I tend to waver between Baptism and Eucharist as my favorite sacraments (I’m sure the very notion of a “favorite” sacrament is rather adolescent and probably heretical, but alas…). Today, on the final Sunday of advent, a family in our congregation joined the long heritage of those presenting their child for baptism, sealing the promises…
I’m not prone to “shout outs,” but I’d like to make an exception to the rule in order to point folks to my biologist colleague Steve Matheson’s excellent blog, “Quintessence of Dust,” devoted primarily to issues in the science/religion dialogue, and particularly (of late) the issues and questions raised by Dawkins, Dennett and their ilk,…
The good folks at Comment magazine, published by the Work Research Foundation, pointed me to Walkscore.com, a site that allows you to plot the “walkability” of your neighborhood, or to use as a tool when considering a move. Just type in your address, click, and see how your house rates. Our house scored a respectable…
[This post also appears on the PBS Religion and Ethics Newsweekly blog, “One Nation: Religion and Politics,” along with responses from others such as Charles Matthews, David Gushee, Stephen Monsma, and Randall Balmer.] A lot can hang on a preposition. Mitt Romney first promised a speech about his faith, then backed off to offer a…
The Martin Marty Center at the University of Chicago has just posted a ‘working paper’ of mine for their December Web Forum. The paper, entitled “The Gospel of Freedom, or Another Gospel? Augustinian Reflections on American Foreign Policy,” offers a theological critique of the particular notion of “freedom” that informs recent policy. I’m looking forward…
I was jarred yesterday upon entering the sanctuary: the banners and colors for advent were black. A stark black cloth was draped across the pipes of the organ, and four narrow black banners stretched vertically across the front of the sanctuary–the first marked with a flame at the base, indicating the first Sunday of Advent….