Introduction Oh you’ve turned my world, you precious thing… These haunting words reverberated through my mind upon learning, two weeks ago, of David Bowie’s death. A great number of people feel his loss in the world of music, but I didn’t know him best as a musician. I knew him as Jareth, the compelling, charismatic Goblin King from the 80s cult classic, Labyrinth. I felt a wave of nostalgia wash over me as the loss of my favorite childhood villain... Read more
The United States is in the midst of a presidential campaign. How should theology inform our politics? The prophet Ezekiel provides important answers that may surprise liberals and conservatives. Ezekiel gave a clear political theology. He spoke during a time of national crisis in Jewish history. The Babylonian Empire conquered Jerusalem, destroyed the Temple, killed many people, and exiled others throughout the empire. Those who survived asked the question of theodicy. If God is good and just, then why did... Read more
Pastors have a frequent question when they begin to discover mimetic theory. “That’s great. But how does it preach?” Reverend Tom Truby show that mimetic theory is a powerful tool that enables pastors to preach the Gospel in a way that is meaningful and refreshing to the modern world. Each Wednesday, Teaching Nonviolent Atonement will highlight Tom’s sermons as an example of preaching the Gospel through mimetic theory. In this sermon, Tom reflects upon the first sign Jesus performed – turning... Read more
One common critique of the Star Wars saga is that it holds a simplistic view of good and evil. For example, Star Wars makes it easy to tell the difference between good and evil. The distinction is as plain black and white. The Jedi are good and the Sith are evil. The Rebellion is good and the Empire is evil. Even the costumes point toward a simplistic understanding of evil – the Stormtroopers are white, while the main villains, Darth... Read more
In 1955, Martin Luther King found himself as the leader of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a movement that would start a revolution in the United States. Rosa Parks ignited the Civil Rights movement when stood up to the segregation laws of Jim Crow that demonized black people and forced them to live in conditions there were inferior to white people. Parks was arrested after she claimed her inherent dignity by refusing to move to the back of a bus. Just... Read more
The role of imitation in human behavior is central to the Montessori Method of education as well as mimetic theory. Thinking about peer pressure as a form of imitation turns out to be a helpful way to understand the phenomenon in our children. But more importantly, it makes us aware that peer pressure can be good or bad for us and most certainly doesn’t disappear when we graduate from school. In this video I explain that during the 1890s in... Read more
There was much to appreciate about President Obama’s speech last night. I also think that Nikki Haley’s Republican response was commendable on many levels. Both put forth a vision and a hope for renewed political cooperation, and they even repented in the ways they and their parties have contributed to the politics that have greatly divided the United States. Governor Haley suggested some good spiritual wisdom about the loud political noise that has spread throughout the US, “Often the best... Read more
Year C, Baptism of Jesus January 10, 2016 Thomas L. Truby Acts 8:14-17 and Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 Desire in the Form of a Dove Have you ever wanted something really strongly? When I was a kid at Christmas I generated a list of things I strongly wanted. I spent hours looking through the Sears and Roebuck and Montgomery Ward Christmas catalogue thinking through what I wanted. Knowing there were limits to what I should expect I carefully weighed how... Read more
On Wednesday, Star Wars: The Force Awakens achieved an historic feat at the box office. After just 20 days of its release date, The Force Awakens surpassed Avatar to become the highest grossing film in North America. I helped the Force by seeing it three times. I love Star Wars. Even the prequels. Coincidentally, or maybe as the Force would have it, Wednesday was also the first day of the Christian season called Epiphany, which means a “manifestation,” or “appearance.”... Read more
The boy had to die. He wasn’t a boy at all; he was a threat, at least in the eyes of the man who was determined not to be his victim. “I must kill him,” the man thought, “before he destroys me.” Am I speaking of Officer Timothy Loehmann and Tamir Rice, or King Herod and the infant Jesus? Their stories will be forever intertwined in my mind, as the exoneration of Officer Loehmann for his shooting of 12-year-old Tamir... Read more
Teaching Nonviolent Atonement
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