This is written in response to this laughable post published by fellow Patheos author Fr. Dwight Longenecker. Fr. Longenecker insists we must refer to God only as Father. In fact, he believes this so much, he wrote twelve poorly defended reasons why we mustn’t ever call Her “mom.” I have my own twelve reasons why calling God our mom is totally cool. 1. Jesus Calls God “Father,” according to the gospel writers, but never demands we do so, and certainly never suggests... Read more
Hello readers! My blogging has not been consistent lately. A lot of exciting things have been going on in my life. I have been working at a new job (which I enjoy much more than fast food), spending more time in my “real life” communities, and preparing to go to seminary in the fall! Applying to seminary, attending scholarship interviews, and getting all of my books together has been a long process for me, as someone with an anxiety disorder... Read more
A few months ago, Katy-Anne Binstead, a Facebook friend of mine, asked me to read an review her self-published book, The Girl With The Grace Tattoo. Shortly before I started reading it, I had watched Going Clear, a documentary about the cult of Scientology. I had Going Clear in my mind as I read Binstead’s book, and Binstead’s own words reminded me of the words of the survivors of Scientology who were featured on the documentary. Fear. Anger. Shame. Relief. Joy at having found freedom.... Read more
Roger Olson, a fellow Patheos blogger, recently published a blog post in which he laid out which pronouns and gendered names for God are “appropriate” for Christians to use. It seems silly to talk about what is “appropriate” and “inappropriate” when discussing the Being that affirmed Job’s nearly-blasphemous rants, David’s scandalous dancing, and the existential questioning of Qoheleth. Ours isn’t a God that fits into neat little boxes. And yet, Olson tries his damnedest to make God fit. I suppose Olson at least... Read more
[content note: domestic violence and spiritual abuse] If you spend a lot of time in the same “progressive Christian internet” circles that I frequent, you may have heard of Tony Jones (theologian, blogger, and one of the founders of the Emergent Church movement). Hopefully you have also heard of his ex-wife, Julie McMahon, who recently went public with accusations (and supporting documents) that Jones abused her both during and after their marriage. If you haven’t heard, R.L. Stollar has compiled a... Read more
If you were to ask me which writers have had the most influence on my theology, Shannon T.L. Kearns would definitely be in the top 10 (right up there with bell hooks and James Cone). I have been reading his blog for several years, and so I was excited when he asked me to read and review his new e-book, Walking Toward Resurrection. Fr. Shay’s writing gave me permission to do theology that starts with my body, and with the experiences... Read more
[content note: rape and abuse] I figured Holy Week would be as good of a time as any to revive my Liberating Liturgies series. If you want to contribute your own liturgies, songs, poems, or other writings, email me at moonsn11@gmail.com This is my body, broken for you. This is the body of my sisters. Battered by men. The bodies broken because they “fell down the stairs.” The black eyes behind never-enough layers of makeup. The broken hopes and the... Read more
This post is part of a series on how pro-life and pro-choice people can find common ground to work for holistic reproductive justice. The introduction to this series can be found at this link. In light of the recent arrest of Purvi Patel, a woman who is currently facing 20 years in prison because she had a miscarriage, I need to start this post by being VERY CLEAR that this series is not an excuse for violent pro-life ideologies. Many... Read more
I recently wrote a piece about “Pro-Life Pacifism” as a form of violence. My main argument was that Pro-Life Pacifists cannot claim to be anti-violent while also forcing or coercing people into pregnancy and childbirth. Contributing to someone having to give birth against their will is a form of horrific violence. Though I stand by that piece, I do want to be clear that I believe there are ways to be pro-life without also supporting violence against pregnant people. It’s a fine... Read more
[Content Notes: Abortion. Graphic Discussion of Pregnancy/Childbirth Risks. Brief Discussion of Rape] Today I want to talk about everyone’s favorite topic: ABORTION! YAY! Actually, I want want to talk about a very specific subgroup of pro-lifers: Pro-Life Pacifists. I should start by explaining who these Pro-Life Pacifists are. Pro-life pacifists are usually liberal/left-leaning Christians who claim to be pro-life “across the board.” They not only oppose abortion, but also war, the death-penalty, poverty, etc. Pro-Life pacifists often speak from a privileged... Read more
Sarah Over the Moon
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