Category: Community
From Just Us To All Of Us
I am not sure if awe inspiring authentic communities can be defined, but recent travels lead me to believe that I might know them when I see them. To truly witness such community is to become a part... Read More
Small Town Texas Interfaith Dialogue Part 2
See Part I here. Oscar* was a character. Every time I spoke with him, he listened intently to what I was saying. He wanted to not only to hear every single word, but also understand them. His curiosit... Read More
Small Town Texas Interfaith Dialogue Part 1
There are so many great interfaith organizations across the United States. One of the challenges I remember starting the interfaith dialogue on my campus was finding support from a much larger nationa... Read More
Should Religion Be Hard?: A Response to Tom Ehrich
Last month, Tom Ehrich published an article in the Washington Post asking whether communities of faith were making religion too hard. His conclusion? Yes. Ehrich concedes that some aspects of faith ar... Read More
True dialogue doesn’t allow you to give up your distinct beliefs
I have to admit that sometimes I get weary of those Christians who, upon learning I am actively involved in different forms of interfaith dialogue, judge me as not being Christian enough. The assump... Read More
Defining Religion: An Ongoing Discovery
Being a secular humanist working in an interfaith capacity – particularly with curious college students – means that I get asked many questions about how humanism relates to religion. The ... Read More
Why I Keep Coming Back, or: Hooked
This past semester, I completed an ethnographic project on a Sacred Harp singing group in the Boston area, motivated by one central question: what is it about this old-timey style of music with its ar... Read More
Sacred Work is Secular Work
This past summer, I worked with Harvard’s Pluralism Project to assess religious diversity and interfaith cooperation within my own south central Kentucky context. Bowling Green, Kentucky is a refuge... Read More