Podcast: What do Cats Have to do with Interfaith Work?
(E)valuation – The Sacrifice of Erekh in Lev 27
In the sidra or section of the Tora that Jewish communities read this past week, Behuqotai, we find a curious description of an offering. Now, at the end of the book of Vayiqra (Leviticus) it shoul... Read More
Why bad things happen to good people: a Muslim evaluation
When it comes to theodicy, one cannot give a single answer that represents the absolute truth. Even if one were a theologian, one cannot simply claim that one knows why there is so much suffering in h... Read More
Opting Out: The Separation of Difference and Religious Freedom
Last week, religious freedom in the United States was at the center of two major court decisions, and the results have left many religious minorities feeling out in the cold. I am referring to the Sup... Read More
When did “never again” become “not again?”
I should be an optimist. Every movie and TV show shows the big guy as jolly, right? Furthermore, I’m a socialist who believes another world is possible through collective action, and a humanist ... Read More
Why “Father Knows Best” Is Not (But Is Often Used as) a Theological Statement: Authoritarianism and Sexual Morality Codes
Maybe it is because it is spring, and with the warm weather, our skin comes out of hiding, reminding us there are actual bodies under the sweatsuits. Maybe it is because graduation is approaching, sig... Read More
Popular Culture as Common Ground: Doctor Who as a Third Space for Interreligious Dialogue
People who know me well know that I am a pretty big fan of the British Sci-fi series Doctor Who. And by pretty big fan, I mean grade-A certified Whovian who watched the 50th anniversary special in 3D ... Read More
Confession of a Gay Hypocrite
I have a confession to make: Despite all of the ways I speak and write and work for the cause of LGBTQ justice, I recently became a hypocrite to that cause. The scene for this failure was a visit to m... Read More
The Syrophoenician Woman: Possibilities for Healing Across Borders
This semester I have come to believe that the story in Mark 7:24-30 has something to teach us about interfaith and cross-cultural encounters. This passage is unique in that it is the only example in t... Read More
When Economics Meets Theology
The Lord said to Moses at Mount Sinai, Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am giving you, the land itself must observe a sabbath to the Lord” (Lev 25:1-2) Th... Read More