Do We Need More “Ministerial Exceptions”?
This post is written in conjunction with the “Religion and Law in the U.S.” course dialogue project and is directed by Grace Yia-Hei Kao. In a recent unanimous and precedent-setting Supreme Court ruling, a “ministerial exception” was given to Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School regarding employment discrimination. Cheryl Perich, a “called teacher” at Hosanna-Tabor, [...]
Meaning and meaning: An Important Difference
I agree with the overall gist of Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning (1946) in the fact that we all desire, will, and create meaning in our own ways. I consider meaning-making a phenomenon firmly rooted in subjective human experience. But what exactly do we mean by “meaning?” Often times I find that two different ways of understanding “meaning” get conflated.
New Journal: Claremont Journal of Religion
A new journal is born! “Religion” is one of the most difficult words to define. People use the word all of the time but have a hard time flushing out its precise meaning. Having spent time on issues surrounding defining “religion,” I felt it would be a good idea to start a new journal where [...]
Clarity or Vagueness? Issues in Theological Discourse
“All simplifications of religious dogma are shipwrecked upon the problem of evil.” Imagine for a second that you are somebody who believes in the existence of “something” beyond the physical cosmos. You are not sure how to talk about this “something” but you are confident enough that it is there. Would it be better for [...]
Reformer, Revolutionary, or Rationalist? Three Types of Feminism
What do Martin Luther and Mary Daly have in common? They both realized that they could not reform the Roman Catholic Church from “the inside-out.” They came to believe that some institutions, even those dear to the heart, are not worth saving. One of the most significant differences between Luther and Daly—aside from the obvious [...]
Unbelievers and Process Theology
As a general unbeliever in God, spirits, immortality, and the human soul, there is much I disagree with in process theology. What I can agree with in process theology is what they deny. I agree with the denial of the traditional omnipotent God, “HIS” (I capitalize another problem) relationship to evil, a literal interpretation of [...]
Unbelievers and Liberal Religious Persons of the World: UNITE!
In the world of contemporary unbelief the differences between “liberal,” “moderate,” and “conservative” forms of religion are often overlooked. The subtle nuances that distinguish liberal religion from conservative religion are painted over by employing the nebulous term “religion.” The New Atheism, for instance, views liberal or “moderate” religion as guilty of providing the atmosphere under [...]
An Atheist and Franz Kafka’s “The Castle”
This was first presented as “The Power of Kafka’s Castle,” at the Conference on Retaliation, California State University Fullerton, January 28, 2011. It was later revised and presented as “Kafka’s Castle: Revisited,” at The Balancing Act Conference, Claremont Graduate University, March 26, 2011. It is now going to published as “Kafka’s Castle: Revisited,” in Voices of Claremont Graduate [...]
An Atheist and “The Impossibility of Religious Freedom”
Winnifred Fallers Sullivan The Impossibility of Religious Freedom (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2005) -Although six years old now, this book covers issues pertinent to the present time- The Impossibility of Religious Freedom is a book written by Winnifred Fallers Sullivan, director of the Law and Religion program at University of Buffalo Law School (State University [...]
An Atheist and God’s Brain
Book Review “God’s Brain” by Lionel Tiger and Michael McGuire Amherst, N.Y.: Prometheus Books, 2010 It is always interesting to see how those within a scientific sub-discipline speak about religion and religious beliefs. In God’s Brain you have a professor of anthropology (Lionel Tiger) who focuses on the ways biological evolution relates to social interactions, [...]
Kile Jones
Kile Jones hold a Bachelors of Theology (B.Th.) from Faith Seminary, a Masters of Theological Studies (M.T.S.) and a Masters of Sacred Theology (S.T.M.) from Boston University. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Religion at Claremont School of Theology.
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Contributing Scholars
Jennifer BaileyJennifer Bailey, 23, is a member of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Her academic/vocational interests include: exploring intersectionalities of race, gender, and religion, social action as worship, theologies of interfaith cooperation, personal narrative as a method of healing, and congregational ministry in a religiously diverse world.
Michael VanZandt CollinsMike, 28, is a community organizer working in Boston's underserved communities on green and environmental initiatives. He holds a Master's from Boston College in Social Ethics and is preparing applications for Islamic Studies with the aspiration of one day becoming a professor of Comparative Ethics.
James CroftJames is a teacher, researcher, actor, singer and a proud, gay Humanist. He teaches and studies toward his Doctorate in Human Development at Harvard University, where he works closely with the Humanist Chaplaincy.