Category: Challenges
Nationalism: A Different Kind of Identity Crisis
Sometimes, I’m not totally sure who I am. Not in the crazy, lost my mind kind of way. And not in the spiritual or philosophical kind of way either. What I mean is that I don’t always know how to c... Read More
The Danger of “Us v. Them” Thinking in Our Work for Social Change
I know it’s easier, when there are disagreements, to see the “other side” as completely wrong and “our side” as completely justified. But there is real danger in casting any conflict as a bl... Read More
The Firebombing of Charlie Hebdo: Free Speech vs Islam?
The firebombing of Charlie Hebdo offices following its decision to run an edition featuring Prophet Mohamed as “guest editor,” is a sad reflection of France’s uneasy relationship to Islam and re... Read More
“Excuse me, your M.Div. is showing.”
When I was applying for Ph.D. programs a year or so ago, I received one consistent piece of advice: “Hide your Masters of Divinity.” Downplay those two preaching classes that you took, a... Read More
We All Have Our Choice
The participation of religious folk in the various “occupations” springing up throughout the U.S. is receiving increasing attention. Jonathan Oskins, writing for State of Formation, provid... Read More
Emergence by Sujato Bhikkhu
Religion is, on the face of it, a social movement whose motivation is to inspire the best in humanity. So why does religion make us do the worst? Why, in so many places on so many issues, are religiou... Read More
The Hidden Values of Medical Training
One of the most cited adages of my medical training has been William Osler’s famous quip: “the secret of caring for the patient is in caring for the patient.” For those not in the medical field,... Read More
Occupy Wall Street: Abundance v Scarcity
While preparing for class recently, I read an article by Walter Brueggemann “The Liturgy of Abundance, the Myth of Scarcity” which takes a Christian theological analysis to the notions of abundanc... Read More