I am watching this man. I plan to watch his film later in the summer as well. As a believer in the resurrection, no deaths, especially not political deaths, should ever be considered final. If the climate changes as I expect it to, he is now perfectly positioned to benefit.

Thought I’d return to my footie predictions, made last August, and have another look at how I did (original post here, today’s comments in bold)

Champions: Chelsea. Only question is whether they go unbeaten or not.

Other than a late rally from ManU, quite straightforward. They weren’t as formidable as last year, but they were good. Disappointed that SWP’s move didn’t work out.

Order of Top 4: Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, ManU.
I think it quite possible that ManU might drop out of the top four if they have a season like last one. I also think Liverpool might come second (and be the main challengers to Chelsea in the coming seasons).

Biggest surprise was ManU sorting themselves out in the second half of the season, and coming second. I still believe that Liverpool will be the main challengers to Chelsea next season; I really rate Benitez as a manager..

Dark Horse (ie might get into the top 4): Tottenham.
100% right :o)

Europe: Tottenham, ‘Boro.
Boro were disappointing in the league, but I’d still back them to do well next year. They seem to have got fed up with McLaren, although I think he’s a reasonable choice as England coach – continuity and all that. Scolari would have been better though…

Good seasons for Man City, Birmingham, Blackburn and Pompey.
1.5 out of 4. Not a good percentage. Birmingham is the biggest shock for me – they really imploded. Pleased about Blackburn though, I like Sparky and he’s got a great managerial future ahead of him.

Bad seasons for Newcastle (unless they get Owen), Charlton and Fulham.
Well, they got Owen, but hardly for a full season. More significantly they got rid of Souness. I wonder if he’ll get another job? I consider myself mostly right on this one.

Nothing happening at Aston Villa.
100% right

Relegation: Wigan, WHM (shame) and WBA. Which means I pick Sunderland to survive out of those four. Those having bad seasons might have terrible seasons allowing one of those to escape.

Bit of a failure there! My ‘shame’ comment was misinterpreted – I meant that it would have been a shame if WHM got relegated; I’m hoping that they beat Liverpool in the FA cup this afternoon. It’s great for the Premiership that Wigan and WHM have had such good seasons. A good sign for those coming up next year.

~~~

I’ll do some World Cup predictions soon, and some more Premiership ones in August. It’s a fascinating exercise, going back to something that is so concrete and seeing how I’ve done. (Fascinating for me anyway 😉

The Battle for God, Karen Armstrong
Good introduction, surprisingly sharp for her.

Fundamentalism, James Barr
Escaping from Fundamentalism, James Barr
The Scope and Authority of the Bible, James Barr
James Barr is the doyen of fundamentalism studies. I didn’t re-read his magnum opus for these talks, but I remember its quality from when I read it at Uni. I need to get my own copy.

What the Bible Really Teaches, Keith Ward
Commendably clear and thorough.

A Passion for Truth, Alister E McGrath
Intellectually a bit weak – McGrath is more of an historian than a systematician – but good for distinguishing the evangelical position.

Fundamentalism and American Culture, George M Marsden
Classic text (which I haven’t quite finished)

American Theocracy, Kevin Phillips
Haven’t started yet, but looks good, especially as it links in Peak Oil to the conversation.

Of course, I’ve also read the first three ‘Left Behind’ books. Slacktivist says all that is needed about them.

My mind is full of fundamentalism, preparatory to tomorrow’s Learning Church talk, which has really got under my skin. And I had to take Ollie to the vet this morning – he acquired a limp when chasing a tennis ball into the sea the other day, which hasn’t gone, so I thought I’d get it checked out – turns out he has sprained his left elbow, so he gets an anti-inflammatory tablet stuck in his supper for his pains. Anyhow, I’ve been meaning to post the above photos for a while – two family trips last week, to the woods, and to the beach. Happy times.