Category: Theology
After Newtown, a Divine Name for Right Now
The tragic events of last week occurred while Jews were reading a section of the story of Joseph and his brothers which is bursting with bereavement. As I read it through the lens of midrash, this anc... Read More
“The Prophet of Islam: Muhammad and Environmental Activism” by Ozgur Koca
Muhammad, like every other important controversial historical figure, is what we choose to remember of his legacy. Current studies on the Prophet of Islam “choose” to remember the highlights of hi... Read More
End of the Year, Beginning of the Year
As everyone gets ready for the holidays, I’m on a slightly different schedule. Friday marked the end of the first month of the Muslim lunar calendar, the month of Muharram. The first 10 days of Muha... Read More
The Triple Goddess: the Mother in the Ganges, Mother Theresa, and Kali
My spiritual journey in India reached its second stage: the Mother, who manifests the potential of the Maiden. The seed growing into a mature tree, the full moon marking the greatest point of lunar in... Read More
Where was God in Newtown?
Where was God in Newtown? Omid Safi attempts to give an answer. I agree with one half of his argument, that prayer is not what some folks think it is. However, I disagree on the nature of God. I think... Read More
Poetry and Healing in Times of Great Tragedy
Today is my birthday, but I won’t be celebrating this year. I woke up this morning not thinking about my 24 years of life, but about the 26 lost souls, and 20 of these victims who never got a chance... Read More
Are We Living In Hell? The Sandy Hook School Massacre and the Presence of God
If this is, as various Christians claim, a world in which the reign of the divine is both now and not yet, and the presence and purpose of God is somehow “realized” here and now, then ought we no... Read More
Where’s the “Holy” in the Holy Land?
Since I can remember, there’s been a conflict in the Middle East. In fact, the conflict in the Middle East surpasses any of our living memories and is engrained in the beautiful, Middle Eastern cult... Read More