Category: Social Issues
Civil Religion and The Powers That Be
Popularly known as the “Muslim Gandhi,” Abdul Ghaffar Khan (1890-1988) led hundreds of thousands of Pashtuns in nonviolent resistance to the oppressive British colonizers in India, suffering great... Read More
Why I am ashamed to be a United Methodist.
First let me make something perfectly clear — I love my denomination. The United Methodist Church‘s theology is historically grounded in a movement attentive to the holistic character of h... Read More
Resistance Is Not Futile
I’m emboldened to resist These pleas to desist To a mindless assimilation Sans critical examination Of mythic cyborg-like notions Laced with spiritual potions A “We” with no “I” denti... Read More
Formations of Religion, or, Putting Scare Quotes Around Religion
John Lennon asked us to imagine a world without religion. But I would argue we have imagined religion into the world. Not the beliefs, practices, or traditions we call “religions.” I mean ... Read More
Holy Wisdom Monastery: The Movie
A short documentary-style introduction to the Volunteer-in-Community (VIC) program at the ecumenical Holy Wisdom Monastery near Madison, Wisconsin. It conveys the openness of Holy Wisdom Monastery, th... Read More
Blood, Guts, and Getting Over Humps
How can we reframe religious and spiritual language so it can be used to give voice to the seekers, the marginalized, the doubters, the broke, those in need of transformation, and those in need of ins... Read More
@siemprechipil
By way of introduction, I share a story of my formation. In May of 2001 I began a six month trip to Central America. I wanted to learn Spanish and immerse myself in another culture. I went to learn ... Read More
Rattling the (Rib)Cage
A quote from F. Scott Fitzgerald that I’ve been obsessed with lately: “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ... Read More