Beware of Seductive Ads

You may have seen some recent ads on TV with a focus on tax reform, jobs, and supporting the so-called American Health Care Act (AHCA) of the Republicans. These ads promote middle-class growth, support companies being “unfettered” from government regulation, and laud supposed “choice” and freedom when it comes to health care. These stated goals […]

AARP on the High Cost of Drugs

As much as I admire and support AARP, of which I am a member, I am a little disappointed in the recent article in AARP Bulletin entitled “Why Drugs Cost so Much” by the editors (May 2017 and online). While I appreciate the attempt to help the American public by tackling this vital issue, I […]

Arthur Conan Doyle’s Wisdom on Death and the Afterlife

It is probably safe to say that many if not most of us are familiar with classic detective Sherlock Holmes. His creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), actually was ambivalent about his creation, and here we will honor that sentiment and focus on an element of Doyle’s life that was much closer to his heart: […]

Love and Public Policy

I recently attended a convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont with the theme “love heals.” The convention highlighted the work of Magdalene and Thistle Farms, located in Tennessee, and its amazing founding director, the Rev. Becca Stevens. According to its website, “Thistle Farms is a powerful global community of women healing from prostitution, trafficking and […]

Trinities: Historical Alternatives to “Father, Son and Holy Ghost”

The concept of God as Father resonates well with many religious Jews and Christians. The all-male Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Ghost/Holy Spirit – is so ingrained for Christians that our faith without it seems somehow heretical or false. In recent years, however, the idea of God as Father, for many people whose human […]

Resurrection: What it Is and Isn’t

Resurrection: a good topic for the continuing Easter season in the Christian calendar. (Our Orthodox brothers and sisters will celebrate Easter on May 1st this year.) While Christians think we have a pretty good idea what we mean by resurrection, or at least the resurrection of Jesus, it is actually more complicated than it appears […]

Paul’s Female Colleagues: Not Keeping Silence in the Churches

Sixteen years into the 21st century – despite the reality of women in the workplace, women in leadership positions in business and government, and the ordination of women in many Protestant denominations and in Judaism – we can still find preachers railing against the leadership of women in Christian organizations. (We will concentrate here on […]