Podcast: What do Cats Have to do with Interfaith Work?
I’m Thankful For My Refugee Neighbors
Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and like many others, I am considering who and what I am thankful for. For certain, I am thankful for those near to me such as my parents, siblings, a new nephew, and... Read More
Who’s Afraid of Secularism? The Starbucks Red Cup Fiasco, Or On Being Christian In A Pluralist Society
By now, I’ve been seeing more than enough about the “controversy” surrounding the red cups at Starbucks infiltrate my Facebook newsfeed. Whether it is posts supporting the lack of Ch... Read More
Belief vs. Knowledge in Tax Reform
Dr. Ben Carson, a candidate for the Republican nomination for U.S. President, spoke to students at Christian-based Liberty University on November 11th, the day after the fourth national Republican pre... Read More
The War on What, Exactly: “Christmas”, Starbucks, Doctor Who, and Ombre-Is-The-New-Red
Every early-November, a lovely woman I used to work with would come in to the office, hands cupped joyously—reverently almost—around a tall vanilla latte in a bright red container, serene smile on... Read More
How to win a religious debate: A step by step guide
On October 27th, dozens of students and academics filed into Sanders theatre at Harvard to hear psychologist Steven Pinker and law professor David Skeel. The event promised to be a moderated discussio... Read More
Finding a New Freedom in Academia
One of the central ideas of my family while I was growing up was the idea that we should never make fun of anything Christian or something that reflects Christianity. As ancient Michael W. Smith and S... Read More
Racial Justice Organizing: Religion of the “Nones”?
I circled the block, looking for a downtown parking spot on a busy weeknight. Everyone else was hurrying home from work, but I was heading out to attend a meeting of the Portland, Oregon chapter of S... Read More
How Social Work (And Secular Society) Colonizes Through “Religion”
“What I want you to think about next time somebody wants to make some vast generalization about religion is that maybe there isn’t such a thing as religion and that therefore what they say can... Read More
Reflections on Intersections of Identity with African-American Buddhist Lesbians
Recently I completed research on the psycho-spiritual experiences of African-American Buddhist Lesbians (AABLs) in the Insight tradition. One of my dissertation committee members asked me why I ordere... Read More