Recently Theologues asked me to contribute a few titles to their summer reading list. I thought I would include my selections here you you all. On top of these I have also been reading some Plato, Hume, and a few books by Michael Chabon (just finished this, and started this yesterday). There’s also my comps list too…. which I won’t put down in it’s entirety here, but I’m sure you’ll here about it soon. It’s not really “summer reading” as much as... Read more
I’ve now had time to sink into Pope Francis’ new encyclical on “Care for our Common Home.” I hope to unpack more of it soon but there have been a few quotes from it that have been coming back to me over and over. These are probably not the 10 things everyone needs to take away from the letter, but I think they might be the things I need to take seriously in my own life. Hopefully in the weeks... Read more
The primary season is now well underway here in the United States. Candidates from both parties are entering into the ‘ring’ and as they do so the direction of our political campaign is beginning to form. Right now candidates are listening closely. In the political climate of the 21st century the next president is often the one is able to first articulate a vision of the future that strikes the heart of the nation. Obama did it in 2008 with... Read more
Yesterday I tried to turn on my computer. It wouldn’t boot. The windows logo just stayed there flashing over and over again. I tried a repair function: failure I tried a memory check: failure I tried to use a restore option: failure I tried to use a Windows 7 recovery disc: failure I put the hard drive in another machine to try recovery: failure I think we’ve all been in situations like this. The technology that we have come to... Read more
Yesterday Kristy Burmeister asked me: What were you doing (life in general) and how were your beliefs different… 2 years ago? 5 years ago? 10 years ago? 15 years ago? 20 years ago? (BONUS) 30 years ago? I thought this would be an interesting exercise. As long time readers of this blog know, I have gone through a lot of theological shifts in the years this blog has existed. I started the blog as a Lutheran minister struggling to connect to... Read more
Sex is a beautiful and complex part of human life. Sex is a communion of persons through which the very image of God, as community, is expressed. Sex is the most powerful way through which we participate in the generative activity of God’s creative nature. Sex is an expression of our embodiedness, and a reminder that we have been gifted our bodies as we offer our bodies to another as gift. Sex is a communication of self through the universal... Read more
I love the comedy of Jim Gaffigan. He’s hilarious. He’s a father. He’s a Catholic. He’s also got a new show. In the first episode he’s “outed” as a Catholic. It’s a great comment on religion in public life. Take a look: Read more
Although some of my fellow Patheos writers might disagree with me… I really love the new logo for the Year of Mercy. I think it’s a great image and one that I would proudly display over most church-related logos. Here are 10 reasons why. I love the icon style This picture is based off the traditional style of byzantine iconography. I have written about my love of this style many times before (Exhibit a). It’s a style that is designed... Read more
Earlier this month Bishop Larry Silva of Honolulu made waves by instructing his diocese that they are to begin efforts toward restoring the sacraments of initiation to their “proper order:” Baptism, Confirmation, and then First Holy Communion. As a liturgical theologian I applaud the change. It makes much more sense both historically and theologically to present the sacraments in this order. In the waters of baptism, a person is united to the life of God in Christ. Under the oil... Read more
Today we the 100 year memorial of the beginning of the Armenian Genocide. It has been a time of profound reflection for me as I have reflected on the tragic history of the Christian community in Armenia. This community of faith was among the first to put their faith in Jesus, and were also among the first to suffer persecution for their faith. This trend has, unfortunately, continued. Christians in this area have suffered at the hands of many. They... Read more
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