Theoblogy
Every year, I visit the Doug Pagitt Radio Show to give my predictions about the upcoming year in religion. I did so on Sunday, and here are my 2012 predictions: (more…) Read more
Every year, I visit the Doug Pagitt Radio Show to give my predictions about the upcoming year in religion. I did so on Sunday, and here are my 2012 predictions: (more…) Read more
I dug a lot of music this year. In fact, I’d say that, with the help of The Current, I listened to more music than news for the first year since college. I think that Bon Iver’s new album is brilliant. Courtney and I went to see Sharon van Etten twice (get a free song by her here). And, with apologies to Rick, I even like Mylo Xyloto (by the official band of the emergent church). But my favorite song... Read more
So says the BBC: Legalising same-sex marriage may create a healthier environment for gay men, say US researchers. The number of visits by gay men to health clinics dropped significantly after same-sex unions were allowed in the state Massachusetts. This was regardless of whether the men were in a stable relationship, reported the American Journal of Public Health. A UK HIV charity said there was a clear link between happiness and health. Research has already suggested that gay men are... Read more
I read a lot of good books this year. But the best had to be Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell (currently only $2.99 on the Kindle!). Here’s what I wrote about it: The title characters are superbly drawn, leading me to hope that this novel will never be turned into a movie, for there is so much subtlety to their personalities, and my affections toward each of them rose and fell so many times, that a 3-act movie would be... Read more
The Religion News Association, which is the religion beat writers, has voted on the top ten stories of the year. Here they are, followed by some commentary from Your Favorite Blogger. (You can see the RNA story to read numbers 11-22 on the list.) (NB: The RNA clearly hasn’t heard that year-end list should always be in countdown order.) 1. The death of Osama bin Laden spurs discussions among people of faith on issues of forgiveness, peace, justice and retribution. Yeah,... Read more
The Catholic archbishop of Minnesota has released a prayer that he wants recited at mass for the next year, as our state approaches a vote on a constitutional amendment defining marriage. Here’s the prayer: Heavenly Father, Through the powerful intercession of the Holy Family, grant to this local Church the many graces we need to foster, strengthen, and support faith-filled, holy marriages and holy families. May the vocation of married life, a true calling to share in your own divine... Read more
I had an interesting conversation with Bruce Reyes-Chow last night. His family is trying to do half their shopping on Etsy, and half on Amazon. He said it’s hard, because they could easily get everything from Amazon, but they want to support small businesses as well. As for me and my house, we’re getting almost everything from Amazon. How about you and your family? Are you still going to the mall, shopping on Amazon, or supporting local businesses? Read more
I’ve written about some crazy evangelism techniques, like in The New Christians, wherein I highlighted the use of urinal screens with your church’s name on it. Now Craig Goodwin points us to a fellow foodie who is questioning a door knocker that a local church hung on her knob. In the bag were several non-offensive items. But: Then I got to the coupon for McDonald’s. Stapled to it was a card that read “Come visit us on Sunday… Then go for... Read more
It may come as a surprise to some readers who think me a libertine, that I think gambling is bad for society, and I oppose it. I especially oppose it as a state-sanctioned fundraiser. Here in Minnesota, our last governor was a nice, conservative evangelical, who consistently pitched more casinos as an answer to our state’s budget woes. Thankfully, his ideas never took. Now all the buzz around here is about the Vikings threatening to leave the state if we... Read more
You can bet that I’m going to link to any post that uses The Wire to school denominational hierarchy, as Wesley Hill does here: That seems counterintuitive given the focus of “The Wire.” The HBO drama aired from 2002 through 2008 and centers on drug trafficking and the police force in West Baltimore. It’s brilliant — albeit deeply unsettling — television, so much so that multiple universities now offer classes on the show to introduce students to its unflinching portrait... Read more
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