocalyptic significance is attested by other important Jewish writings of John's time. Ultimately, Stramara's work reveals a community very much at home in the world of first century Judaism."
—Paul B. Duff  Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies  The George Washington University

"As strange as it may seem, some two millennia after the writing of the Book of Revelation we now have a work that provides an original and convincing account of the meaning of the last book of the Bible. In this blockbuster, Daniel Stramara deciphers some of the most mysterious and puzzling images in Revelation. Carefully grounded in Jewish and Christian scholarship, God's Timetable will be a standard against which future works on Revelation will be measured."
—Wilburn T. Stancil  Professor of Theology and Religious Studies  Rockhurst University

"While many recent studies on the Apocalypse focus on the resistance of Christians to Empire, Daniel Stramara challenges readers to interpret the Apocalypse in its Jewish setting. His placement of the Apocalypse in the context of the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) is both compelling and convincing. By proposing the Feast of Weeks as a hermeneutical key for understanding the theological and ideological focus of the Apocalypse, Stramara opens a new window and lets in fresh light on this enigmatic work."
—David M. May  Professor of New Testament  Central Baptist Theological Seminary

If you're interesed in getting a copy follow this link:
http://wipfandstock.com/store/Gods_Timetable_The_Book_of_Revelation_and_the_Feast_of_Seven_Weeks/

Here's a list of other books published by my departmental colleagues:
http://www.rockhurst.edu/academic/theology/scholarship.asp

Rockhurst faculty are expected to be deeply engaged in teaching, scholarship, and service.

Blizzard Babies

Bring it on!

Well, once again Rockhurst University is closed due to bad weather.  This time the blizzard of 2011 that's supposed to be a whopper striking about 3/4 of the nation in some way or another.

Of course you know what that means: November there's going to be a baby boom!  This'll be good news for Rockhurst's enrollment in eighteen years!  Hopefully that crop of blizzard babies will be a hardy breed, poised to learn how to weather whatever gets thrown at them.

That's actually the over-arching thrust of Rockhurst right now: preparing young men and women for whatever life throws at them by giving them a well-rounded and well-grounded education in the Catholic Jesuit academic tradition.  The Catholic Church has endured the many storms and major events of history and managed to find a stability, and ability to survive by adaptation.

So why don't you check us out?  http://www.rockhurst.edu/
And we have a pretty gnarly Nursing Program as well through the Research College of Nursing, ready to deliver all those blizzard babies!  http://www.researchcollege.edu/

Blizzard

Like a blizzard, students returned to Rockhurst and blanketed the campus with their friendly presence.  The dorms and hallways are once again astir with youthful vibrancy.  As I write, the KC Metro area is to get between 4 to 7 inches of snow and so I anticipate some good snowball fights on the quad, as well as greeting partially wet students tomorrow morning in my classes.

Rockhurst University rarely cancels classes because the majority of the student body lives here.  I have  a Nissan Sentra with front wheel drive and so usually don't have much of a problem making it in.  We'll see.

It's nice seeing things all fresh and white.  What a great new start to the semester.

Recognition

Well another year has started and I’m sure it will be a lot like the last one. In reflecting over the past, one need’s to recognize what one wishes to foster or improve. Towards the close of Dec 2010 I was notified that my blog spot was recognized in the following article: "Top 50 Blogs by Theology Professors", wherein Dan the Doc is listed at #3. Check it out:  ( http://www.masteroftheology.org/top-50-blogs-by-theology-professors.html#3 ). So I obviously have my work cut out for me to stay in the Top 50! I was surprised by the honor but obviously couldn’t have received the recognition without you the readers.

That’s the thing about recognition, it’s never a solo enterprise; it necessitates communal involvement. Rockhurst University gets a lot of recognition for its various achievements whether due to its faculty, student body, or staff. With the New Year just unfolding I’d encourage you to check out Rockhurst University as an academic community of distinction, and consider paying us a visit. I’m sure the next year holds lots of opportunities for celebration and excellence. Have a good one!  All the best.  Dan the Doc

http://www.rockhurst.edu/

Silence

If it were not for the silence in the hallways I wouldn't believe the semester is over already!  Where did it go?  This Fall came and went before I knew it.

This time of year is a time for silence and reflection.  I hope you get the time (or make the time) to relax and reflect on all the goodness that you have experienced.  Sometimes we get so busy we don't take the opportunity to reflect and be thankful, and to then cherish what is wholesome and life-giving.  In the hectic pace, it's too easy to think about the stress and all the things that have gone wrong.  During winter, earth takes a rest so that she might spring back with vibrancy.

May your winter break be restorative and give birth to renewed hope and joy.

World Cultures Day

We just had World Cultures Day which is a day dedicated to celebrating various countries and cultures around the globe.  I did a table on Ethiopia because I had spent a month there about five years ago.  I cooked Eythiopian Chicken Stew known as Doro Wat. This past World Cultures Day over fifty countries were represented.  I also got a table going for England, Scotland, and Wales once I heard no one was doing those countries.  That's the adjoining table to the right above.  See the pic below.  I managed to drum up some help from my colleague Dr. Alan Douglas who is from Scotland and now a US citizen, and one of his students who is Wlesh and has been to Wales also pitched in.

World Cultures Day is a fun event when people come to together and work together, honoring differences and rich diversity.  Rockhurst University strives to show how we are part of the global community.  Even our curriculum has a Global Perspectives Requirement with several courses having a global component.  Then there are some courses which are strictly Global Studies oriented.

I Spy on Steroids

Well our family went for a walk Sunday afternoon and my wife and I were blown away! Our seven year old daughter loves to play "I Spy" and she said, "I spy with my little eye something beginning with the letter 'G'." My wife and I tried and tried to no avail and had to beg for a clue. The clue was "It is something which is invisible and really can't be seen." My wife exclaimed: "Well, then how are we supposed to see it and guess it?" Our daughter giggled to her hearts content. My wife blurted out: "Gravity." No. I forget what things I came up with besides "gas." It went on and on and on until we gave up. We got another clue, "It can be seen in the trees." Huh? No idea. The answer: "Gap!"


Not to be outdone by a seven year old, I came up with: "I spy with my little eye something beginning with the letter "s," but it's tricky." Ou daughter asked, "Is it on a house?" My reply, "It can be." They eventually asked, "Can it be elsewhere?" I replied, "Yes." They eventually begged for the next letter. I said, "Aha, that's important, 'h'." I todl my daughter, "I know you can get this." She eventually did: "shadow."

She came back with, "I spy with my little eye something beginning with the letter 'S' and it's always found on a surface." We tried and tried. I begged for the next letter. She replied "C." I asked if it were hard or soft. "Hard." That didn't help and of course by that time we had walked past the original thing. She said, "It quite often is found in a museum." Aargh. I begged for the next sound. "ool" HUH? The answer "Sculpture!"

So what's in your mind? How do YOU perceive the world? Part of a Rockhurst education delves into that very dynamic: perception. The Liberal Arts program offers seven different perspectives on viewing and interpreting the world and our experiences. Check us out. http://www.rockhurst.edu/academic/deansoffice/liberalcore.asp