Latest Articles
Who could change the story? (John 18:1-19:42)
No one is solely responsible. No one is innocent.
Restorative justice with Anselm
The satisfaction theory of atonement offers my incarcerated students something the substitution theory does not: a way to make amends and be restored.
Troubling the social order (John 13:1-17, 31b-35)
Jesus seems to encourage a kind of musical chairs, no one staying put for very long.
April 9, Easter Day (John 20:1-18)
In recent years, I’ve become somewhat of an Easter Grinch.
Princeton Seminary alumni, students aim to remove chairman for predatory prison business
Erich Kussman grew up breaking into homes in Plainfield, New Jersey, to steal food. His single mother was addicted to drugs....
What should churches do about the treatment of “the Jews” in John?
“Each of the typical approaches has problems. The best solution would be to change the lectionary.”
Palms, Passion, preachers—and pipes (Matthew 21:1-11; 26:14-27:66)
There is something about the wail of a bagpipe that seems especially appropriate this Sunday.
April 7, Good Friday (John 18:1-19:42)
Evil uses people’s anxieties, fears, and prejudices to twist good intentions into cruel deeds.
After school shooting, protests mount in Nashville
Monday’s shooting at The Covenant School, which left seven dead including the shooter, highlights a dual reality of life in Na...
April 6, Maundy Thursday (John 13:1-17, 31b-35)
Would Peter resist having his feet washed by another disciple?
Priyanka Kumar considers the birds
Her elegant memoir is packed with information on the animals and landscapes she observes—and the threats to their future.
Faith-based volunteers show up to help after Mississippi tornadoes
When volunteers show up after a disaster like this past weekend’s deadly tornadoes in Mississippi, some bring chainsaws, tarps...
'Purple church' pastors mull leadership strategies in polarizing times
Each Wednesday evening, a group of congregants from First Baptist Church of Mt....
In Search of Truth: Physics with Zeeya Merali (S2:E6)
“I went there originally to go and speak to him about his ideas for the origins of space and time, but in the back of my mind, I wanted to ask him about his practices meditating, just as an aside maybe.”
Back to basics with a Dutch Nazi resistor
K. H. Miskotte wrote a Karl Barth for Dummies in 1941. It offers a bracing challenge today.
The problem with artificial intelligence is us
As long as AI is trained on human behavior, it will tend to replicate our worst flaws.
Encouraged by donkeys
For almost 40 years they have done their plodding, gracious work on me and my vocation.
April 2, Palm Sunday A (Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29; Matthew 21:1-11)
In the Palm Sunday narrative, all the signs are there: something big is about to happen.
April 2, Passion Sunday A (Matthew 26:14-27:66)
The Passion reveals the many gods of my own making.