Social Issues Are Economic Issues

September 4, 2012 By Caryn Riswold

One chilling moment from the Republican National Convention was the point in Mitt Romney’s speech when he said: “President Obama promised to slow the rise of the oceans — [pauses for audience laughter(!)] — and to heal the planet. MY promise is to help you and your family.” They laughed. The entire arena erupted! What nonsense … slowing the rise of the oceans, doing anything to heal the planet’s ecosystem … silly President. In fact, the scientists studying climate change and activists on... Read more

Honorable Mention: “One Term More”

September 3, 2012 By Caryn Riswold

If you haven’t yet seen Broadway for Obama’s parody video, set to the tune of “One Day More!” from Les Miserables, stop what you’re doing and watch it. Some of the more genius lyrics: Contraception’s now a sin, Screwing G.M. in the clutch. Incivility’s a virtue, Homophobic. Out of touch. Filibusters. Budget scrums. Ultrasounds & speculums. To the Dark Side they’ve succumbed. And: Listen to them spew, “Femi-Nazi” rage, Misogynistic rants From the Jurassic Age! To Obama’s second inning, He’ll... Read more

Oh Yes, Women Are Human Too

August 31, 2012 By Caryn Riswold

Thank goodness for Samantha Bee and Susan Thistlethwaite. I had the privilege of taking a class with Susan Thistlethwaite when I was a graduate student in Chicago and when she was a professor at the Chicago Theological Seminary. At The Washington Post faith blog this week, she provides an important follow-up to my recent theological post on Being Human. A point that apparently needs to be made in light of the 2012 Republican Party Platform, with which its nominee for... Read more

Getting Theological: Being Human

August 30, 2012 By Caryn Riswold

This is the second in my series of posts “Getting Theological.” The first, on God, was in direct response to Tony Jones’ challenge to progressive theo-bloggers to do more theology in public. Like my other post, I frame this one with words that help me articulate what I believe it means to be human. The picture here is more Augustine or Plotinus than Luther or me, but gives you a pretty good sense of what the board really looks like... Read more

Why is Mormon Mitt Anti-Choice When His Church Is Not?

August 29, 2012 By Caryn Riswold

As the Republicans convene in Tampa, we are set to have the first Mormon become his party’s nominee for president. A milestone in American religious history by anyone’s measure. And yet we keep talking about his running mate’s religion and its stance on abortion and contraception. Because the news of the year has swirled around the Roman Catholic bishops and their opposition to provisions for women’s preventative health services in the Affordable Care Act in particular, every religion reporter and... Read more

Back to School Book List

August 28, 2012 By Caryn Riswold

It’s the first day of Fall 2012 classes! This semester, I’m teaching a Religion & Literature seminar shaped around contemporary autobiographies. Here’s the reading list: Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim, The Struggle for the Soul of a Generation, by Eboo Patel The Autobiography of Malcolm X, as told to Alex Haley Standing Alone: An American Woman’s Struggle for the Soul of Islam, by Asra Nomani The Book of Mormon Girl: A Memoir of an American Faith,... Read more

Honorable Mention: This is What a Lutheran Bishop Looks Like

August 24, 2012 By Caryn Riswold

This picture is of Rev. Ann Svennungsen, Bishop of the Minneapolis Area Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, speaking at a rally at the Minnesota State Fair this summer. I use it courtesy of Javen Swanson, Faith Organizer at OutFront Minnesota, a cofounder of the Minnesotans United for All Families coalition. Minnesota Public Radio reported on the event as the state’s 2012 political season ramps up: One of the biggest questions on this year’s ballot is a constitutional... Read more

Getting Theological: God

August 22, 2012 By Caryn Riswold

So I missed Tony Jones’ deadline. His open invitation to progressive bloggers said in part: “Progressive/liberal/mainline theology, on the other hand, has a PR problem. We might think that people know what we think about God, but they don’t. It’s clear in the comments on this blog and elsewhere. … Thus, I have a challenge: I challenge all progressive theo-bloggers to write one post about God between now and August 15.” OK. I’ll talk about God. I am a theologian,... Read more

Pro-Faith and Pro-Choice: NARAL & RCRC

August 21, 2012 By Caryn Riswold

A joint statement issued today by NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri and the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, illustrating how one can in fact be pro-faith and pro-choice: NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri, Rep. Jeanette Mott Oxford, and the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice issued a joint statement today about the offensive remarks made recently by Congressman Todd Akin. Below is the full statement of Rev. Harry Knox, President and CEO of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice: In the statement following his “off-the-cuff”... Read more