Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com I am here at the Association of Theological Schools Biennial Meeting, which has been great so far–great things to learn and good colleagues to meet. It seems like a good time to share a brief review of a great new book I just read, which is about theological education. Beyond…… Continue reading Beyond Profession
Category: Books
Becoming a Good-ish Person, Fighting Bias
I just finished a fantastic book, and be warned: I have the zeal of a recent convert! The book is by Dolly Chugh, and it is titled The Person You Mean to Be: How Good People Fight Bias. The premise of the book is quite straightforward: it is applying a “growth mentality “–a concept popularized…… Continue reading Becoming a Good-ish Person, Fighting Bias
Atlas of the Heart
I just finished another Brené Brown book, Atlas of the Heart. it is a beautiful book, with great illustrations, and some of the best quotes in the book are highlighted in big colorful type on their own pages. Emotions often get such a bad rap: I mean, if someone calls you emotional, it’s not usually…… Continue reading Atlas of the Heart
Lament, Caste, and Racism
The faculty at Wartburg Seminary is reading Caste: the Origins of our Discontents, by Isabel Wilkerson. It is a very interesting book in which she uses the concept of caste, as well as several vivid metaphors, very creatively as a way to invite people into thinking about racism with new categories and fresh eyes. (The…… Continue reading Lament, Caste, and Racism
Reflections on “After Whiteness”
I want to share some reflections about a book I just read, After Whiteness: an Education in Belonging, by Willie James Jennings. I don’t know exactly what I was expecting, but it turned out to be something even better than I thought—something really thought-provoking and important. I read it with the other ELCA seminary leaders…… Continue reading Reflections on “After Whiteness”
Revisiting “Mere Christianity”
This year at Gettysburg College, I am working with several first-year seminars as a Student Success Advocate (a new program this fall). All of the these seminars are very interesting and very engaging: one of them, which is about the history of tea, has started me doing Japanese calligraphy and practicing the Japanese tea ceremony;…… Continue reading Revisiting “Mere Christianity”
Radical Hope: Letters of Love
I wanted to share a few thoughts from a great book that I just finished, given to me by a dear friend. The book is titled Radical Hope: Letters of Love and Dissent in Dangerous Times, edited by Carolina De Robertis. The idea came about three days after the 2016 election, when she found herself…… Continue reading Radical Hope: Letters of Love
Thoughts on “White Fragility”
This post is about a great book I know you have heard about: White Fragility: Why It’s so Hard for White People to Talk about Racism, by Robin Diangelo. It was great–really eye-opening and also uncomfortable in all the right ways. I hope after you read this blog, you read the book. Let me start…… Continue reading Thoughts on “White Fragility”
How to Be An Antiracist
So, I just finished a book that everyone has been talking about: How to be an Antiracist, by Ibram X. Kendi. And, after finishing it, I totally feel like it lives up to the hype. It is, as you might expect, illuminating and educational, as well as being really well-written. I love how he uses…… Continue reading How to Be An Antiracist
Women’s Bodies, Hunger & Roxane Gay
One of the best parts of vacation is the extra time I have for pleasure reading; and this trip I brought along two books by Roxane Gay. It isn’t quite right to call reading them “pleasure”–they both were hard to read, especially Hunger, but they both were definitely worth the time and effort. Mostly I want…… Continue reading Women’s Bodies, Hunger & Roxane Gay
Happy Lutheran 