BPR Mailing List Digest: 12/13/99

Philologos
BPR Mailing List Digest
December 13, 1999

Digest Home | 1999 | December, 1999

To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Dec 13, 1999 TV Programs
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Mon, 13 Dec 1999 08:44:09 -0500

From: "Moza" <moza7@netzero.net>

8:30 PM Eastern

MTV - TRUE LIFE - "I'm a Hacker" - Computer hackers
access everything from school grades to military
software.(CC)

9:00

DISC - NO PLACE TO HIDE: LITTLE BROTHER - Computer
hackers invade individual privacy.(CC)(TVG)

TLC - COSMIC SAFARI - Scientists lay out their views
of evolution; possible space
inhabitants.(CC)(TVG)

10:00

DISC - SPYTEK - "Spy vs. Spy" - Technology plays an
important role in espionage.(CC)(TVG)

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========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Christian History Newsletter
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Mon, 13 Dec 1999 09:59:51 -0500

From: <owner-bpr@philologos.org>

The Play's the Thing
from Elesha Coffman, assistant editor of Christian History

A church in Little Rock, Arkansas, made headlines this week by offering a
"drive-thru" Christmas. The church transformed its parking lot into an
outdoor Nativity scene for people who wanted to get into the seasonal
spirit without getting out of their cars. While it's an easy segue to
exasperated cries of "McChristmas," the church's presentation is not just
a product of our instant gratification society. Christmas-on-wheels
traditions date back to the Middle Ages in the form of mystery and
morality plays.

Drama had a hard road into the church. Greek and Roman theater were
denounced by early Christians as decadent pagan entertainment. As
Christianity spread through Europe, other folk festivities and theatrics
were encountered and similarly denounced. But no matter how much the
church tried to suppress these expressions, people liked pageants and
dramas. So the church adopted a new strategy: If you can't beat 'em, join
'em.

The church's first dramatic offerings grew directly out of the liturgy.
Scenes from the Bible were soon added to the repertoire, particularly
scenes related to Easter and the Nativity. These are commonly called
miracle or mystery plays; later works that aimed to illustrate good and
evil battling for possession of a human soul are known as morality plays.
At first, church leaders themselves took principal roles in the
presentations, but in 1210, a papal edict prohibited clergymen from
appearing on a public stage. The laity assumed responsibility for putting
on the plays, and productions grew in scope and popularity.

The plays were organized in cycles, or sequences of related scenes, often
with comic or musical interludes (to work in elements of the supplanted
folk celebrations). Each scene was staged by one of the town's guilds on
either a raised platform or, by the fourteenth century, a decorated wagon.
Not unlike the Tournament of Roses parade, these themed wagons would
process around town with actors performing their designated scenes
wherever an audience was assembled. Some towns' cycles have been
preserved, including those from the English cities of Chester (25 scenes),
Wakefield (30 scenes) and York (48 scenes), as well as others from cities
on the Continent.

These medieval dramas reached the height of their popularity in the
fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, and they had a significant influence
on Elizabethan drama and other forms of literature. Shakespeare features
guild actors in _A Midsummer Night's Dream_, and his plays generally
reflect the mixture of solemnity and humor found in the morality plays.
Marlowe's _Faustus_ and allegories such as Bunyan's _The Pilgrim's
Progress_ also incorporate elements of the morality play tradition.

Little Rock's "drive-thru" Christmas is by no means the only contemporary
example of medieval-style drama. The Bavarian city of Oberammergau has
enacted the Passion and Death of the Lord at ten-year intervals ever since
1634, commemorating God delivering the town from a plague. Even the
rural Indiana church I attended while growing up staged an outdoor
Nativity every year, pressing all 75 of its members into annual service.
Visitors rode haywagons through field and wood, stopping at eight
scenes complete with plywood shelters, live animals, and shivering
thespians. And every time I hear the words, "The people walking in
darkness have seen a great light ..." I'm there again, playing Isaiah at the
manger tableaux, trying to keep the cow from eating my script.

* For more information on medieval religious drama, see:
www.funkandwagnalls.com/encyclopedia/low/articles/m/m016002036f.html
http://search.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/2/0,5716,108432+2+105998,00.
html

* Information about Oberammergau can be found at
http://www.oberammergau.de

======================================================
This week in CHRISTIAN HISTORY online at
http://www.christianhistory.net

DID YOU KNOW? Spiritual wisdom of the desert fathers. From the editors.

The monks really knew what they were talking about when it came to
topics like judging, temptation, anger, lust, and true righteousness.

=======================================================
This week in Christian history:
(For more dates, see www.christianhistory.net)

December 10, 1520: German reformer Martin Luther publicly burns Pope
Leo X's bull "Exsurge Domine," which had demanded that Luther recant
his heresies, including that of justification by faith alone (see issue 34:
Luther's Early Years).

December 10, 1824: Scottish writer and poet George MacDonald, whose
fairy tales and mythopoetic novels inspired C.S. Lewis and others, is born
(see issue 7: C.S. Lewis)

December 11, 1518: Swiss Reformer Ulrich Zwingli becomes "people's
priest" at the Old Minster Church in Zurich, a position he held for the
remaining 13 years of his life. After nearly dying from the plague, he began
his reforming program almost immediately, persuading the city council to
judge religious issues by Scripture alone (see issue 4: Ulrich Zwingli).

December 11, 1792: Jacob Mohr, author of the poem "Silent Night," is born.

December 11, 1984: The White House displays a nativity scene for the first
time since courts ordered it removed in 1973.

December 12, 1189: King Richard I "the Lion Hearted" leaves England on
the Third Crusade to retake Jerusalem, which fell to Muslim general
Saladin in 1187 (see issue 40: Crusades).

December 12, 1582: Spanish General Fernando Alvarez de Toledo (also
known as the Duke of Alva) dies. After King Philip II of Spain established
the Inquisition in Holland, he sent the Duke of Alva, along with 10,000
troops, to quell the Reformation. The duke's "Council of Blood" was
responsible for some 18,000 deaths.

December 13, 37: Nero, the Roman emperor who was the scourge of early
Christians, is born. After his suicide in 68, many believed he would
return, and "false Neros" appeared throughout the eastern provinces (see
issue 27: Persecution in the Early Church).

December 13, 1545: The first session of the Counter-Reformation Council of
Trent opens. Responding to the spread of Protestantism and the drastic
need for moral and administrative reforms within the Roman Catholic
church, it met on and off for 18 years. Ultimately the reforms were not
comprehensive enough to satisfy the Protestants or even many Catholics,
but it created a basis for a renewal of discipline and spiritual life
within the church.

December 13, 1835: Phillips Brooks, Episcopal prelate and author of "O
Little Town of Bethlehem," is born in Boston.

December 14, 1591: Spanish poet John of the Cross, one of the greatest
Christian mystics, dies. His "Dark Night of the Soul" is one of the era's
best known religious poems, and his treatises have profoundly influenced
both Catholic and Protestant thought.

December 14, 1853: Illinois Institute is begun by Wesleyan abolitionists.
The school became Wheaton College after its president, Jonathan
Blanchard, asked local landowner Warren Wheaton for a large property
donation, offering to name the school after him and "save [his] heirs the
expense of a good monument."

December 15, 1418: English pre-Reformer John Oldcastle is burned alive for
his efforts to preserve and promote the cause of the Lollards (preachers
who spread John Wycliffe's views). Shakespeare reportedly based his
character Falstaff on Oldcastle (see issue 3: John Wycliffe).

December 16, 345: Eusebius (not to be confused with historian Eusebius of
Caesarea) becomes bishop of Vercelli, Italy. After refusing to sign the
condemnation of Athanasius at the Council of Milan for his attacks against
Arianism, he was exiled. But he was pardoned by Julian the Apostate and
led the movement to restore the Nicene Creed--and thus orthodoxy--to the
empire (see issue 51: Heresy in the Early Church).

December 16, 1485: Catherine of Aragon, first wife of Henry VIII, is born.
His quest to annul their marriage led to the English Reformation (see issue
48: English Reformation).
=======================================================
BACK ISSUES: CH back issues referred to in this newsletter can be
ordered: Online: http://st3.yahoo.com/cgi-
bin/clink?cti+q7W2e2+chrishispasi1.html By phone: 1-800-806-7798
(When you call, mention this offer: HZ0CHNL)

CD-ROM: 50 CH back issues are available on CD-ROM and can be ordered:
Online: http://st3.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/clink?cti+q7W2e2+chrishisincd1.html
By phone: 1-800-806-7798 (When you call, mention this offer: HZ0CHNL)

SUBSCRIPTIONS: Subscriptions to the magazine can be purchased online:
http://www.christianityonline.com/shopping/subs/sbstrt02.php?cc=H_new
slet t er By phone: 1-800-873-6986 (When you call, mention this offer:
HZ0CHNL)

Christian History is also available on AOL at Keyword: christianhistory.
=======================================================
Copyright 1999 Christian History. To unsubscribe from this newsletter,
send the message "unsubscribe christian-history" (without the quotes) in
the body (not subject line) of your e-mail to listserv@listserv.aol.com

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - The Second Coming is in site
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Mon, 13 Dec 1999 13:07:37 -0500

From: owner-bpr@philologos.org

The Second Coming is in site
By JONATHAN PETRE LONDON
Monday 13 December 1999

An evangelical organisation in Britain has trained cameras on
Jerusalem's Golden Gate and the Mount of Olives and is
broadcasting the pictures live on the Internet in the hope of
witnessing the Second Coming...

Full story:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/19991213/A34071-1999Dec12.html

-----

My favorite quote from the above article is:

"Something significant will happen. The Bible says that His
feet will stand on the Mount of Olives and there will be an
earthquake, so our cameras might not even stand up to the
impact. But we have a Swiss company who helped design these Web
cameras and the Swiss are very impressive technically."

Here is the url of the website in the story:

http://www.olivetree.org/Jerusalem_Pictures/registra.htm

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Brightest Full Moon in 133 years
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Mon, 13 Dec 1999 12:24:47 -0600

From: James_Hayes@oakdene.com

The brightest full moon in 133 years will be seen this December 22.

A rare combination of lunar and solar cycles provides for the moon to be at
its closest point to earth in its orbit this month. Also, the earth in its
orbit will be closest to the sun. As this occurs occasionally for both
bodies, a combined occurance is just that rare.

As for any biblical significance, anything happening to the full moon (an
eclipse, a red moon, a blue moon, etc.) so close to a major feast (festival
or holiday, in this case Christmas) can be seen as the Lord putting an
exclamation point in the sky as a sign of big things to come shortly.

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Internet wristwatch
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Mon, 13 Dec 1999 16:37:56 -0500

From: "Moza" <moza7@netzero.net>

HP + Swatch=3D Web Watch
by Jamie Beckett
15 November 1999

Your wristwatch will soon do a lot more than tell time. Hewlett-
Packard and Swatch Group recently forged a revolutionary
technology partnership to build the world=92s first wristwatch that
delivers on the promise of the Internet.

"Swatch will now be more than just a fashion statement, more than
just a reliable timepiece. You'll be able to access e-services
through it," said HP Chief Executive Officer Carly Fiorina. Fiorina
announced the partnership during her speech at COMDEX =9299 on
November 15.

The watch will incorporate technology developed at HP
Laboratories that supports the company's vision of a world where
people simply plug into a rich array of Internet-based information
and services -- from a whole new breed of devices and appliances,
including watches.

"The watch is an ideal way to stay connected to the Net because
everyone has one and wears it willingly," said Mark Smith, who
leads the technology project at HP Labs and will be working with
Swatch to design the Web-surfing watch. "You put it on in the
morning and go about your business with no concerns."

The watch is the first of the next-generation "context-aware" Web
devices being developed at HP Labs. Although initially the
appliances will require a password or PIN, eventually they will use
biometrics =96 fingerprint, iris, face or voice recognition =96 to identify
the user. They=92ll use GPS or other positioning technology to
determine location. And they=92ll contain sensors that will provide
information =96 temperature, light, sound, motion -- about the
environment.

Users control how much information they share about themselves.

One context-aware device in the works at Labs is BadgePAD, a
smart badge that might be used in a work setting. In a hospital, for
instance, doctors could pick up a BadgePAD when they arrive at
work. The badge would know what's going on around the physician
because Web servers would be embedded throughout the facility.
Everyone else -- nurses, orderlies, technicians, administrators and
even patients -- would also wear the badges.

In that setting, the hospital records system would recognize a
doctor when she entered the patient's room and relevant charts
would automatically pop up on the computer screen. If someone
approached the screen who wasn't authorized to see the patient
information, it would go blank. The BadgePAD would know when
the doctor put it down and, if someone else picked it up, it would
have a whole different set of e-services personalized for that
person.

Because these devices are so smart and personalized, they're
easy to use.

"No pointing, clicking, dragging, dropping, connecting or
configuring," said Smith. "It just works."

http://www.hpl.hp.com/news/swatch.html

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - The Day the Solar Wind Disappeared
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Mon, 13 Dec 1999 21:35:39 -0500

From: "Moza" <moza7@netzero.net>

NASA Space Science News for Dec. 13, 1999

The Day the Solar Wind Disappeared -- For two days in May,
1999, the solar wind that blows constantly from the Sun virtually
disappeared -- the most drastic and longest-lasting decrease ever
observed. FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/ast13dec99_1.htm

<a href="
http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/ast13dec99_1.htm
">link for
AOL users</a>

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Rain Damages Mount of Olives Church
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Mon, 13 Dec 1999 23:40:38 -0500

From: owner-bpr@philologos.org

Rain Damages Mount of Olives Church

Associated Press Monday, Dec. 13, 1999; 1:49 p.m. EST

JERUSALEM –– Torrents of rainwater gushing down the slopes of
the Mount of Olives on Monday and flooded a major Christian
shrine, a church built on the site where tradition says Jesus
was arrested by the Romans.

The water, which rose to the chandeliers of the Church of All
Nations, trapped five Greek Orthodox monks and nuns who had to
be pulled out with ropes. Navy divers were also called in, but
did not find others in the floodwaters.

Church officials said important artifacts were destroyed,
including the Icon of Mary. The church was built in 1924 in the
garden of Gethsemane, the place where tradition says Jesus came
with his disciples after the Last Supper and where he was
betrayed and arrested.

Brother Barnavas, a Greek Orthodox monk, said there was some
flooding every year, but that recent construction has directed
more rainwater toward the church.

Police spokeswoman Linda Menuhin said the water rose 50 feet
after being trapped in the church compound. Throughout
Jerusalem, morning rush hour traffic was hampered by the
downpour – the first major rainfall this winter – but there were
no reports of major flooding elsewhere in the city.

Barnavas' eyes were puffy from crying and he said he was very
distraught by the destruction. He said hundreds of people of
different faiths worshipped before the Icon of Mary every day.

Israeli firefighters and police used three and four hoses at a
time to pump water out of the church, after rescuing those
trapped inside.

"The fire brigade (was) pulling them out with a rope because
the water there was just going so fast, moving so fast,"
Barnavas said. "I have never seen this before, never."

Itzo Gur, a spokesman for the Jerusalem water and sewage
company Gichon, said that the flood was caused by debris from
the Mount of Olives that clogged drains and drainage tunnels
near the church. He said the entire system was cleaned out just
last week.

via: hblondel@tampabay.rr.com

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

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