Outside the New Zealand blogosphere, in the greater online world, there exists the Biblioblog list: a list of blogs from anywhere in the world that each post on biblical issues. To our international readers this probably is not news but to some of our kiwi readers it will be. Every month this list is ranked and assorted badges can be worn by the blogs featured at various levels within list.
When Jim West, the former number 1 Biblioblogger, recently deleted his blog it appeared that the Biblioblog list would go the same way. However, Jeremy Thompson of the Free Old Testament Audio Website Blog has stepped up and taken over the task of running the ranking stats and publishing the list. Here you can see his first trial run, which as you can see, of the some 350 blogs on the list, this blog features 3rd – closely behind John Loftus’ Debunking Christianity (yes, you apparently do not have to run a pro-Bible blog to make the list). 
MandM are one of the few New Zealand blogs to be selected to feature on the list (The Dunedin School being one of the others). The first official rankings of 2010 will not be out until the end of the month but in the mean time we have been given the go ahead to sport our shiny new badge.
Tags: Biblioblog · Jeremy Thompson · Jim West9 Comments
A common objection to belief in the God of the Bible is that a good, kind, and loving deity would never command the wholesale slaughter of nations. In the tradition of his popular Is God a Moral Monster?, Paul Copan teams up with Matthew Flannagan to tackle some of the most confusing and uncomfortable passages of Scripture. Together they help the Christian and nonbeliever alike understand the biblical, theological, philosophical, and ethical implications of Old Testament warfare passages.
I’ve always enjoyed the list, and seeing where everyone ranks. I’m also glad that you guys are now on it! There are a couple of things that should be remembered though:
1. The inclusion/exclusion is somewhat arbitrary. For instance, Scot McKnight was originally removed for rarely commenting on biblical studies. Of course, now there are lots of blogs that rarely comment on biblical studies that are on the list. Even some of the big ones. What about the guys at First Things? They post about biblical studies just as often as some of the blogs on the list, but they are one of the many quasi/occasional biblical studies blogs that is excluded…and for good reason, as their top 20k worldwide, and top 5k in the US rank, they would far and away be #1 if added, yet only occasionally deal with biblical studies.
2. Some of the biggest biblioblogs can’t be included because they are part of group blogging sites. For instance, Jesus Creed now gets more unique visitors in a month (400k+) than Debunking Christianity (#2 on the list) gets in a year, since it’s on Beliefnet. But since the choice is to use Alexa, it’s excluded. The same goes for Ben Witherington (beliefnet).
3. Some of the other big ones that have previously been on the list (like Mark Goodacre), for some reason are still showing as “No Data.”
So ultimately, some people get all up in arms over ranking and where they fall…but it’s just for fun and the rankings shouldn’t be taken too seriously!
Finally, I’m glad you all are on the list. You post nowhere near as frequently as Joel or Loftus, but post much higher quality material. It’s easier to get readers when you write frequent, shorter posts geared around all sorts of topics (like Joel) or overly emotional and controversial, but ultimately unfulfilling (Loftus)…you guys get the big rank due to writing top-notch quality stuff and that’s to be commended!
Hey, you stole my badge! đ I created that from the standard one they hand out which has the number 50 on it.
Hey, but why not, right?
Congrats.
Ranger is right though about the rankings. I couldn’t be included so long as I had team members on my blog. I don’t know why they limit it to one person blogs (hey, does that exclude YOU?), since after all, they should include all blogs who post on Biblical studies.
From “the overly emotional and controversial, but ultimately unfulfilling (Loftus).” đ
.-= My last blog-post ..FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: The Great God Debate at University of Illinois: Dinesh D’Souza vs. John W. Loftus =-.
Hey John,
Don’t take that as an insult, because it’s not really intended to be one. I think your emotion and controversies are what keep people coming to your site. You know how to rile up Christians and also to keep your atheist readers with multiple posts a day that frustrate some and inspire others. I personally find them unfulfilling most of the time, but they probably aren’t unfulfilling for the crowd your writing is geared toward.
I’ll clear up a few things.
First, the list will not exclude group blogs. For example, the Dunedin School. Second, while the blogs on beliefnet are biblical studies, some, Alexa cannot track them because of the way beliefnet is set up. Finally, some of those ‘no data’ entries are being taken care of as we speak. Jeremy is posting the list as it arrived in our hands. One of the reasons for him doing this weekly for now is to get the bugs out before the grand re-roll out.
And I agree with Ranger of a few things as well
.-= My last blog-post ..PRAY for Haiti =-.
Most interesting guys – thanks for all that and for the compliments!
John, I had no idea we were stealing your badge, I have seen different versions of the badge in a number of places so I just google image searched until I found the one that applied to us.
If you’d prefer us to not use your IP then I’ll take it down and make my own version or wait for biblioblogs to make one or not have one or something. (Though you seem to be giving permission here?)
.-= My last blog-post ..The Biblioblog List =-.
There is a few of them out there, but the ‘Top 5’ was not one created by the Top 50 people. I have a few – just email me.
.-= My last blog-post ..Pat Robertson: Haiti âCursedâ After âPact to the Devilâ =-.
Madeline, yes, use the badge. You and Matt earned it.
From âthe overly emotional and controversial, but ultimately unfulfilling (Loftus).â đ
.-= My last blog-post ..Why God Hates Haiti: The Frustrating Theology of Suffering =-.
Thanks John đ
It’s wonderful that you are getting thoughts from this paragraph as well as from our discussion made here.