Finding Christmas in an incomplete sentence
The current liturgical church year is a year to read the Gospel of Mark. But what are we to do at Christmastime with the only gospel that says nothing about the nativity?
In memoriam: Vaclav Havel
A second prolific writer and public intellectual has died in the space of a few days. But their lives couldn’t have been more different
The 4.74 degrees of separation between you and me
So, apparently, the six degrees that used to separate you and me has shrunk. The number of people separating anyone from anyone else in the world is now 4.74
Whooping Cranes
Peter Mathieson, in his book, Birds of Heaven, made the comment that one “one way to grasp the main perspectives of environment and biodiversity is to understand the origins and precious nature of a single living form” (Mathieson, xv). Following that advice, I’ve taken up an interest in whooping cranes and am seeking to learn all that I can them in terms of their life, habitat, and conservation efforts to save them. In addition, I’m hoping to visit various places in this country where those efforts are ongoing and write about them in the future. In the meantime, I ran across this really nice video from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Service that highlights their graceful beauty and sonorous bugling
The Bible as literature: how a book transforms time and space
In preparing for a class on “The Bible as Literature,” I discovered again how time and space are transformed by one written word
Visualizing the Anthropocene
In the last post, I mentioned a few examples of human influence on earth that have prompted many to now speak of the Anthropocene Epoch, the age of human transformation of the planet. But as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words (or more. Since then, I’ve run across several things that help us to visualize the extent of our impact upon the earth, both for good and ill
And now…The Anthropocene Epoch, or The Age of Man
We’ve done it. We’ve remade creation according to our own needs, desires, and vision. And so it is now different than it has ever been before
The fall of Joe Paterno
Minute by minute, the details of the sexual abuse scandal at Penn State University are becoming more appalling, despicable, and sad. Among other things, Joe Paterno gives us a textbook definition of t
How Shall We Live?
Seven billion people as of Oct 31, Reformation Day. The world’s population has more than doubled in my lifetime. For that matter, it’s increased three billion since I was in high school. It has increased by one billion in the last twelve years
Hearing Robert Putnam on the puzzle of American religion
Last night, Robert Putnam, America’s foremost social scientist, spoke at Wash U about his latest research into the “puzzle” of American religion. Could there perhaps be a paradox at the heart of the p
A time to celebrate 400 years of the King James Bible
The King James Bible is an unparalleled work of English literature. It’s high time to celebrate its anniversary
C.F.W. Walther turns 200 today, and this is why you should know who he is
Many American Lutheran Christians will be marking the 200th birthday of one C. F. W
Stanley Hauerwas and the story of disability
Last night, Stanley Hauerwas spoke at Fontbonne University, as part of its Carondelet Lecture Series. His lecture was entitled “Disability: An Attempt to Think With.”
Who was invited to the Dragon King’s wedding?
Turns out the United Kingdom isn’t the only country that can turn out elaborate fairy-tale royal weddings
Nobel laureate Leymah Gbowee’s story of faith
This morning the Nobel committee announced that Leymah Gbowee, along with Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Tawakul Karman, are the recipients of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize. But to know the whole story, hear
New evening seminar on religion and politics at Concordia Seminary
Just in time for the campaign season, Concordia Seminary will host its latest Lay Bible Institute (an evening seminar program) on the intricate maze that is religion and politics. Led by Prof. Joel Biermann..