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January 2024

January 18, 2024

Real Wives of the Ancient Middle East

Last Sunday's lectionary reading from the Hebrew Scriptures is the story of God's call of...

January 07, 2024

When Things Got Real Between John the Baptist and Jesus

The gospel lectionary reading for the First Sunday of Epiphay traditionally is one version of...

December 2023

December 24, 2023

God Made Into Flesh

Grace means suddenly you’re in a different universe from the one where you were stuck,...

December 17, 2023

Light is Born of Darkness

During Advent season, John the Baptist gets a lot of play. This makes sense, since...

December 14, 2023

Truth is Too Fragile to be Chanted on the Street

There is a saying attributed to Saint Francis that I have heard frequently in more...

December 08, 2023

No Perception is Immaculate

I have taught philosophy in Catholic higher education for more that thirty years as a...

December 05, 2023

Bagpipes, Cats, and Saint Andrew

Last Thursday was Saint Andrew's Day; I was reminded beause my Scottish friend Craig posted...

November 2023

November 24, 2023

How to Celebrate the Season Like a Real American

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

November 22, 2023

I Don’t Think That Parable Means What You Think It Means

Simone Weil once observed in a notebook entry that “the stories of miracles complicate everything.”...

November 20, 2023

It’s Justin’s Birthday!

Today is my youngest son's 42nd birthday--which makes me feel exceptionally old! I always tell...

November 05, 2023

Time Change Distress is a First World Problem

In the wee hours of this morning, the time changed from Daylight Saving Time to...

November 02, 2023

Revisiting the Shy Deer-Soul Within Me

By all measures, this has already been a successful sabbatical (there are still two more...

October 2023

October 29, 2023

Halloween Memories

It’s Halloween week!!–one of my least favorite holidays of the year. I know that offends...

October 26, 2023

What is the Most Awesome Country, and Why is it Canada?

A number of years ago, during the early years of President Barack Obama's first term,...

October 03, 2023

Why October is the Best Month

Today is the third day of October, and that's a very good thing. I took...

October 01, 2023

What A Real Philosopher Looks Like

My two sons have never thought that I look like a philosopher. This has been...

September 2023

September 28, 2023

What Would Dorothea Do?

I saw a bumper sticker once that said “So many books, so little time.” I...

September 03, 2023

The Moral Life in One Sentence

A couple of years ago, I was interviewed in my office by a reporter from The...

August 2023

August 31, 2023

Creating a Sabbath Culture (why everyone should have sabbaticals)

Fall semester classes started last Monday. And I'm on sabbatical, not returning to the classroom...

August 27, 2023

The Great Homesickness We Could Never Shake Off

The first draft of my first sabbatical book project is completed, minus the introduction and...

August 22, 2023

The Big Sister I Always Wanted: Remembering Marsue three years later

It doesn't seem possible that it has been exactly three years since Marsue Harris, one...

August 20, 2023

Even the Best of Us has Bad Days

A conversation heard behind the scenes: Dude! Did you see what just happened?? How could...

August 08, 2023

Dreamers Who Get Things Done

Your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. This, promises...

July 2023

July 23, 2023

You Say You Want a Revolution?

There is a saying, particularly popular among conservatives, that “A conservative is a liberal who...

July 18, 2023

Do I Teach or Am I a Teacher? On Being a Verb Rather than a Noun

I have two book projects in the works these days. I just finished a full...

June 2023

June 29, 2023

The Burden of Light

Teaching for thirty years in an interdisciplinary program with colleagues from a multitude of disciplines...

June 20, 2023

Loving Your Life

I have a good friend and teaching colleague who told me the other day that...

June 17, 2023

Of Jackalopes and Loons

I just finished a lovely week with my brother Vaughn and sister-in-law LaVona in Santa...

June 13, 2023

Walking Away from Jesusland

In our never-ending search for excellent police dramas, Jeanne and I watched the first season...

June 09, 2023

Happy Birthday to my Double Opposite!

Are you into Enneagrams? Over the past few years I have heard people throwing their...

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