Category: Theology
My First Sermon: When Miracles Happen to Good People
What is a “miracle” really? Colloquially speaking we tend to associate the word “miracle” with a specific event that is not explainable in natural terms, and the outcome of that event seems to... Read More
Why A Crucifix Cannot Be A Secular Symbol
Is a menorah no more than an ornate candelabra? Are Tibetan prayer beads little more than a bohemian bracelet? Is a crucifix just a symbol of secular Western values? Shockingly, in a recent decision, ... Read More
The hardest thing in life
I’ve been thinking about the topic of death a lot more than usual lately. Not from a pastoral care role. Not from presiding over funerals. But very personally. Two weeks ago, we put my son Olive... Read More
Book Review: “The Language of Science and Faith” — Important Answers, but Limited Questions
As a future rabbi whose brother is a chemical biologist, I must write any review of a book on Christianity and Darwinism with care and respect for the authors, even as they approach these issues from ... Read More
Freaking Theology
If the title of this blog entry led you to believe that its purpose is to criticize theology, you would be correct. As used here, ‘Freaking’ is not an adjective, not a clean version of the ‘F’... Read More
Psalm 137 and Religious Violence, Part IV: No Neuters
As the cases of Digby and Smectymnuus illustrate, the Israel/Edom metaphor does not readily admit of middle ground. Indeed, in a famous sermon given on the occasion of a Parliamentary fast day on 23 F... Read More
The World Is Their Parish: Can The United Methodist Church Survive?
This post originally appeared on The Huffington Post Religion. In a post this week, Taylor Burton-Edwards, Director of Worship Resources of the General Board of Discipleship — a national organiz... Read More
Early Christian/Non-Christian Encounters as Comparative Theological Resources: A Case in Sixteenth-Century Japan
Recent research on cross-cultural encounters in the early modern period has shown that the records of the first Europeans in eastern Asia provide us with excellent models to reflect on current issues ... Read More