As I continue to put my new book, A Year of Faith and Philosophy: Exploring Spiritual Growth through the Liturgical Year, into final shape for delivery to the editor and publisher in August, I am keeping a running list of authors whom I reference throughout the manuscript. One of the authors I reference frequently is Joan Chittister. I had the privilege of hearing her in person five years ago . . . Yesterday I had the privilege of attending a talk... Read more
Two years ago this week I had a fall riding my bike that resulted in, among other things, 30 stitches over my right eye. One of the beauties of blogging is that literally everything can turn into a blog post–here’s what I wrote about a month after the mishap. Enjoy! My crappy June began with a crash on my bicycle that resulted in a six-hour stay in the emergency room, thirty stitches over my right eye, and a forced two-week... Read more
We are all patchwork, and so shapeless and diverse in composition that each bit, each moment, plays its own game. And there is as much difference between us and ourselves as between us and others. Michel de Montaigne, Essais I regularly tell my students that after more than thirty years of studying and teaching philosophy, I am convinced that the most interesting philosophical subject is a close to home as possible. The most fascinating philosophical topic is us. As Psalm... Read more
As I work through my book under contract getting it into shape for the editor and publisher by August 15, I am writing new material in addition to editing. Here is the section from the Holy Week chapter called “Monday of Holy Week: You always have the poor.” As an aside (spoiler alert!), the dinner at Lazarus’ house that is the focus of this section gets powerful and dramatic treatment in Season 4 of “The Chosen.” Enjoy! The gospel readings... Read more
The next time someone says something like “These are $130 headphones that I bought for $30,” I’ll respond “I guess that makes them $30 headphones.” Phrases and words that should never again be used in movie or book reviews: “Tour de force.” “Electrifying.” “Astounding.” “Spectacular.” “Jaw-dropping.” Another word that is vastly overused: “Outraged.” It is okay to be outraged by the abuse of children, the fact that people go to sleep hungry every night in this country, or anything Donald... Read more
Memorial Day is a day for solemn remembrance. Memorial Day is also a day when many Americans express their patriotism with flags on their lawns and with slogans like “America First” and “America—Love it or Leave it,” expressing their support and love for a country that, according to many of the same Americans, was “founded on Christian principles.” How should those who profess the Christian faith think about American exceptionalism and exclusivity? Around this time a few years ago, I... Read more
Next to Lent, the part of the liturgical calendar that I have always found least attractive is the stretch of endless weeks in green from Pentecost to the Sunday after Thanksgiving: Ordinary Time. When on sabbatical a decadefifteen years ago, a fellow resident scholar at the ecumenical institute where I was spending four months, who happened to be Catholic, told me that Ordinary Time was her favorite liturgical season. “Must be some weird Catholic thing,” I thought with appropriate Episcopal... Read more
I am working my way through my book A Year of Faith and Philosophy making revisions, adjustments, and additions to put it into final shape for submission to the editor and publisher in August. It is organized according to the lectuionary readings for each Sunday of the liturgical year. To give you a taste of what I am doing, here is the entry for the Eigth Sunday of Epiphany (I just finished the Epiphany chapter last week). The Epiphany 8 Year... Read more
Even though summer doesn’t officially begin for another month or so, for a college professor summer begins as soon as commencement exercises are over. That was two days ago. My college has its commencement at the downtown arena where I have seen hundreds of exciting basketball games over the past three decades. I have also seen more than twenty-five commencements there, as the name of the arena went from the Providence Civic Center to the Dunkin’ Donuts Center (the “Dunk”)... Read more
Two year ago I had the privilege of giving the Pentecost Sunday sermon at the Episcopal church I have been involved with over the past dozen years. Trinity is a small and vibrant congregation; at the time we were seeking a new priest. We hired a dynamic young woman who, unfortunately, left a bit after a bit over a year. As we find ourselves searching once again for a new priest, what I said two years ago is strangely relevant. ... Read more
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