This is a sermon I preached at Clackamas United Church of Christ, in Milwaukie, Oregon. The texts were Deuteronomy 18:15-20 and Mark 1:21-28. You can read the text or watch the recorded sermon below. Our Hebrew Bible reading this morning has Moses promising the people that after he dies, God will send them a prophet to instruct and guide them. God has sent many prophets throughout the ages to instruct and guide us. We generally think of prophets simply as... Read more
I’m starting a new discussion series on Facebook titled Nonviolent Atonement and the Lectionary. We’ll explore the upcoming lectionary texts in relation to mimetic theory, nonviolence, and the atonement. This first installment is about Deuteronomy 18:15-20 and Mark 1:21-28. These are difficult texts that I would probably avoid if I didn’t follow the lectionary, but I follow the lectionary because it forces me to deal with texts about … demon possession. Fun! In Deuteronomy 18:15-20, Moses, the great prophet of... Read more
I spent a great deal of time last week following the controversy surrounding the recent Babe article explicitly detailing pseudonymous Grace’s date with Aziz Ansari. As article after article offered various interpretations of Grace’s experience, one thing became abundantly clear: these awkward, uncomfortable, “is-this-abuse-or-just-a-bad-date” experiences are far too common, even ordinary. Being in a situation in which one is uncomfortable or even afraid to verbalize a clear rejection is commonplace for women and perhaps, to a degree, for men too.... Read more
Is liberal outrage actually helping to normalize Trump’s behavior? Suzanne Ross and Adam Ericksen discuss Suzanne’s latest article “How Liberal Outrage Normalizes the Worst in Trump.” They also discuss Christian Picciolini, the winner of the Raven Award in Arts and Entertainment. Christian won for his book, White American Youth: My Descent Into America’s Most Violent Hate Movement–And How I got out. You can watch the video of the discussion below! Stay in the loop! Like Teaching Nonviolent Atonement on Facebook! Read more
Liberal outrage has become a sacred duty. Fueled by the fear that Trump’s racist, misogynist and bellicose worldview will become “normalized”, outrage has become the unquestioned tactic of the left. They believe that vociferous opposition gives evidence that this stuff is not normal and never should be. But the opposite is actually true: Outrage normalizes the very thing it opposes. If liberals want to take up arms against Trump’s worst outbursts, the best tactic would be to heed the Queenly... Read more
The Raven Foundation (the parent organization of Teaching Nonviolent Atonement) is pleased to announce that Christian Picciolini is the winner of the 2017 Raven Award for Excellence in Arts and Entertainment for his memoir White American Youth: My Descent into America’s Most Violent Hate Movement—And How I Got Out. Christian’s raw and honest book chronicles how he became a major leader within America’s skinhead movement. We often hear questions like, “Why would anyone get involved with hate groups?” Christian answers... Read more
Parenting is one of the most difficult jobs in the world. Yet, it is also one of the most important and worthwhile jobs. In this recorded Facebook Live conversation between Suzanne Ross and Adam Ericksen, they discuss the joys and difficulties of parenting and grandparenting. They also discuss parenting strategies that are guided by mimetic theory and Maria Montessori. How can we navigate temper tantrums? What does it mean for a parent to be “in control”? And how can we... Read more
What would the Apostle Paul say to American Christians as we strive to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.? Lindsey Paris-Lopez dares to imagine. Read more
The creation story in Genesis 1 starts with “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Those are familiar words to us. We may not be able to recite what God created on certain days, but we know God spoke the world into existence. And God looks at what God has created at the end of the first day, and God says, “And it was good.” In fact, God says “And it was good after days each day... Read more
Nothing could more powerfully demonstrate the truth of "No justice, no peace," than the life of Erica Garner. Lindsey Paris-Lopez calls us to join her struggle for justice Read more
Teaching Nonviolent Atonement
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