By Molly T. Marshall What makes possible a visionary such as Martin Luther King Jr.? What sustains the hope of an Aung San Suu Kyi, a Mahatma Gandhi or a Marian Wright Edelman? They envision a different world and then…
Gaining theological heft
By Molly T. Marshall This time of year is a “come to Jesus” season for many of us as we assess our need for better health, which usually includes weight loss for the more sedentary among us. We weigh hopes…
Overtaken by joy
By Molly T. Marshall It has been a cruel year, and we all struggle to make sense of the realities of our times. “Living in our own time, wisely” is a key spiritual practice, in the words of Diana Butler…
Why not a ‘pray-in?’
By Molly T. Marshall Follow Molly on Twitter @cbtskansas On the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr. receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, members of different faith communities gathered early at an urban church to pray and converse about the strained…
Respecting the lived religion of others
By Molly T. Marshall Religious pluralism is the reality of our time; indeed, the world has always contained persons of widely varied religious experience. Because of differing historical and geographical circumstances, people have found different pathways to express their deepest…
We believe in the communion of saints
By Molly T. Marshall A cluster of important days crowds the liturgical calendar in late October and early November. We will celebrate All Hallows Eve, All Saints and All Souls during this week, and it is a good time to…
Seeking the welfare of the city
By Molly T. Marshall As a child, New York City seemed to be “the uttermost parts of the world.” Textbook pictures of the Empire State Building, Times Square, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty confirmed how important and busy…
The mystery of ordination
By Molly T. Marshall This past Sunday evening I participated in an ordination service for three graduates of our seminary, two women and one man. None was a twenty-something; all had been serving for years in their home church, Metropolitan…
Fearing the ‘other’
By Molly T. Marshall My responsibilities as a seminary president require that I spend an inordinate amount of time in airports and on planes. These venues offer a stimulating opportunity to view humanity in all its richly hued diversity. I…
New wine for the Baptists
By Molly T. Marshall Our attitudes about new things are radically disparate. Some of us love new cars, new shoes, new books, new technology, but get really fearful when we consider new expressions of worship, gathered community, organizational structure and,…
Learning from Mary
By Molly T. Marshall Baptists, and Protestants in general, have not known what to do with the Catholic preoccupation with Mary. We just do not get the nuances of the Immaculate Conception (different from the virginal conception of Jesus) and…
A Buddhist, a Jew and a Christian walk into a room …
By Molly T. Marshall This sounds like the beginning of a bad joke! Variations of the rabbi, priest and pastor combinations usually serve to show perspectival bias and good humor about discrete traditions, especially in the way they are caricatured….