Category: Popular Culture
The Soul of Black Consumerism
Article first published as The Soul of Black Consumerism on Blogcritics. Jayne Dirt over at the Clutch Mag Online has raised a question worth pondering during these waning days of Black History Month:... Read More
Culture Shock: Crunchy or Creamy?
After two months of India’s lush cacophony, I return to Minnesota in mid-February. It is unseasonably warm: the temperature hovers around freezing. Coming from the tropics, this is unbearably cold. ... Read More
Abraham and a Jewish Theology of Protest
The Torah is filled with examples of prophets who protest in the name of justice. Moses protested the misdeeds of his fellow Israelites. Joshua protested falsified reports about the Holy Land. The ver... Read More
Whitney Houston and the Power of Music
Article first published as Whitney Houston and the Power of Music on Blogcritics. The news came out of nowhere. I was co-facilitating a weekend seminar for people of African descent at the historic Gr... Read More
Liberal Guilt and the Limits of Quotidian Ethics
While waiting for my course on Christianity and Social Power to begin, I observed the students sitting at the large ring of tables around the room. Though technically classified as a seminar, the co... Read More
Reproductive Ethics and Severely Conservative Faith
Is it reasonable for the faithful of any religious orientation to seek government protection? I don’t imagine anyone in the United States would answer in the affirmative; however, that is what t... Read More
The Times We Shouldn’t Defend Our Traditions
Martha Nussbaum writes, "Suppose Jeremiah had said, ‘the heart of Israel is corrupt utterly, but on the other hand there are some very nice people there.’” Sometimes, stating the nuance and the ... Read More
Culinary Pluralism; or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Olive
I was once what adults called a picky eater. There were only certain colors I would eat. The beige family is the most reliable, and it also encompasses most bread-based breakfast foods (rainbow-colore... Read More