December 2003
The Archives
-
The Churches of Doubt?
12.23.03 | Permalink | 2 CommentsFollowing up on Will Shetterly and Philocrites, I want to put in a vote for the Churches of Doubt as a replacement name for Unitarian Universalist. Probably not for good reasons, mind you. Frankly, I like the thought that it would slightly trouble people. But immediately the old stand-by question of “So what do you […]
-
Best news summary yet
12.19.03 | Permalink | Comments Off on Best news summary yetFrom Gen. J.C. Christian, Patriot: “We finally found Saddam. Sure, it took an invasion, nine months of military operations, thousands of lives, and 130,000 troops to do it, but we finally captured him. It’s a great day for America. I’d cry if I wasn’t so manly. “Now, it’s time for the next step. We need […]
-
What is practical theology?
12.19.03 | Permalink | 3 CommentsI’ve been thinking about doing doctoral work in practical theology, which has led my wife to ask a rather practical question: what the hell does that mean? In a James Fowler tribute volume, the editors point out four tasks of practical theology (in no particular order): The descriptive-empirical task: What is going on? Here practical […]
-
I knew there were reasons I liked Dean and Gore
12.17.03 | Permalink | Comments Off on I knew there were reasons I liked Dean and GoreThe Washington Post’s Everett Ehrlich on what Howard Dean’s campaign might mean: For all Dean’s talk about wanting to represent the truly “Democratic wing of the Democratic Party,” the paradox is that he is essentially a third-party candidate using modern technology to achieve a takeover of the Democratic Party. Other candidates — John Kerry, John […]
-
Preaching to the converted
Pop novelist Michael Crichton on environmentalism-as-religion: If you look carefully, you see that environmentalism is in fact a perfect 21st century remapping of traditional Judeo-Christian beliefs and myths. There’s an initial Eden, a paradise, a state of grace and unity with nature, there’s a fall from grace into a state of pollution as a result […]
-
A practical theology of communication
(As the nonprofit I work for has been formulating its strategic plan, I’ve been reflecting on what role communications should play a part. Here I make the case that “the Center’s” communication strategy be auxiliary to our now-forming strategic plan.) I’m reminded of the work of philosopher-theologian Henry Nelson Wieman, who describes six types of […]
