The Evangelicalism and Fundamentalism in Britain Project is hosting a one-day conference for scholars, ministers and the interested public at King's College Chapel, London, on Tuesday,15 December 2009. The conference will consider the ways in which Evangelicalism andFundamentalism have expressed themselves in the social and historical conditions of Britain and engage such questions as ...

BWC: You've already explored the "high content, low word count" concept with your book Drops Like Stars, and it's clearly a big concern to you at the moment. What inspired this "endless evolution" you're referring to?

Bell: The first century rabbis were not praised for going on and on and on and on. Great rhetoric has never been about how many words one can fill the air with, it's always been about how clean and uncluttered and lean an idea can be articulated. It's always been the short, crisp parable that has infinite layers of meaning that knocks around your head for days. The idea that you have to go on and on to prove that you're smart, it's relatively new. Mark Twain said, "If I had more time, I would write a shorter letter."

I was working on a new book this morning, and about whole sections I said, "There's so much there that can go."

BWC: Do you think the church as a whole is embracing a more streamlined approach to message delivery?

Bell: I don't know if the future is in 17-minute worship services, but I think there is so much more clutter in the world: more advertising, just more. One of the ways you honor people's time is that you get to what you're saying quickly, and well. Maybe "quickly" isn't even the word. Maybe just "well"--well intentioned, thoughtfully. Distilling an idea down to what it is, making its access easier.

16:6 They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in the province of Asia. 16:7 When they came to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to do this, 16:8 so they passed through Mysia and went down to Troas. 16:9 A vision appeared to Paul during the night: A Macedonian man was standing there urging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us!" 16:10 After Paul saw the vision, we attempted immediately to go over to Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.

Over the next couple of weeks or so I would like to look at two books, not new but fairly recent, that think through some ideas on body and soul. The first is by Kevin Corcoran, Rethinking Human Nature: A Christian Materialist Alternative to the Soul where he develops a constitution view of human persons.  Professor  Corcoran is a philosopher teaching at Calvin College specializing in philosophy of mind, metaphysics, and philosophy of religion  - a philosopher who tries to connect philosophy with bible, theology, faith, and science.

The second book is by Joel Green, now a professor of New Testament interpretation at Fuller Theological Seminary. His book  Body, Soul, and Human Life: The Nature of Humanity in the Bible looks at a biblical view of human nature and argues that a dualistic view of the human person  as material body and immaterial soul is inconsistent with both science and Scripture. Green is a biblical scholar who works to connect bible, theology, and faith with philosophy and science.

I, on the other hand, am a scientist who would like to connect science with philosophy, bible, theology, and faith. Join us it should be interesting.

To get this going let's start simple, with a little question.

What kind of things are we?

All is well, but Kris recently went through her annual mammogram, the discovery of a change from last year with development of a cluster of microcalcifications, another mammogram and a consultation, and then a biopsy and a consultation with the radiologist to be given a clean bill of health. Whew! As her husband, the days of praying and waiting and wondering and worrying ... some ups and downs ... yes ... a normal pattern for those who first learn of potential cancer. And wonderful relief to learn that she's fine.

But now we are told ... maybe it was all for nothing. In fact, when Kris first read these reports she was not too happy. Are these doctors putting women through too much needless anxiety? Or, is this just a rogue report and finding?

Some recent studies are suggesting major shifting in the testing of women with mammograms. Some are saying no need for tests before 50; others are poo-poohing the idea that self-testing does much good ... and this recalls a debate all the way to Congress about a decade ago.

Some say this is insurance companies telling us that mammograms aren't needed, and some pushback by saying insurance companies don't want to pay the fees. Others are saying science is showing more today and ... well, here's stuff from The Washington Post...

What do you think about these changes? Any stories to tell?

16:1 He also came to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple named Timothy was there, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but whose father was a Greek. 16:2 The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 16:3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was Greek. 16:4 As they went through the towns, they passed on the decrees that had been decided on by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the Gentile believers to obey. 16:5 So the churches were being strengthened in the faith and were increasing in number every day.

As we proceed, we are reading Beverly Gaventa, Acts Abingdon New Testament Commentaries , for her expert insights into the Book of Acts.