Do we even need religion any more? By Christian Piatt (Originally published in PULP) It’s no secret that organized religion in America has slipped dramatically in the public eye during the past several decades. Though just as many people claim to have some sort of faith in a higher power, since the 1970s we’ve witnessed a steady decline in church attendance. This isn’t exactly the case across the board. Large churches, with membership over 500 people, are still pretty strong... Read more
The following is an edited-down version of the keynote lecture I gave to the Young Adults Disciples gathering in Las Vegas in October, 2010. The message discusses privilege, what it means to be white, the nature of violence, and how we can creatively respond to systems of oppression and injustice without responding in kind with violence. There is also an audio clip from an interview of Nell Irvin Painter, author of The History of White People, with Stephen Colbert. http://christianpiatt.podbean.com/... Read more
I was asked to speak at a young adult event in Vegas back in 2010 about what it means to have privilege, what responsibility we have to use it when we have it, and how Jesus engaged the powers of his time without violence. Read more
Dig the video I created for Phillips Theological Seminary on the seminary experience condensed into less than 4 minutes. Groovy stop-motion and original score. Read more
In an era with more information coming at each of us in a month than previous generations experienced in a lifetime, we have to be vigilant about our mental and physical personal space. Whereas we began as hunters and foragers, now we expend a similar amount of energy holding things at arms’ length. I have three different spam filters on my e-mail accounts, siphoning out nearly all of the junk from my e-mail box before it lands on my laptop. I’m on every do-not-call and do-not-mail list I can find, and the absence of clutter that results is nothing short of blissful. Then comes election season. Read more
I’m a sucker for nearly any reality show in which participants undergo a radical transformation. I love the big payoff at the end of the Biggest Loser season; I watch American Idol like a tweenie fan; and I’m man enough to admit I’m a total sucker for a makeover. That’s why, when Morgan Spurlock, creator and star of the documentary film Super Size Me, started a new TV series called 30 Days, I was hooked before I even saw the pilot. Read more
NewSpin Noise Pollution, Tax Solutions and a New Infusion By Christian Piatt (Originally published in PULP) In a knee-jerk decision, Pueblo City Council established a new sound ordinance based on a woman’s complaint about a neighbor’s garage band practicing nearby. The gist of the ordinance is that, if your neighbors can hear you, it’s too loud. Though the reaction was particular to bands, some folks are hoping that this will create a blanket under which barking dogs and raucous parties... Read more
I picked up a book recently by Walter Wink, one of my preferred theologians when it comes to putting action behind the rhetoric of faith. I have yet to read anything by Wink that has not rocked my world and caused me to reevaluate pretty much everything from my beliefs to the way I express them in daily life. His book, "Jesus and Nonviolence: A Third Way," was no exception. Read more
Here's a new nonprofit I'm working that endeavors to place AEDs in every public school and other public building nationwide, and also to provide CPR training to help save lives. Read more
Very pleased to find a strong review in Publisher's weekly for our new book, SPLIT TICKET, coming out next month. Publisher's Weekly is one of the - if not the - most influential trades in the publishing biz. So a positive nod from them can go a long way. Read more
Christian Piatt
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