Supreme Religion
Noting the retirement of Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens
A Gift from My Daughters
Rock, Resurrection, and Radio Stations — a conversion story
When *I* was a seminary student . . .
Does learning theology happen by transmitting information?
Seeing God in the movies
“The Dude abides.” It’s a topic that, in one way or another, we’ve talked about numerous times in this blog, like here , here , here , or here . Or you could just see them all in the movies category. It’s also the name of a seminar I will be team-teaching on the four Tuesday nights of April. The course carries this premise: “Even if God isn’t mentioned, nearly every film contains an implied theology.” And we’ll look at plenty of examples to prove that thesis: “Citizen Kane,” Ingmar Bergman, “Star Wars,” Woody Allen, Spike Lee, “Toy Story,” the Coen brothers…you name it
What would Luther think about health care reform?
What would Luther think about health care reform? I don’t know for certain, of course, but I have some ideas about what Luther would think, or perhaps, what he wouldn’t think. First of all, Luther saw caring for the neighbor as something Christians are simply supposed to do. He considered every vocation—every job or calling—to ..
Counting Baptisms and Praying for more
ESV Acts 2:41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. Whenever I hear pastors and other Christians discuss this verse, often around Pentecost Sunday, someone wonders out loud “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the Holy Spirit still worked so emphatically in our world today? ..
World Water Day
March 22 provides an opportunity consider one of the most basic needs of life that we can easily take for granted. Water is one of those support webs that connects, supports, sustains, and enriches all life on earth. Put a bird bath in your yard and watch them come! We face two water issues
Dante’s Inferno and the simulacrum of hell
I haven’t owned a video gaming system since my parents got my brother and me the original Nintendo. But I’ve seen the commercials for “Dante’s Inferno” a number of times now, and I confess I’m captivated. Not that I intend to buy it. The real Dante’s Inferno is one of the great works of world literature, and still defines much of our visual mythology of hell. (This despite the fact that, for Dante, hell was freezing cold rather than burning hot.)..
Latina ethics scholar to speak at Concordia Seminary
María Teresa Dávila Noted ethics scholar Dr. María Teresa Dávila will speak at Concordia Seminary tomorrow night, Thursday, March 18, at 7:00PM. A professor at Andover Newton Theological School, she will be giving the fifth Annual Lecture in Hispanic/Latino Theology and Missions of Concordia’s Center for Hispanic Studies (CHS). The theme for Dr. Dávila’s lecture is “ Unión, Reunión y Comunión : Latino/a Religious Diversity and the Wager of Ecumenical Communion.”..
Curiouser and curiouser
Coinciding with — I almost said “echoing” — the release of Tim Burton’s new take on “Alice in Wonderland” is a different kind of journey down the rabbit hole. A strange episode is reported from the Florida-Bahamas Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in which a congregation in Florida voted to leave ..
Welcomed Guests
Quite a few visitors stopped by to dine in our yard this winter. Most came after a fresh blanket of snow had fallen or when the temperature dropped into the teens. White-throated sparrows from the boreal forests of Canada joined our local residents of Cardinals, Chickadees, Tit-mice, Carolina Wrens, Hairies, and Downies. Our surprise guest of honor was a tiny Ruby-crested kinglet. His constant flitting made it initially difficult for me to identify him
New religion and politics center started at Wash U
John Danforth delivering the homily at Ronald Reagan's funeral in 2004 (Screen capture: C-SPAN) The New York Times broke the story on the formation of this new center yesterday, named for one of our state’s most distinguished senators, John C. Danforth, who is also an ordained Episcopal priest. Washington University announced the center in a press release and news conference today
"A Serious Man": the Coen brothers’ retelling of Job
I recently saw A Serious Man, the Coen brothers new film, at the Tivoli. In between an opening prologue of a Yiddish folk tale and a truly stunning ending is the story of Larry Gopnik, a middle-class
Public confession as "atonement": Mark McGwire, Andre Agassi, and now Tiger Woods
Will he talk or won’t he? It’s a question St. Louis sports fans have been talking about for weeks now. The “he” in question is the new hitting coach for the baseball Cardinals
The Velvet Revolution, Vaclav Havel, and Stanley Hauerwas…20 years later
The New York Times did a nice retrospective yesterday on Czechoslovakia’s Velvet Revolution on its 20th anniversary. I was 15 years old when the Berlin Wall fell along with all the other Eastern Europ
Jaroslav Pelikan on "the need for creeds"
This morning, American Public Media’s “Speaking of Faith” replayed an interview with the late, great Jaroslav Pelikan on creeds and how they function within religious belief. Excellent stuff