Stanley Hauerwas is “considered by many to be one of the world’s most influential living theologians” and was named “America’s Best Theologian” by Time magazine in 2001. He shares a humorous memory in his autobiography, Hannah’s Child: A Theologian’s Memoir: The…
To the mother who complained about Amanda Gorman’s poem
Dear Concerned Mother, You were astute to signal the potential problems the published poem, “The Hill We Climb” by Amanda Gorman, might cause for your own two children and other elementary school readers at Bob Graham Education Center in Miami…
Donald Trump is not the kind of star he thinks he is
Donald Trump did not appear at his trial in New York City, where he was accused of raping and defaming author E. Jean Carroll. He did testify under oath, however, in a deposition with Carroll’s lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, at Mar-a-Lago…
Marching to a different drumbeat
Many years ago, as a senior in college, I was a member of the cast of our school’s musical theater production of The Music Man. The show had been a sold-out success on Broadway for composer Meredith Willson, and the 1962…
Holy imagination
The 2001 song “I Can Only Imagine” was written by Bart Millard and recorded by the Christian band MercyMe. Based on an imaginary experience in heaven, the lyrics include: I can only imagine what it will be like When I…
Let’s show Christian kindness to LGBTQ people and their advocates
Several years ago, when I was a professor at a Baptist university, a student told me he had encouraged a gay Christian friend to come talk with me. He assured him I was compassionate, understanding and non-judgmental. It wasn’t long…
The one thing that unites the world’s religions
The world’s religions intrigue me. This fascination is a benefit of my having lived on the island of Java for a quarter century, immersed in a culture enriched by religious pluralism. My appreciation for religious difference also is tied to…
A world inside a world, spinning around
Poet Marnie Abrahams describes an incident from her childhood in a Southeast Asian country, where she spent some fun days with her family at “The American Club”: Pak Ohm taught us to swim, holding our breath and kicking every Tuesday…
Six reasons why the ‘family of God’ is more inclusive than we have thought
I remember when missionary colleagues, just returned from their home leave in Oklahoma, introduced the Bill and Gloria Gaither gospel hymn “The Family of God” to our gathered Baptist personnel in Indonesia. Over the years, the song became so deeply…