Tag Archives: Evil
Knowledge of Good and Evil
Suffering: Week 1 Knowledge of Good and Evil Tuesday, October 16, 2018 During our recent CONSPIRE 2018 conference, we explored how the path of descent is the path of transformation. Darkness, failure, relapse, death, and woundedness are our primary teachers. We looked at personal and societal suffering including slavery, the oppression of Native Americans and… Continue Reading Knowledge of Good and Evil
Universal Restoration
Eastern Christianity Universal Restoration Thursday, September 13, 2018 The shape of creation must somehow mirror and reveal the shape of the Creator. We must have a God at least as big as the universe, or else our view of God becomes irrelevant, constricted, and more harmful than helpful. The Christian image of a torturous hell… Continue Reading Universal Restoration
Radical Politics
Politics: Week 1 Radical Politics Thursday, July 12, 2018 There is a lot of talk today about “radical” politics on both sides. The politicians and party on the far side often look “extreme” and so the very word “radical” now has a somewhat negative connotation. “Radical” just comes from the Latin word radix, meaning “root.” For… Continue Reading Radical Politics
Church Was Supposed to Be an Alternative Society
Community Church Was Supposed to Be an Alternative Society Wednesday, May 9, 2018 Living in community means living in such a way that others can access me and influence my life and that I can get “out of myself” and serve the lives of others. Community is a world where brotherliness and sisterliness are possible.… Continue Reading Church Was Supposed to Be an Alternative Society
How Can Everything Be Sacred?
Introduction: Image and Likeness How Can Everything Be Sacred? Tuesday, January 2, 2018 The three monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) teach that one Creator formed all things. There is thus a radical unity at the heart of the universe’s pluriformity, resolving any conflict between diversity and the shared “divine DNA” found in creation. This theo-logic allows… Continue Reading How Can Everything Be Sacred?
The Inevitable Spiral of Violence
Nonviolence The Inevitable Spiral of Violence Tuesday, September 19, 2017 Dom Hélder Câmara (1909-1999) was a Brazilian archbishop and brilliant nonviolent activist who offered a model for understanding how structural injustice leads to greater violence. [1] I overlay Dom Hélder’s teaching on the “spiral of violence” with traditional Catholic moral teaching which saw the three… Continue Reading The Inevitable Spiral of Violence
The Body of Christ
The Apostle Paul The Body of Christ Friday, May 19, 2017 Paul had a concrete missionary strategy of building living communities able to produce a visible and believable message. Yet for centuries we’ve interpreted his message as if he is speaking about individuals being privately “saved.” This has made Paul seem more like a mere… Continue Reading The Body of Christ
Cross as Agenda
Jesus as Scapegoat Cross as Agenda Friday, May 5, 2017 In terms of healing and symbolism, everything hinges on the cross. The cross is about how to fight and not become a casualty yourself. The cross is about being the victory instead of just winning a victory. The cross is about refusing the simplistic win-lose… Continue Reading Cross as Agenda
Blinded by Privilege
Bias from the Bottom: Week 2 Blinded by Privilege Sunday, March 27, 2016 You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around in it. —Harper Lee (1926-2016), To Kill a Mockingbird Once in a place of power, after the 4th… Continue Reading Blinded by Privilege
