I am here at a conference in Istanbul on the concept of Prophethood in the Risale-i Nur, an extended commentary on the Qur’an by Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, the most important Turkish Islamic theologian of the modern period. The paper presentations are just starting today (my paper is on how Nursi’s understanding of prophethood can deepen…… Continue reading In the Company of Women in Istanbul
Did Snowden do the Right Thing?
One of the best books of the last fifty years or so–and certainly one of the best about the Nazis and the Holocaust is Hannah Arendt’s Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil. It details her coverage of his trial [Adolf Eichmann was one of the major organizers of the Holocaust machine],…… Continue reading Did Snowden do the Right Thing?
Thinking about Salvation
So, the semester has started and I taught my first class yesterday: Soteriology [the doctrine of salvation]. This is one of my very favorite classes to teach, because I think the gospel message really can be boiled down to two words: “Jesus saves”–but the problem is that the church hasn’t done a very good job…… Continue reading Thinking about Salvation
Accountability, Poetry, and the Power of Words
Accountability has been in the news this past week, as both President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry have impressed upon the world the need for Syria to be held accountable for their use of chemical weapons. I think they’re right–but that’s neither here nor there; I have been thinking about accountability on a much…… Continue reading Accountability, Poetry, and the Power of Words
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
I just finished The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, by Rachel Joyce, and I just had to share some thoughts about it. It is a very sweet, unassuming story that really sneaks up on you with its tenderness and depth. Harold and Maureen are an unhappy couple, married for decades, when Harold receives a letter from…… Continue reading The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
Sometimes the best man for the job is a woman
The ELCA has a new presiding bishop–a woman; and while I think Mark Hanson did a great job as bishop, I’m so pleased at this milestone: it’s good for the church, and good for the world–and here’s why.This past week I read two different stories about girls/women in leadership roles, one talking about why more…… Continue reading Sometimes the best man for the job is a woman
Thinking about Tattoos
While I was visiting my cousins in Sweden last month [spent Midsummer with them–it was such a great time!], I briefly met my cousin Kenny’s new girlfriend, Josefine–he is quite besotted, which is really sweet. I had seen her pictures before, so I knew that she is not only beautiful, but she also has lots…… Continue reading Thinking about Tattoos
Love, no matter what
If you follow my blog, you know that I love, love, love Andrew Solomon’s book, “Far From the Tree.” If you haven’t found the time to read it yet (it’s quite thick!), listen to his TED talk instead:http://www.ted.com/talks/andrew_solomon_love_no_matter_what.html?v2=0It's about 20 minutes long, and he’s not a bells and whistles speaker, but what he has to…… Continue reading Love, no matter what
The Witness of Ramadan
I was just in New York City the past few days visiting a friend–and, in case you haven’t been watching the news, it has been HOT here on the East Coast! NYC was even worse than Gettysburg, of course, because of the concrete: you could hardly ever catch a breeze. My friend Whitney and I…… Continue reading The Witness of Ramadan
"Like a Much-loved Child at Home"
I have been working on a presentation I hope to give this fall in Istanbul, at a conference on the work of Turkish Muslim theologian Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, whom I have really enjoyed reading. His major work is the Risale-i Nur, a commentary on the Qur’an, and in it he seeks to demonstrate how the…… Continue reading "Like a Much-loved Child at Home"
Happy Lutheran 