In Tenacious Solidarity: Biblical Provocations on Race, Religion, Climate, and the Economy, biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann offers this definition of totalism: By “totalism” I mean a system of signs and symbols that make a claim of validity that is all-encompassing, that will allow no challenge or competition, and that will… Continue reading
(In other articles, I have expressed my debt to and appreciation of the work of biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann. Tenacious Solidarity: Biblical Provocations on Race, Religion, Climate, and the Economy is one of his recent books which I believe speaks so powerfully to our current national crisis. It is 472… Continue reading
(19 minutes) The third dimension of shalom can be seen in the following definition (I do not know who first offered this definition, but I have seen it in several publications without reference to authorship): “Shalom is a state of being where nothing is broken and no one is missing.”… Continue reading
(8 minutes) (In Part One of this series on shalom, I gave the Hebrew background to the concept of shalom as well as presenting its economic dimension focusing on the indispensable role of justice in the Jewish faith. In Part Two, I want to consider a definition of shalom which… Continue reading
(10 minutes) The world, and especially Christianity, has been gifted with a profound religious perspective from Judaism. Anyone who compares Judaism with other religions in the ancient world will find a uniqueness, relevance, and obstinate dedication to truth. Unlike the fertility religions of its day and the cyclic religions of… Continue reading
For every passage one may quote confirming the finality of hell for non-believers, I can quote another passage which presents a more compassionate option. In the final analysis, we must decide which is stronger—our human, puny capacity to subvert the will of God for our salvation or God’s infinite grace. Continue reading
The reality of hell in this life (in this article, I’m not referring to any concept of hell in the next dimension) should be evident to anyone who has any awareness of the evil, suffering, and oppression in our world. Continue reading
In this article, I want to focus on the Parable of the Long Spoons relevance for the continuing and lethal legacy of America’s Original Sin of racism. Continue reading
IV. EXPERIENCE: (Much of what was written in the previous article about “Reason” could also apply to “Experience.” Reason and Experience are closely related within the human psyche. I will not repeat what we wrote about Reason that is applicable to Experience.) Definitions of Experience: Direct observation or participation in… Continue reading
III) REASON: At the beginning of my second year of teaching in college, a biologist joined the faculty. We seemed to be kindred spirits, and I looked forward to having a new friend in an academic setting. However, one day early on in our acquaintance, he came to my office… Continue reading
