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December 2018

December 06, 2018

Does the Word of God Settle Everything?

I recently had a brief, unproductive exchange in the comment section of this blog with...

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 02, 2018

Doctor Ford, Judge Kavanaugh, and the Book of Proverbs

A couple of Sundays ago, it was my turn to be lector at the Episcopal...

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...

August 12, 2018

I Didn’t Make This Stuff Up

During the three years that I lived in Milwaukee while completing my Ph.D. studies at...

July 2018

July 29, 2018

Like this God Stuff is Real

In her wonderful memoir Take This Bread, Sara Miles tells us of a conversation she...

July 17, 2018

Expecting to Find Light

We are not simply made by God—we are made of God Julian of Norwich I...

May 2018

May 27, 2018

Love and a Honda Accord Stationwagon

On a very sad morning almost ten years ago, my favorite vehicle ever was towed out...

May 06, 2018

What Christians Get Wrong About Jesus

Historical Christianity has fallen into the error that corrupts all attempts to communicate religion ....

April 2018

April 24, 2018

The A$$hole Saint

I come from a hardcore Protestant world, a world in which we did not do...

March 2018

March 27, 2018

A Holy Week Reflection: Why Doctrine and Faith Don’t Mix

Holy Week is upon us once again—as good a time as any to step back...

March 18, 2018

There Is A God, But I Do Not Believe In HIm

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

December 2017

December 30, 2017

God Said It. I Believe It. That Settles It–Best of “Bearings Online” #4

I occasionally write articles for Bearings Online, the online publication of the Collegeville Institute for Ecumenical...

November 2017

November 26, 2017

God said it. I believe it. That settles it. (except that it doesn’t)

When trying to describe to predominantly Catholic students the religious world that I was born...

November 08, 2017

I Could Do That

Imagine a jigsaw puzzle, a thousand pieces or more. There is no box showing what...

October 2017

October 12, 2017

God Doesn’t Need Our Protection

Human beings never behave so badly as when they believe they are protecting God. Barbara Brown...

September 2017

September 21, 2017

Flesh and Blood

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

September 03, 2017

Are You More Christian Than I Am?

If we remembered that water takes its color from the vessel containing it, we would...

June 2017

June 14, 2017

Repairing the World

Jews and Christians agree on many things. One of the most important things they agree...

May 2017

May 22, 2017

Trump at Liberty University

There are many possible reasons why evangelical Christians voted for Donald Trump in record numbers....

May 13, 2017

Everybody Must Get Stoned

One of the readings from this Sunday's lectionary is the story of the stoning of...

May 03, 2017

A Compassionate Capitalist

A former President once campaigned on the promise of compassionate capitalism. One of the oddest...

April 2017

April 29, 2017

100 Days In

We have arrived at Day 100 of the Trump presidency, and we're still here. Sort...

March 2017

March 22, 2017

Come In, and Come In

Once many years ago, a couple I was close friends with was having marital problems....

March 03, 2017

Getting Ready for the Apocalypse

A colleague and friend from the English department contacted me a few months ago and...

February 2017

February 03, 2017

Turning Around

Conversion is an odd phenomenon. I've often observed that those who convert, who ''tum around"...

January 2017

January 27, 2017

Playing the Nazi Card

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

January 06, 2017

Religionless Christianity

Now that the New Year is upon us, I'm anxiously awaiting word that my latest...

November 2016

November 21, 2016

Who Is Their God?

I recklessly thought that if something could save this election, it would be the faithfulness of...

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