By Molly T. Marshall With relentless coverage, the world is caught up in the riveting images coming out of the Philippines. Our ever-warming world careens from one disaster to another, each described as of “epic proportion,” ostensibly meaning that they…
A feast of ‘splendid nobodies’
By Molly T. Marshall Each fall I teach a course titled “Spirituality and Creativity” with the entering cohort in our create program, a rather up-tempo form of the master of divinity. We meet at Conception Abbey, a hospitable Benedictine monastery…
Crafting a disciplined life
By Molly T. Marshall A recent book by Mason Currey on the daily rituals of artistic people has captured wide attention. He chronicles the patterns — some odd and eccentric — that empower creativity of writers, painters, inventors, musicians and…
Locating the church
By Molly T. Marshall Identifying the true markers that locate the church has been an ongoing debate since the early centuries of Christianity. Unity, holiness, catholicity and apostolicity were the classic marks distinguishing the new expression of the people of…
Weeping over violence
By Molly T. Marshall The most recent shooting in Washington, D.C., reached in to our seminary community. Early Monday morning I received a phone call from a treasured board member whose son was in the building adjacent to where the…
Gaining perspective from afar
By Molly T. Marshall Over the past two weeks, I have read of Miley’s shenanigans, the lawsuit on NFL concussions and the possibility that the U.S. might use military force in Syria — all from the perspective of the Bangkok…
Healthy disbelief
By Molly T. Marshall A rather heated exchange about the atonement theory of a hymn has ensued. Baptists and Presbyterians have weighed in on what the cross of Christ “satisfied,” the nature of divine wrath, and whether singing an objectionable…
Demanding a living wage
By Molly T. Marshall Fast-food workers in Kansas City have been marching, taking an “unofficial strike” from their jobs at Burger King, Wendy’s and McDonald’s, to name three of the worst offenders. Joining similar rallies all over the nation, they…
Longing for home
By Molly T. Marshall One cannot be in Israel very long without encountering significant conversation about “the right of return” – the privilege of any Jew in the world to come to the modern State of Israel and claim citizenship….