2024-03-14 06:30
Talk about an eye-opening book! Ken Wytsma has given us one of incredible value here. The Myth of Equality is subtitled Uncovering the Roots of Injustice and Privilege. The “roots&rdqu&hell…Read More
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Natural Spirituality - Loving Forum For Spiritual Blog
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Exploring the mystical and rational while expanding common spiritual ground among caring people
2024-03-05 06:17
This is a re-post of a 2013 article which is pertinent for the pre-Easter season particularly, and historically, for non-Christians as well as Christians. The book titled Zealot is probably… Read More
2024-02-14 02:46
I found Tim Alberta’s recent book (Dec., 2023) engaging and very well written, and thus easy to read. The full title describes it well: The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory: American… Read More
2024-02-05 09:12
I just noted we are at the thirteenth anniversary of the second Big Tent Christianity conference. Sadly, it proved to be the last (so far, anyway). The first had convened in September, 2010… Read More
2024-01-05 05:29
Perhaps the most significant discovery of ancient religious texts of the New Testament era (1st and early 2nd centuries) was the one which included the Gospel of Thomas. It was made in late… Read More
2023-08-12 18:50
I was hoping to not feel compelled to write another post on Donald Trump, years after my last one. But I cannot remain silent.
I doubt that I have any new concepts of substance to add to… Read More
2023-06-25 00:59
Below is a letter I sent to Dr. Matthew J. Hall, the new provost and senior vice president at Biola University. I attended Biola for three degrees in the late 1960s to late 1970s. This is a… Read More
2023-06-08 18:27
This book somehow escaped my radar until recently. I’m glad I ran across it!
Here is a vulnerable, frank story of a journey to Christian faith and back out – by a kind of pro… Read More
2022-08-09 17:10
What happens when Southern white Evangelicals leave their churches? Do they become more politically progressive? Less literalist about the Bible? More inclined to the “common good&rdqu&hell…Read More
![The Politics Of Paul And The Way Of Jesus, Part 1 [Peaceable Romans #6]](https://cdn.blogarama.com/images/posts_thumbs_site_id/1651/165083-2326192730.w320.jpg "The Politics Of Paul And The Way Of Jesus, Part 1 [Peaceable Romans #6]")
2022-02-19 23:51
The explanations of the common principles and guidance of Jesus and the Apostle Paul in this recent post by Ted Grimsrud are very insightful and important. They are useful and valuable anyti… Read More
![What Is Paul Good For? [Rethinking Salvation #3]](https://cdn.blogarama.com/images/posts_thumbs_site_id/1651/165083-1439477361.w320.jpg "What Is Paul Good For? [Rethinking Salvation #3]")
2021-09-03 21:20
With so many crises and dire needs these days, I need to connect this good article to some of them. One in particular is the rancorous division we have in the US right now… with no si… Read More
2021-05-18 22:21
This “Eco Forum”, on every aspect of creating a ecological civilization for our survival and thriving, from poor to rich, is more than worth the time:
https://claremontecofor… Read More
2021-04-11 21:00
The descriptive subtitle of this delightful, practical book is “How to Grow a Spiritual Practice When Your Religion is Cracking Apart”. I’ve not read another book that ble… Read More
2021-03-10 23:27
I’ve added a concluding paragraph to my book review of the fascinating findings of the late psychologist, Michael Newton, found here. It includes thoughts on his methods and references… Read More
2020-06-13 17:45
I’ve recently posted a review of an important book for our highly divided times on my newer blog, SpiritualLifeQuest.com. I encourage you to click on the link below and read this short… Read More
2020-03-02 06:40
Many people see either religion/faith in all its forms as anti-science. Many others see the opposite… science is out to kill religion. There is some truth in both these perspectives… Read More
2020-01-12 16:11
I find it difficult to adequately promote my own work. Well, one new thing for my New Year is working on changing that. But enough on my own “issues”….
The work I&rsqu&hell…Read More
2019-12-24 19:45
At Christmas time, we’re reminded of the perpetual human hope of “peace on earth” and goodwill toward one another.
Toward this, one thing we need to keep in line, within… Read More
2019-09-30 20:23
The Universal Christ is subtitled How a Forgotten Reality can Change Everything We See, Hope for, and Believe. Both title and subtitle are strongly descriptive of the book. It deals wi… Read More
2019-07-11 21:10
Almost everyone is aware of the reality of a rapidly changing climate… the damage it’s already done and the serious threat it carries for our future. A strong majority als… Read More
2019-02-09 18:56
I’ve written recently about climate change and theology, here. I am following that up today and will do so further in days to come. Along with scientists, politi… Read More
2019-01-23 19:50
What an incredible book! It deserves an in-depth review to bring out some of its brilliance. Brilliance in the dual sense of light and insight, or enlightenment of mind and spirit.
I can… Read More
2018-10-12 16:32
The United Nations released a new and alarming study a few days ago on the rate and effects of climate change. It came with several calls-to-action. Scientists want us all to tak… Read More
2018-09-29 18:08
Destiny of Souls: New Case Studies of Life Between Lives by Dr. Michael Newton is no longer “new”, in terms of date, published in 2000. But…
… it is… Read More
2018-08-27 20:17
This post is being prompted by my reading of a review of a new translation of the Hebrew Scriptures (more often called “Old Testament” by Christians), by Dr. Phillip Long, found… Read More
2018-06-22 20:13
If you’ve been a Christian for a good while or if you are not a Christian, let me emphasize something about my title above: it does not refer to feuds between Jews and Christians but t… Read More
2018-05-15 15:19
The Hardness of the Heart is an interesting form of autobiography covering a portion of Wade Fransson’s life. It is the second volume of a trilogy which focuses primarily on his… Read More
2018-04-26 19:18
The Gospel of Judas is no longer “new” and is out of the news coming from the popular press. However, it retains a place of importance, if we keep it in right context.
As r… Read More
2018-03-27 19:27
I’m re-posting what I put up just before Easter last year. It has a couple links to articles that are still live and the articles pertinent.
I didn’t comment on the photo attache… Read More
2018-03-21 19:58
This post from two years ago takes us from the past century of Christian faith to its first century. This last century was highlighted early by the now-largely-forgotten but then-great… Read More
2018-02-01 23:16
Author David Auten starts this delightful short book with important context for his readers who are Jesus-followers, “…emptiness lies at the heart of Jesus — who he is and… Read More
2018-01-20 19:36
I’m not saying Rev. Graham caused or has even led the “pretzelization” of Evangelicals’ integrity. Nor that integrity has disappeared completely in every qu… Read More
2018-01-11 18:51
Below is a post I put up when President Trump was pulling the US out of the Paris Climate Accord in 2017. It has never lost pertinence, but especially now that he has signaled possible rethi… Read More
2018-01-09 18:17
I’m a formerly “card holding” Evangelical…. Many years since I became “progressive” I still pay close attention and tend to relationships with family and… Read More
2017-12-29 22:06
All I’m going to do in this post is link to what I had written shortly after Trump’s election to the presidency, with this brief intro: Now, almost a year into Trump’s pres… Read More
2017-12-28 18:16
You may be aware that depth psychologist, Carl Jung, brought a lot of attention to what he called “synchronicities” (and Christians often call “God things”). I noted… Read More
2017-12-14 23:15
This is an important and fascinating book. I just discovered it recently though published in 2009. Something sucked me into it. Perhaps my decades-long interest in the relation between scien… Read More
2017-11-28 18:46
Don’t trip over the title. Counter-Imperial Churching for a Planetary Gospel is a very important book. Author Timothy Murphy is aware that it is aimed at a relatively small audie… Read More
2017-07-07 18:41
In case you’ve not heard the recent news on stolen and smuggled ancient artifacts here it is: Hobby Lobby and its CEO, Steven Green, have just reached a settlement over having purchase… Read More
2017-07-01 21:30
No, Trump’s voters don’t need to wait until 2020 to effectively “undo” their misguided votes. All they need to do is look more closely at what is happening and make i… Read More
2017-06-25 16:46
Here is a reflection on the development of my mental life after high school, shared with my classmates at our 50-year reunion from our June, 1967 graduation.
There are a couple insider refer… Read More
2017-06-02 14:20
For those who follow Jesus in one manner or another, did he say anything about climate change? Well, maybe…
Ever heard (or maybe sung, as a kid) “The wise man built his house up… Read More
2017-05-15 16:32
If you follow this blog, or just from its title, you know it’s mostly about issues of the human spirit. But it’s impossible to separate spiritual issues from governance and… Read More
2017-05-07 14:51
What do we know about how Christianity got started? Not much, actually.
We really only have Luke to go on, in his second book. St. Paul makes a few statements about early beliefs but g… Read More
2017-04-28 21:20
We have a lot of dramatic and culture-creating stories from the life of Jesus and early Christianity. But we have very little established history.
Of course a great many people, both Christi… Read More
2017-04-25 18:55
Did you finish figuring out what you were best suited to do before more-or-less locking into a career or type of job? Did you complete the process of learning the job options in your preferr… Read More
2017-04-22 22:37
Today I hope you’re at least hearing and seeing a lot about “Marches for Science” and other commemorations of Earth Day. Better yet, have participated in one, which I… Read More
2017-04-19 22:25
I’m much less “orthodox” or traditional in Christian belief than Christianity Today magazine, considering myself a simple Jesus-follower with more universal views. &nb&hell…Read More
2017-04-15 21:51
Did you ever wonder why it’s “news” that the Pope celebrated Mass on Easter Sunday? Or that Christians all over the world were commemorating Jesus’ Resurrection? Oh… Read More
2017-04-11 22:23
I’m a progressive Christian. Not a Catholic. But I like a number of things about Pope Francis. His stand on preserving the earth (so our children and grandchildren survive). &nbs&hell…Read More
2017-04-08 17:49
Would a California Nation be “solid as a rock”, like the massive granite, Half Dome? (In Yosemite, California, as pictured.) I happen to think it would. I gave a few… Read More
2017-04-07 20:46
This brief article offers some interesting and important facts about the religious environment of the Roman territories, outside of Israel, in which Christianity saw most of its early growth… Read More
2017-04-04 15:46
Let me be clear right off: This 2-post series is mostly whimsical. I’m going to indulge my imaginative side. But I’ll interweave some fascinating California (my home state)… Read More
2017-02-23 21:25
Yes, theologians can be more action-oriented people than you may think! Especially ones that would gather at a place like Claremont….
Claremont School of Theology, that is. Inte… Read More
2017-02-11 17:34
Character matters. Emotional maturity matters. Especially in a person who runs a country!! I could go on with a number of widely accepted ideas which were discounted in our 2016 presidential… Read More
2016-12-31 19:43
It is the emphatic belief of many of us “progressive”, “apostate”, “heretical” (etc.) Jesus-followers that Jesus’ birth was important. Fo… Read More
2016-11-30 22:59
Do you think Christians, from progressive to conservative, should actively fight hate/fear with love/peace? Do they (or we) have an important role in discernment and preparedness to do so, a… Read More
2016-11-25 16:37
Why write an article about something as abstract as thinking? Not the stuff of grabbing attention, right?
Yes, and that’s the point!
We’ve become more and more “victims&rdq&hell…Read More
2016-11-23 19:38
Wow… I wish I could get across the feel of the Interfaith Thanksgiving Service I attended last night. It was a broadly interfaith service truly focused on giving thanks. … Read More
2016-11-14 06:02
Even many of Trumps’ supporters are quick to admit his serious flaws in a number of areas. But if they’d been well attuned to this one, they might not have been so ready to… Read More
2016-11-12 19:20
We have calls-to-action aplenty, in just the fourth day after our stunning election. This is good in itself. But we need well-advised action. Planned and coordinat… Read More
2016-11-03 21:45
This is about as clear and compelling an explanation of Jesus’ core message of an alternative “kingdom” based on love and forgiveness, non-retaliation, as you will find. It… Read More
2016-11-01 21:32
I’m using “Sunday” both as referring to the actual day and more broadly to Christian faith in America. The main issue I’ll discuss briefly here, within that vas… Read More
2016-10-28 20:18
Are you alarmed? Almost everyone is! We’re alarmed (rightly, I think) at how incredibly polarized America has become. It’s cultural as well as political… the two are… Read More
2016-10-19 22:14
Everyone should know at least something of this place. Theology, public policy and history nerds particularly. Something is happening in Bad Boll that should be paid attention to!
For s… Read More
2016-09-22 20:05
Pew Research already confirmed what most of us suspected: There seems to be a strong connection between being religiously and politically conservative.
I wrote an article on it, referen… Read More
2016-09-17 18:07
Are you taking a particular spiritual direction in life? Whether or not you’re involved formally in any religion?
In the book I’ve just released on Amazon Kindle as an ebook, fou… Read More
2016-09-16 16:16
Ever curious about how and why we come to see and believe things differently over time? How sometimes we seem stuck and occasionally we have a massive shift?
My just-released ebook on the p… Read More
2016-09-14 16:56
I’ve updated the earlier version of this ebook slightly and made it available on Amazon!
It is available there now, and starting tomorrow, Sept. 15, it will be available for free down… Read More
2016-08-23 21:21
A surface glance at news about religion in America could lead one either direction: more fervency and commitment or less. An interesting article on this issue was posted today on the … Read More
2016-07-14 22:39
I just don’t get it! Well, sort of, but not really. See, I was an Evangelical for all my childhood and many adult years. So I realize how strong the Republican ties a… Read More
2016-06-30 17:46
Wow! What an accomplishment Jesus’ Abba is! Not just a summation of the life-work of a great 90 year-old theologian. It’s also a guide for devoted, activist Christians, and… Read More
2016-06-14 21:27
The beginning of this series dealt with a great modern battle. The typical supernaturalism of Western religion clashes with the pure naturalism of much of science and secular culture… Read More
2016-05-28 18:34
As usual, psychologist and social/religious critic (and former Evangelical), Valerie Tarico expresses the problems with conservative Christianity in its views of sex and sexuality with grea… Read More
2016-05-15 05:45
Although I’ve studied the Bible a whole lot, I’ve been among those guilty of largely ignoring the book of Revelation. That’s at least partly because it is so enigmatic for… Read More
2016-05-10 21:07
“What in the world does ‘apostolic authority’ have to do with me today?”
The concept still impacts us all… nearly 2000 years since its inception. We last cover… Read More
2016-05-04 18:31
My observation is that we accept even ancient authority via a long chain of regress. Without usually noting the steps, we see now what numerous people “authorized” us to se… Read More
2016-04-30 20:35
Called to Resist Bigotry —
A Statement of Faithful Obedience
Rev. Jim Wallis is joined by a strong group of religious leaders in taking a public stand to oppose the candidacy of Donald… Read More
2016-04-14 17:16
The Fall of Jerusalem and the Christian Church is still a fascinating and important book! It was written over 60 years ago (1951; 2nd edition, reviewed here, 1957). Some of its k… Read More
2016-04-05 21:00
Conflict gets our attention! It’s proven over and over. A current example is American media jumping on every thrust and parry of our presidential primary race. They, spurred on b… Read More
2016-03-24 20:56
The Pew Research Center has just released interesting data about women and men in their devotion to religion.
The article here includes some global graphics. Perhaps not surprisin… Read More
2016-03-21 21:49
In parts 1 – 3, we’ve taken a high altitude look at the often-warring “ways to truth” of supernaturalism and naturalism. These are represented mainly by traditi… Read More
2016-03-16 17:36
In parts 1 and 2 of “Grand Scale Culture Wars” we looked at the development of two opposing views of reality: the naturalism of science and the supernaturalism of most of religio… Read More
2016-03-10 23:24
In Part One of Grand Scale Culture Wars, I laid out how American/Western culture has developed serious battle lines in a big-picture “paradigm war”. This battle of w… Read More
2016-03-08 17:11
Issues of culture that are battled over bitterly come and go. Society evolves. Conservatism slows but can’t stop it. It’s “all good”. (… Read More
2016-02-26 17:57
Or conservative on religion = conservative on politics? Pew study shows high correlation.
It’s probably not surprising to most observers… the larger and particularly conservativ… Read More
2016-02-18 21:53
O.k., Darwin’s birthday, at 207 years, is not exactly a round number this year. But Pew Research used it as occasion to release interesting survey results for who believes what i… Read More
2016-02-03 19:38
I found myself compelled to respond to a comment on another blog discussing Progressive Christianity… whether or not it is dying (and should at least be pronounced terminal).
The… Read More
2016-01-28 23:33
Lest any of us get complacent, thinking we understand people’s real priorities when it comes to faith in relation to politics, here’s some more news that we don’t (at least… Read More
2016-01-23 20:33
First, this is not intended as a “book review”. Just a response to some aspects of the message of the book. I noticed that on Amazon there are over 8000 reviews. &nbs&hell…Read More
2016-01-21 22:45
What are we to make of this? A new Pew Research finding is that in recent years, a growing percentage of Americans regularly experience feelings of “spiritual peace and well-being&rdqu&hell…Read More
2015-09-21 19:48
I like to occasionally post something really big-picture and positive…. hopefully uplifting and stimulating. After I wrote a reply on the fascinating blog, The Evangelical Liber… Read More
2015-08-27 21:44
This article is important… very well put. Good clarification for people who are not themselves literalists (i.e., ideologically driven). True “literalists” (ideologues) wi… Read More
2015-08-22 22:46
I can’t believe I did that! I guess I never got back to answering the question I posed before attending the “Seizing an Alternative: Toward an Ecological Civilization” conf… Read More
2015-06-10 14:17
This article is thoughtful even if provocative to some. Holly expresses what I know is the experience of many. My own has many parallels. I’m one (of quite a few) who DID choose to… Read More
2015-06-08 22:53
Is there a form of spirituality or a religion that is uncaring about the earth… the quality of its air, water, conditions of health for all?
I think all such systems do care… Read More
2015-05-28 21:14
What are the real reasons people are abandoning Mainline churches but not Evangelical ones? How are Americans likely to respond to a rapid increase in the number of Muslims here?
These… Read More
2015-05-22 18:14
I’m about to finish Jesus Against Christianity: Reclaiming the Missing Jesus by Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer. Incredible book! (More coming on that later.) His central point about the no… Read More
2015-05-17 21:55
Have you heard of “Seizing an Alternative: Toward an Ecological Civilization”, a conference, June 4-7, in Pomona, CA? If not, I think you’ll want to at least know about it… Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
What a wonderful experience I had at TransFORM 2014, just this past week-end (March 27-30)! I think most or all other attendees would say the same… at least those I was around near or… Read More
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