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Progressive Christian

2023-11-06T15:51:26-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Why Traditional “Solutions” to the Problem of Evil Don’t Work

Last updated on: November 6, 2023 at 3:51 pm By Vance Morgan

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In the most recent episode of their podcast “The Bible for Normal People,” Pete Enns and Jared Byas interviewed Thomas Jay Oord, a prolific theologian and philosopher, on the problem of evil. The problem of evil regularly shows up in my ethics courses in a unit called “Does God have anything to do with ethics?”; I found the podcast both entertaining and helpful in suggesting ways that everyone, including myself, might both frame and think about the problem of evil... Read more

2023-11-05T10:29:27-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Disability Theology

Last updated on: November 5, 2023 at 10:29 am By Vance Morgan

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One of the speakers at the Evolving Faith 2023 conference that Jeanne and I attended in Minneapolis last month was Amy Kenny, a powerful writer who I first encountered on a podcast while on retreat last summer. My reflections shortly after that retreat on this blog are also included in my book project The Freelance Christian’s Guide to the Liturgical Year that I just finished a first draft of. I consider myself to be well informed and well read, but every once... Read more

2023-11-04T09:17:17-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Time Change Distress is a First World Problem

Last updated on: November 4, 2023 at 9:17 am By Vance Morgan

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In the wee hours of this morning, the time changed from Daylight Saving Time to standard time. Are you okay? Still sane? Or has this annual event thrown your circadian rhythm out of whack out of whack so badly that you may never recover? I’m going out on a limb here—way out. I like time changes. This year Daylight Savings time began on March 12, shifting the clock to provide an extra hour of light in the evening and ended... Read more

2023-11-01T16:21:49-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Revisiting the Shy Deer-Soul Within Me

Last updated on: November 1, 2023 at 4:21 pm By Vance Morgan

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By all measures, this has already been a successful sabbatical (there are still two more months to go). I have a full draft of both of my book projects completed; both are close to being ready for preliminary feelers to be sent out to possible publishers. I have also been able to continue sending out three posts per week on this blog without interruption while writing two books, often focusing on whatever portion of one of the books I was... Read more

2023-10-30T13:04:04-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

What Atheists and Theists Can Agree On

Last updated on: October 30, 2023 at 1:04 pm By Vance Morgan

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If God is both all-good and all-powerful, why is there so much evil in the world? For many, the timeless and classic problem of evil has taken onnew and immediate relevance as thousands of innocent people die in the Israel/Hamas conflict and as eighteen innocent people were murdered by a shooter in Lewiston, Maine last week. I’m going to be taking a fresh look at this intractable problem here this week. Recent polls indicate that the problem of evil is... Read more

2023-10-29T13:18:39-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Halloween Memories

Last updated on: October 29, 2023 at 1:18 pm By Vance Morgan

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It’s Halloween week!!–one of my least favorite holidays of the year. I know that offends many people, but so be it. Still, the onset of Halloween brings back memories–many of them religion and church related. Maybe that’s why I don’t like the holiday! As a 67-year-old guy with no small children in my life, I don’t do Halloween. Often Jeanne and I celebrate the day by going to a late afternoon movie, followed by dinner, so we can be conveniently... Read more

2023-10-26T13:59:10-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

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

Last updated on: October 26, 2023 at 1:59 pm By Vance Morgan

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A number of years ago, during the early years of President Barack Obama’s first term, a debate raged over his proposed “Affordable Care Act” which, once successfully made into law, became the signature achievement of his presidency. I recall a pointed debate the “Letters to the Editor” page of our local newspaper (this was in the days when there were still hardcopy newpapers and printed letters to the editor). One critic of the proposed act wrote “I’m against this! What,... Read more

2023-10-23T13:25:54-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

My Relationship with the Word of God

Last updated on: October 23, 2023 at 1:25 pm By Vance Morgan

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My two sabbatical book projects have, without my explicitly planning it, turned out to be in rhythms that compliment each other well. The first draft of my teaching memoir is in the hands of two trusted colleague friends, probabably for the next two or three week at the very least. My attention has turned to my other book project, one that I have mentioned less often on this blog. Tentatively titled The Freelance Christian’s Guide to the Liturgical Year, this book... Read more

2023-10-22T11:12:23-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Pragmatic Love

Last updated on: October 22, 2023 at 11:12 am By Vance Morgan

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Last weekend Jeanne and I made a quick trip to Minneapolis to attend the annual Evolving Faith conference—their first in-person event since 2019. It was a quick event, Friday evening to Saturday evening; the speaker lineup was packed with authors and podcasters whom we both have loved for some time, including Nadia Bolz-Weber, Krista Tippett, Amy Kenny, and Sarah Bessey (co-founder of Evolving Faith in 2017 with the late Rachel Held Evans). All of the above were excellent, but one... Read more

2023-10-18T13:15:47-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

My Favorite Building on Campus Turns Ten Years Old–Let the Learning Continue!

Last updated on: October 18, 2023 at 1:15 pm By Vance Morgan

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Today around lunchtime there will be a reception on campus celebrating the tenth anniversary of the dedication of the Ruane Center for the Humanities–the reception will be held in the center’s Great Room, my favorite spot on campus. I’m on sabbatical and avoiding campus as much as possible, but I’ll be dropping by. It’s my building, after all. At least that’s how I’ve always thought of it. As the director ten years ago of the interdisciplinary, team-tuaght program that this... Read more

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