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September 2019

September 28, 2019

Being Open to the Possibility of God: An excerpt from my new book “Prayer for People Who Don’t Believe in God”

I am pleased to announce that my new book, Prayer for People Who Don't Believe in...

September 26, 2019

Lessons learned from a “glow in the dark” cross

In one of the many books written by an atheist about Christianity over the past...

September 22, 2019

Are You Jesus? A Prophetic Challenge from Joan Chittister

Yesterday I had the privilege of attending a talk given by one of my heroes....

August 2019

August 29, 2019

The Life of a College Professor: Nice Work if You Can Get It

It's the first week of the new academic year, which is always a good time...

June 2019

June 20, 2019

Faith By the Light of the Moon

Broken windows and empty hallways, a pale dead moon and a sky streaked with gray....

June 16, 2019

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit walk into a bar: Some thoughts about Trinity Sunday and Ordinary Time

Next to Lent, the part of the liturgical calendar that I have always found least...

June 06, 2019

The Greatest Task of All is to Live

For the past several years my upper-division (juniors and seniors) classes have included an ongoing...

April 2019

April 30, 2019

Come Holy Goose

According to the reading from John’s gospel at church a couple of days ago, one...

April 24, 2019

Getting Jesus Out of the Tomb (and keeping him out)

During his Easter Sunday homily, my friend Mitch—the rector of the Episcopal church I attend—told...

April 16, 2019

Is the Time of Religion Over?

What is bothering me incessantly is the question of what Christianity really is, or indeed...

April 14, 2019

Blessed Is He Who Comes: A Palm Sunday Reflection

Today is Palm Sunday, one of the most dramatic days on the liturgical calendar. But...

March 2019

March 17, 2019

Why I Am Done Trying to Prove the Existence of God

If you think you understand it, it is not God. Soren Kierkegaard In Marilynne Robinson’s...

March 13, 2019

My Love/Hate Relationship with the Fourth Member of the Trinity

Twenty-five years ago last month, I interviewed at Providence College for a tenure-track position in...

January 2019

January 20, 2019

I am Deeply Offended that Mike Pence is Deeply Offended

There are so many things that Vice President Mike Pence could be deeply offended by....

January 15, 2019

We Have Met the Nazis, and They are Us

We ought not to hide from ourselves that Nazi Germany is a mirror for all...

January 08, 2019

A New Year’s Resolution: Dream More, and Waste Less Time

At the beginning of a new year, I often find myself thinking not so much...

December 2018

December 23, 2018

Mary with No Assumptions

I have a colleague and friend with whom I share a lot in common. Eric...

November 2018

November 23, 2018

Black Friday and the War on Christmas

Today is Black Friday, the unfortunate beginning of the Christmas shopping season. Apparently in service...

October 2018

October 31, 2018

Halloween Jesus or Fire-Insurance Policy Jesus?

One Sunday, toward the end of a particularly lively and deep seminar with my “Living...

October 23, 2018

Assisting the Absent God: Helping to Repair a Broken World

Every once in a while someone posts a comment on my blog that reminds me...

October 21, 2018

The Chapel and the Man Cave: Bridging the Gap Between Faith and Intellect

About a month ago I received an email from my friend Marsue, brief and to...

October 14, 2018

What People of Faith and Atheists Can Agree On

About half way through the 1989 film “Field of Dreams,” Ray Kinsella (played by Kevin...

September 2018

September 30, 2018

Putting Out the Welcome Mat: Who is Welcome at Your Place of Worship?

In her wonderful book Take This Bread, Sara Miles describes a conversation she had with...

September 23, 2018

When an Atheist Finds Out That There is More Than One Kind of Christian

One of the many things that make teaching a rewarding vocation is receiving unsolicited testimonials...

September 09, 2018

Right-Brain Faith in a Left-Brain World

At age thirty-seven, Harvard trained brain scientist Jill Bolte Taylor woke up one morning with...

August 2018

August 23, 2018

Getting Over Original Sin

Last Tuesday, on the sixth anniversary of my blog, I posted my first blog post--an...

July 2018

July 31, 2018

Magnetic Jesus

In one of the many recent books written by an atheist about Christianity (I forget...

July 24, 2018

What I Learned About My Faith When I Visited Cuba

Fifteen years ago, I was part of a group of a dozen or so academics...

May 2018

May 30, 2018

“America First” is a Theological Heresy

Memorial Day week is a time for solemn remembrance. It also tends to be a...

May 15, 2018

Hello Darkness, My Old Friend

Hello darkness, my old friend, I’ve come to talk to you again. “The Sound of Silence”...

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