Deadly Encounter with Police Sparks Riots, Activists Accused of Stirring up Anti-White Hatred

September 26, 2016

A 15-year old black teenager is shot and killed by a police officer. Here’s how it happened, as far as we know: The manager of an apartment building, apparently tired of teenage men hanging out under the stoop, assuming they were up to no good, finally snaps and shouts a racial slur at the boys. The … More Deadly Encounter with Police Sparks Riots, Activists Accused of Stirring up Anti-White Hatred

Resources for Learning about Race in America

September 26, 2016

Here is a list of resources for learning about race in America, which I will add to on a regular basis:   Books: Alexander, Michelle. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness Coates, Ta-Nehisi. Between the World and Me.  Emerson, Michael O. and Christian Smith. Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of … More Resources for Learning about Race in America

Light of the Path

March 9, 2016

“Your Word is a light unto my path, and a lamp unto my feet.” What is this word, and why is it my light? How is it my light? How do letters on a page bring light to anything? But those are not the word. Words are not even physical entities in themselves, but at best, physical … More Light of the Path

The First Temptation of Christ

January 26, 2016

He was tempted in every way, explains the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews.  There is no temptation in our experience that Christ cannot understand, firsthand. Other parts of Scripture, however, turn our attention to some particularly dramatic and key temptations in the life of Christ. The filmmaker Scorsese brought to life a controversial “what-if” … More The First Temptation of Christ

Guns, Muslims, and 4th Century Italians

December 27, 2015

Recent events have spawned a fairly heated public debate about the Christian’s proper relationship to violence, self-defense, and gun ownership. As with many contemporary controversies, I find that some attention to Christian tradition can bring clarity. Not necessarily answers. But clarity. Most importantly, the Christian Tradition shows us the necessity of carefully nuanced thought on matters … More Guns, Muslims, and 4th Century Italians

Dilemma

December 9, 2015

I am fixated on two dilemmas today. The first one is personal. What role should I have, as a young theologian and one seeking ordination in Christian ministry, in talking about politics and public issues? Abuses of the Church’s voice in the political realm have made me wary. I am also worried about the barriers … More Dilemma

It’s Advent and There’s Nothing to be Happy About

November 28, 2015

But it’s not okay. The war is still going. College students are making death threats against whole races of people. Statistically, we are likely to have a few more shootings before the year is over. Marriages are going to dissolve. People are going to die. Another bomb is going to go off. What hope does Advent really offer? … More It’s Advent and There’s Nothing to be Happy About

Star Wars, Hope, and Yale

November 23, 2015

Last week Yale University was embroiled in its own manifestation of a conflict taking place at many major American universities regarding race relations on campus. Yale’s particular manifestation of this conflict was a heated clash over the appropriateness of halloween costumes, and whether offensive costumes should be regulated (or even whether they should discouraged by administrators). Without getting into … More Star Wars, Hope, and Yale