In Toronto on May 27, 2007, Marie Bouclin of Sudbury, Ontario will be ordained as a Roman Catholic priest by bishop Patricia Fresen of Germany.
Tag: Religion
Cage Match: Spong vs his (credible) detractors
In light of the recent publication of John Shelby Spong’s Jesus for the Non-Religious, I thought it might be fruitful to revisit some of the debates which Spong’s work has provoked.
The Faiths of the Founding Fathers, by David L. Holmes
We are victims of the Chinese curse. We live in interesting times—or at least polarized times. Differing opinions have gravitated to the poles of a left–right axis, first in politics, then bleeding over into our religious discourse until, at least in some public debates, it has become impossible to discern which discursive practice is driving our disputes.
Cage Match – Cosimo Cavallaro vs. Catholic League
Thanks to pressure from the Catholic League, Manhattan’s Lab Gallery has removed the 90 Kg chocolate sculpture titled “My Sweet Lord” by artist Cosimo Cavallaro.
Paleontologist Marcus Ross an Early Earth Creationist
On Monday, the NY Times published a piece titled “Believing Scripture but Playing by Science’s Rules” about Marcus R. Ross who successfully defended his Ph.D. dissertation in paleontology notwithstanding his belief in “early earth creationism.” He wrote about events which occurred (according to him) 65 million years ago but simultaneously asserts that the universe is at most 10,000 years old.
Cage Match – Catholic Mystic vs. Protestant Liberal
Suppose, instead of resolving theological differences through disputations and councils and seminars and symposia, we opted for something a little more robust. What if we asked our theologians to submit to a completely different process—a cage match.
Living Islam Out Loud: American Muslim Women Speak
This is a collection of pieces by Islamic women living in the United States. Their stories reflect a diversity of experience—from growing up within the tradition-laden strictures of immigrant families, to afro-american women who are children and grandchildren of Nation of Islam founders.
Belief is a Queer Thing
Can queer theory be used as a tool to think about mental health? This is a question that has nagged me for a few years now, and in the fall, I had an opportunity to write about it for a course on liberation theology.
Church and the Gay Question
In my continuing online exchange with Fr John Boyle [a gay-hating priest from Kent], he points out that we use the same mode of analysis. It’s curious how two people using the same approach can arrive at opposite conclusions.
Marcus Borg, Jesus: Uncovering the Life, Teachings, and Relevance of a Religious Revolutionary
This is a book which should have begun with its epilogue. It is at the end that Marcus Borg makes clear what is at stake for a twenty-first century treatment of the historical Jesus and why it matters.
What the hell is atonement?
Is it just that I’m thick? Or is it that no amount of finesse can rescue atonement from the sin of obscurantism? Nevertheless, having a good guide like this lends clarity to the challenge of addressing some of the most problematic strands of thinking in 21st century Christianity.
The Magi Today
This Christmas, more than usual, people have been crying foul over issues of political correctness. The most notable instance of this arose around the decision by Seattle’s Sea–Tac International Airport authority to remove from its premises all Christmas trees and related paraphernalia.
His Left Behind
At the end of time, Joe met his worst nightmare. The rapture came & he had to go to the bathroom. With his pants around his ankles, the angels snatched him up. All of him, that is, except … His Left Behind.
United Church of Canada Launches Wondercafe
The United Church of Canada has officially launched a media campaign targeting the 30 – 45 demographic. The church is facing the fact that the majority of Canadians (& people everywhere), while regarding themselves as spiritual, no longer see spiritual value in church communities.
Revisiting the Progressive Christian Conversation
It’s time to reevaluate what has been a rather circumspect dance with a progressive christian congregation over the past year. There are times I find myself vehemently disagreeing or else saying: “Your concerns have nothing to do with my experience.”