Podcast: What do Cats Have to do with Interfaith Work?
The Notion of Interfaith Understanding by Diane Johnson
It is quite intriguing to contemplate this question of whether or not Halloween is a holiday. Let’s put aside the mythical and overabundant images of happy children in skeleton costumes, disgrun... Read More
Has the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill Given Rise to Christian Guarantors of Global Gay Rights?
In 2009, Ugandan lawmaker David Bahati introduced an Anti-Homosexuality Bill that carried the death penalty for “serial offenders” of the “offense of homosexuality.” Under intense internationa... Read More
Invoking Buddhism at Election Time
Last week, I sat on a panel of eight students, faculty and religious leaders representing different faith traditions’ views on the subject of religion and politics. More specifically, we discussed h... Read More
Food Stamp Challenge: Great! And, Do I Have To?
Over the High Holidays, my rabbi asked our congregation to participate in a week-long Food Stamp Challenge—to limit our food spending to the equivalent of “food stamp” benefits, $31.50 per perso... Read More
On Being with Dying: A Story of Squirrels and Little Girls
At an evening party some friends of mine threw last spring, two friends came up to me and asked for my help with an infant squirrel they’d found in their yard that seemed nearly dead. I quickly foll... Read More
Religion, Gays, and a nice little B and B
This article was first published at “The Bloviating Ignoramus,” a blog for politics and culture. There are some arguments that people espouse that need to have a response, whether or not anyone ev... Read More
The Feast – Finding Common Ground in Abraham’s Legacy
On the 26th of October 2012, it was the Feast (or Eid ul Adha) symbolizing the culmination of the pilgrimage by Muslims to Mecca (the Hajj). These few days of light and love are supposed to characte... Read More
Asking More of Us
Here in the middle of the political season, I’m feeling the energy rise all around me. The political conventions turned up the heat. The debates are ongoing, and the media narratives surround us... Read More
“Swinburne on the Atonement: Reflections on Philosophical Theology and Religious Dialogue,” by Amir Dastmalchian
This study examines an important part of Richard Swinburne’s case for the plausibility of Christianity, namely his Atonement theory. My examination begins by presenting Swinburne’s theory before a... Read More