It’s hard to figure out how to write a blog post on sexuality, when you work for the church. Here goes. Most humans are sexual beings. And in my experience, the church is mostly terrible at being honest about sex and sexuality. I did an informal social media poll of Christians, asking what messages they received from church growing up. Here are a few examples:  “Nothing” “” “I was going to hell” (from a gay man) “Not to do it until... Read more

by Paula Penn-Nabrit R3 Contributor I’ve been thinking about R3 Editor Andre E. Johnson’s recent question posed in a sermon; “Can our faith handle God saying ‘No’?” And I’ve been thinking about it within the intersecting space of rhetoric, race and religion-and not just because that’s the name of the blog. Before I was a collegiate student of Philosophy, I was female, black and Pentecostal and I’ve found the world, especially the academic and hip-hop parts of the world, rarely... Read more

Religion in California April 24-25, 2014 University of California, Berkeley Call for Papers We invite proposals for a symposium on “Religion in California” to be held at the University of California, Berkeley, in April 2014. This California American Studies Association (CASA) special symposium is co-sponsored with Berkeley’s Religion, Politics, and Globalization Program (RPGP), the Theological Engagement with California’s Culture Project (TECC), the Berkeley Center for the Study of Religion (BCSR), and Graduate Theological Union. The symposium will feature a keynote... Read more

by Brian FoulksR3 Contributor I asked the question today, “Is it possible to come out of prayer feeling worse.” I really didn’t expect to get a lot of answers but I got two that went in the direction that I would have gone-yes it is possible. One reminded me of the story of Jesus in the Garden praying right before he goes to the cross. (Matthew 26:36-46) There is this intensity associated with his time in prayer that is unlike any other... Read more

The contents of this piece are bound to elicit plethora of harsh reactions, especially from some holier-than-though ones among us; the highly religious, but less spiritual, fanatical adherents of the several religious bodies in Nigeria, most especially some know-it-all arrowheads of the two major religions – Christianity and Islam – and their largely ignorant disciples. Be that as it may, I would like to remind anybody reading this piece that it is better to please God than to massage the... Read more

When people are forced to choose between protecting their safety and guarding their civil rights, almost everyone picks safety. After all, what good are rights if you’re injured or dead? In the days after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, many policymakers used this forced choice to argue for new surveillance laws such as the Patriot Act. The law gave the government sweeping new powers to spy on Americans by wiretapping, seizing financial records, tracking Internet activity, and more; but... Read more

Which side in Egypt is currently on the side of the angels? We like to imagine that in any conflict (particularly political ones) the good guys can be easily separated from the bad guys; good guys play by the rules of the game, bad guys don’t. Life is rarely that simple, of course, but the current situation in Egypt is especially complex. The cast of key characters keeps switching sides—villains have become heroes only to be rebranded as villains, and... Read more

 Read more

by O’Shan Gadsden R3 Contributor I have often challenged patients (and myself) to mourn (release the victim identity and create new narratives) what they/I didn’t receive developmentally. This process allows freedom to observe yourself and the other very differently. Additionally, it allows one to appropriately define realistic expectations of the other and grants one the power to take more responsibility for self-care. Perhaps if we begin to heal in this way we would no longer tolerate dishonesty and have deeper discernment. That brings... Read more

Rev. C J Rhodes Alcorn State University has named a Jackson pastor as rector of the Historic Oakland Memorial Chapel and director of Student Religious Life, concluding a two-year search. The Rev. C. Edward Rhodes II, pastor of Mount Helm Baptist Church, begins his tenure at Alcorn on September 15, 2013. On that Sunday, Rector Rhodes will lead an interfaith service in the recently renovated campus chapel.“Reverend Rhodes will be a welcome social conscious for our university in the area of... Read more