Tag: culture
(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
The Myth of a Judeo-Christian Tradition
In the United States, it’s common to hear frequent and impassioned references to the concept of ‘Judeo-Christian’ culture, ethics, or values. Any cursory review of American media wil... Read More
Jesus and the Moneychangers in the Scrovegni Chapel
In the summertime I visited Padua and went to the Scrovegni Chapel, dated 1305. In the past 40 years the frescos have begun to crumble, and curators have researched atmospheric problems in order to co... Read More
5774: The Year of Tangerine Teshuvah
Recently, I bought a tangerine. It was an accident, really. I didn’t mean to buy a tangerine. I meant to buy an orange. They look pretty similar, especially when you’re in a rush and you k... Read More
The ‘Hindu’ Identity by Prashant Parikh
Hariḥ Ōm and Namaste (customary greeting of Hindus). This being my first post on ‘State of Formation’, I would like to express my great pleasure in being amid this crowd of intellectu... Read More
From Lincoln to The Hunger Games: The Power of Story
I woke up clutching my bed frame, heart pounding, mind reeling – three nights in a row – when I read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I could not escape this story, both novel and film, an... Read More
Hillary and Michelle: Urban Dancing and the Metaphysics of the Home
“If you can’t control your own house, how will you be able to control the White House?” – Michelle Obama, 2007 presidential campaign speech The word “economy” descends from the ancient Gr... Read More
Strangers in an All Too Familiar Land
I spent the last two weeks in a land named holy by Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, seeking peace, understanding, wholeness. My travels took me through countless narratives, religious expressions, po... Read More