Podcast: What do Cats Have to do with Interfaith Work?
The Yoga of Ecology: A Day In The Life of the Green Wheeling Initiative
In my previous “Yoga of Ecology” post, I shared the truly brilliant and compassionate work of the Green Wheeling Initiative (GWI), a grassroots ground-up local food movement in Wheeling, W... Read More
On Studying Religion to Argue with Religious People
My professional commitment to ecumenical and interfaith relationships stems from a realistic worldview: To not so do would be irresponsible. I tell my students that the world is a big place. Go live i... Read More
“Chop Wood. Carry Water.” Holy Envy, Zen, and a Spirituality of Work
The Swedish theologian, Krister Stendahl, famously spoke of “Holy Envy” as that virtue of remaining open to aspects we find in religious traditions other than our own in order to admire them and ... Read More
State of Formation Annual Contributing Scholars is Open!
Dear friends, We are pleased to share that our Annual Contributing Scholars is now open! Nominations and applications for emerging ethical and religious scholars are now being accepted. Those interest... Read More
“You shall destroy all the peoples”: Does the Bible advocate genocide?
In the parsha for last week, Parashat Eikev, Moses instructs the Israelites on how to enter the land of Israel. The general idea is that if the Israelites observe God’s commandments, they will be re... Read More
Reza Aslan’s Jesus
Reza Aslan has a remarkable ability to make ancient stories come alive. I have assigned his earlier books, No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam and Beyond Fundamentalism, in und... Read More
The Post-Colonial Method versus the Sociological Method in the Study of Religion: Top-down or Bottom-up?
In the current study of “religion,” two different methods have developed that are often in tension with each other. The first is the Post-Colonial Method (PCM)[1] with scholars like Talal Asad, ... Read More
The Chronos and Kairos of Medicine
In classical Greek art, Kairos is portrayed in a manner similar to Hermes (the Roman Mercury). He is handsome, young, perpetually in motion, swift, constantly running; he has wings on his feet and on ... Read More
Celebrating everyone, every day.
I was called gently to step into seminary; from that, I stepped out of a community and life that I was yearning to – but could not quite – call home. In both my workplace and faith communi... Read More