A dedication of merit adapted and sung by an American Bhikkhu, the Venerable Heng Sure (he credits the melody to Loreena McKennitt’s “Dark Night of the Soul.” Read more

Gregory Wonderwheel recently posted his charming adaptation of Nanamoli Bhikkhu’s translation of the Kukkuravatika Sutta at one of the listervs I receive. I was quite taken with it. Gregory notes how the two characters who encounter the Buddha strike him as the Abbot and Costello of the sutras, the sacred texts that contain the Buddha’s teachings. I’m not quite sure I agree, but Punna and Seniya are compelling both for their desire to attain the way and their remarkable wrong-headedness... Read more

FOR WHOM DO THE BELLS TOLL? A Call to Prophetic Nonviolence A Sermon byJames Ishmael Ford 25 May 2008First Unitarian SocietyWest Newton, Massachusetts Text No man is an island, Entire of itself.Each is a piece of the continent,A part of the main.If a clod be washed away by the sea,Europe is the less.As well as if a promontory were.As well as if a manner of thine own Or of thine friend’s were.Each man’s death diminishes me,For I am involved in... Read more

I’m fascinated by tumult that bubbled up as American Transcendentalism, that astonishing theological flowering within early mid-nineteenth century New England Unitarianism, which like the best of theological moments, produced art and literature. Among the many, many things about this movement was the number of women involved in it. Trying to pick the most influential of these remarkable women isn’t easy. But, I think my money would have to go with Margaret Fuller. Born on this day in 1810, her father... Read more

Well, I’ve committed to writing something about war and peace. And I’m deeply regretting that I did. I was inspired by liberal theologian Paul Rasor’s essay “Beyond Just War and Pacifism: Toward a Unitarian Universalist Theology of Prophetic Nonviolence.” It addresses many, although it turns out as I sit with it, not all, by a long shot, of my concerns about the issue of how or when or if ever war can be justified. The horns of the delemma upon... Read more

Rammohun Roy was born on this day in 1772. He was a prophetic voice in India, inspired in part by Christian Unitarianism. The Brahmo Samaj which he founded became one of the significant forces shaping what would become modern Indian thought. I’ve long felt that contemporary Unitarian Universalism could learn a great deal from a close study of Brahmo Samaj thinkers. The Nobel laureat Rabindranath Tagore wrote of him: When Rammohun Roy was born in India, the darkness of a... Read more

I have, with an occasional hesitation along the campaign way (it has been rough at times…), continued to feel that the best ticket for America (and, I believe, the world) is going to be a teaming of Obama and Clinton. At various times I’d have been happy with either leading. I have, however, as those who read this blog know, for some time felt the top needs to be Barack Obama. As things wind down, I feel more than ever,... Read more

ONE BOOKSpiritual Guides Recommend a Book Not so long ago I figured out how to make widgets, particularly those that can be used to hawk books for Amazon. I made one to put in the sidebar of my blog. And then I got the brilliant idea of asking friends who are in the spiritual guidance business if they would recommend one book, just one book. My thought was to create another widget. And briefly I posted one with the first... Read more

Ted Kennedy has always been for me living evidence of the grace that can transform human lives. I think there have rarely been such callow and obviously unsuitable inheritors of great mantles as Ted Kennedy. Born to live in the shadow of his older brothers, it took tragic deaths to change things. His first steps did not bode well; he demonstrated an unbounded selfishness and carelessness that actual led to the loss of human life. And yet he persevered. And... Read more

One of the most significant figures in Unitarian history, Theophilus Lindsey, was born on this day in 1723. Educated at St John’s College, Cambridge, he took orders within the Anglican church and served in a number of capacities. Informed in part by his close friendship with the Presbyterian Unitarian minister and scientist Joseph Priestly, Lindsey’s theology gradually shifted toward Unitarianism. Over the years many Anglicans had held proto-Unitarian or Unitarian perspectives, including John Milton, John Locke and Isaac Newton. And... Read more