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June 2020

June 23, 2020

Does the Arc of the Moral Universe Really Bend Toward Justice?

Former President Obama loved to quote a hopeful statement from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.:...

June 20, 2020

How to Avoid Being Stupid

Why do intelligent people believe lies that are easily exposed as lies? Why do intelligent...

June 18, 2020

Donald Trump’s Ponzi Scheme

If you are looking for a new novel to read, may I recommend Emily St....

June 16, 2020

Confronting the Sin of Certainty

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

June 14, 2020

What Does Life Expect of Me?

Over the years, a typical scenario has unfolded when I meet someone for the first...

June 12, 2020

God Doesn’t Own Us . . . God Loves Us

If you got to choose the manner of your death, what would your choice be?...

June 05, 2020

From Solitude to God

The building looked like the love child of a logic problem and a crossword puzzle....

June 01, 2020

Riots in the Streets: It’s a Classic Teaching Moment, and I’ve Got Nothing

On Facebook a couple of days ago, I posted this: It's times like these that...

May 2020

May 20, 2020

What if God isn’t Perfect?

One of the central units in my General Ethics class is titled “Does ethics have...

May 08, 2020

How to Speak About Gun Violence

The final unit in my General Ethics class that ended last week was Gun Violence....

April 2020

April 22, 2020

On Earth Day, I’m Wondering: Is Planet Earth a Loser?

My youngest son was born in 1981 and grew up as Americans began, for the...

April 02, 2020

“I Don’t Know”: The most profoundly religious statement of all

Let me tell you here first, “trust in God” has never floated my boat as...

March 2020

March 16, 2020

Managing Our Lives Without God

God would have us know that we must live as people who manage our lives...

February 2020

February 15, 2020

The Prophet Isaiah Goes to the National Prayer Breakfast

I was the scheduled lector at the 8:00 service last Sunday, the first time I...

February 06, 2020

No Sacred Cows: An Exchange Between an Atheist and a Person of Faith

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

February 04, 2020

Profiles in Cowardice: Moving forward after the impeachment trial

Unless a miracle occurs, the impeachment trial of Donald John Trump will end today, with...

February 02, 2020

Idolatry and Abortion

I wrote the essay that follows several months ago; on the advice of some trusted...

January 2020

January 21, 2020

As the Impeachment Trial Begins, Don’t Forget to Think–Even When It’s Hard

Today, the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald J. Trump begins in earnest. As we...

January 19, 2020

American Airlines 4395, Bombing Raids Over Germany, and a Spark of the Divine

Perhaps a novel whose main character is the squadron leader for World War II bombing...

January 16, 2020

Best of 2019 #3: When Christianity Becomes an Angry and Fearful Faith

Last June, I used essays by Michael Gerson and Marilynne Robinson to explore what happens...

January 04, 2020

On the Art of Discussion: How to Avoid Being an Ass

In final preparation for the spring semester that will begin in ten days, I am...

November 2019

November 23, 2019

Difficult Dialogues: Can We Disagree Without Demonizing?

Over the past several years on my campus, events called “Difficult Dialogues” have regularly been...

November 17, 2019

White Privilege and Jesus

In my General Ethics class, my students and I have just finished a three week...

November 14, 2019

Political Jesus: No, it’s not an oxymoron

In a well-known and often-quoted passage from the Jewish scriptures, the prophet Micah asks a...

November 10, 2019

Christianity is not a brand or a demographic

In “Slander,” from her latest collection of essays, What Are We Doing Here?, Marilynne Robinson writes...

November 08, 2019

Does God Exist? What would a betting person say?

During a recent unit in my General Ethics class called “Does ethics have anything to...

November 03, 2019

Noah and his Children: Bad News for White Evangelical Christians

“White evangelical Protestants (WEPs) are fully disrobed,” writes Michael Gerson, concluding that “the older generation...

October 2019

October 20, 2019

A Question for Atheists and Theists: How Much Evidence is “Enough”?

This past week I started a unit in my General Ethics students called “Does God...

October 11, 2019

A Liberal’s Worst Nightmare: Bridging the gap between words and actions

One of my teaching colleagues and mentors used to love to tell the story of...

October 07, 2019

Who Are You, Really? Think Carefully About Your Answer . . .

Jeanne and I are great lovers of movies. As I have described in this blog...

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