‘Tis the Season to Consume
‘Tis the season to spend money we don’t have on things we don’t need. The twelve days of debt are upon us and the annual festival of fights has begun. Apparently pepper spray will be this year’s most popular gift. Peace on earth, good will toward men, only $19.95 if you call right now (plus [...]
Touring the Ironbound: Environmental Justice Made Real
I was on a chartered bus with about 40 other people—Christians, Jews, Muslims, Unitarian Universalists, one Buddhist, and one Wiccan priest. We were united in being people of faith, in being mostly white and middle class, and in touring part of Newark, New Jersey as part of the Environmental Justice retreat of GreenFaith’s Fellowship Program. [...]
Can Unitarian Universalists Really Believe Whatever They Want?
Unitarian Universalism is a religious tradition with roots in Christianity, but has since taken a strong stance regarding religious freedom in every person’s spiritual formation. This may be characterized as a non-credal religious tradition, which is a characterization arguably shared with some mainline protestant traditions and other traditions altogether. However, Unitarian Universalism reaches a step [...]
Torah Study As a Spiritual Practice
This article was originally posted at http://judaism.bellaonline.com. Torah study is an integral part of Judaism and living a full and vibrant Jewish life. We are all commanded to dedicate some part of our day to Torah study, be it a few hours or even just a few moments. Torah study is a practice which can [...]
Seven Types of Scholarship
What are scholars for? I offer for your consideration seven types of religious scholarship: priest, scribe, gnostic, revolutionary, rabbi, scientist, and contemplative.
Press Release: Collaboration to Launch New Program for Informal Interreligious Education
State of Formation, an international network for young religious leaders, is collaborating with Claremont Lincoln University to develop a pilot program for informal interreligious education. The program’s inaugural events will be a monthly series of coffeehouse-style conversations on interreligious topics, beginning with a Dec. 1 evening event on the Claremont campus (see below for details) [...]
Learning to climb
Having just returned from my first AAR experience at this year’s annual meeting in San Francisco, my mind is still spinning. For me, it was five glorious days of nerd-heaven where theological reflections on everything from identity politics to cyborgs abound. The only responsibility I had to fill during those days was showing up and [...]
Chanukah’s History: Challenging but Full of Meaning
The history of Chanukah squeezes us between two competing narratives: one of idealization and one of consternation. The former encourages us to view Chanukah as a holiday of liberation, when the Maccabees overthrew their Hellenistic occupiers in pursuit of faith and freedom. The Jews wanted a homeland free of outside ruler and were willing to [...]
“Muscular Christianity” and the Penn State Scandal
University of Nebraska Assistant Coach Ron Brown prayed on behalf of his football team and that of Penn State prior to their game on November 12th, in the wake of the latter university’s scandal regarding former head coach Joe Paterno. Which you already know about if you haven’t been living under a rock for roughly [...]
Courage in the Face of History: From the Alabama 15 to the Occupy Movements
Through the lens of my Nichiren Buddhist faith, what seems like such tremendous challenges is a time of profound hope. For me, the courageous acts of Jonathan, a good friend of mine from Los Angeles, and the many others who have risked so much in the last weeks (and years, really) are a torch leading us to action here in the U.S. They are cementing our ties with the rest of the world, in grappling with the effects of a system that has for decades placed the needs of finance and profit before human dignity. They are showing that indeed, each person has immeasurable power to transform our past and open up a brighter future.
Contributing Scholars
Ela MeromEla is an ordained rabbi, a seeker of truth, fascinated with the paths to the divine in the everyday and the extraordinary. She is now in the midst of birthing a new progressive prayer group in Tel Aviv, where she lives and works.
Tiffany PuettTiffany Puett is a PhD candidate at the University of Waterloo. Her research focuses on religious diversity and multiculturalism in North America, the ongoing construction of ‘religion’ in a liberal democratic society and the politics embedded in these processes. She’s especially interested in the intersections of religion with education, citizenship, and religious freedom.
Paul Joseph GreenePaul Joseph Greene is attending the second year of his doctoral program, seeking a Ph.D. in systematic theology at Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota. "Let's talk interreligiously about liberation, identity, power, privilege, creative transformation, process, politics, and Glee! And by virtue of our relationship, let's become a new creation together."