wonderful thoughts from the Pope, intellectually coherent and practically relevant and doable IMO
Weekly lessons in theology and public life • Since 2011
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Lesson 5: Forgiveness
Read MORE: Lesson 5: ForgivenessI am still amazed by what I learn when writing these studies. It’s hard to believe how much I missed in 86 years! For instance, last week, while pondering the Buddhist image of compassion as longing for oneness, it became…
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Lesson 4: Longing for Oneness
Read MORE: Lesson 4: Longing for OnenessBarbara inspired me to read John Phillip Newell, who writes about the need to reconnect with compassion in Rebirthing God, Christianity’s Struggle for New Beginnings. He echoes many of my friend’s concerns that we have a fossilized church that talks…
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Lesson 2: Compassion in the Bible
Read MORE: Lesson 2: Compassion in the BibleThe language scholars report there are a number of Hebrew words that can be translated as compassion, and beyond that, these same words are also expressed differently depending on the context. Often mercy is used, but also graciousness, healing, steadfast…
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Lesson 1: Compassion
Read MORE: Lesson 1: CompassionA lot of people have talked to me about the violence series. They are concerned about the acceptance of physical force and inflammatory language in our present society. At the same time, there was some uneasiness about seeing nonviolence as…
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Lesson 10: Nonviolent Revolution
Read MORE: Lesson 10: Nonviolent RevolutionA lot of us were hoping human civilization was finally getting violence under control. The civil rights movement staged a largely non-violent revolution under Martin Luther King in the US. Decolonization was achieved under Gandhi with little bloodshed in India.…
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Lesson 9: Guns
Read MORE: Lesson 9: GunsLet me report my personal experience with guns. I grew up in northern Pennsylvania, where there was a lot of hunting. I never heard anyone speak of a gun as a defense weapon until I went to divinity school. When…
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Lesson 8: Violent Language
Read MORE: Lesson 8: Violent LanguageIf faith assumes the transforming power of love, then the question becomes, “Where do we begin to overcome violence?” It’s not hard to know how Jesus answers. He always advises beginning with yourself. It’s also probably safe to think he…
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Lesson 7: Fatalism and Technology
Read MORE: Lesson 7: Fatalism and TechnologyI sensed a fatalism in response to the lessons on just war theory. There was a lot of “yes, but…” reactions, comments such as “I don’t think there is anything like a just war, but I am in no way…
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Lesson 6: Just War Theory (Part 2)
Read MORE: Lesson 6: Just War Theory (Part 2)Let me ask some questions that I think demonstrate the limitations of any just war theory in our time. 1) Many of the those who read last week’s lesson reported they did not believe there was anything like a just…
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Lesson 5: Just War Theory (Part 1)
Read MORE: Lesson 5: Just War Theory (Part 1)Christians have two options when it comes to war. They can either be strict pacifists, or they can espouse a just war theory. The latter is not that easy. Certainly, one of the most difficult ethical issues is drawing up…
Recent Comments
I absolutely love these ideas, especially paying attention to beauty and reducing your needs.
Fritz a wonderful lesson – and esp. reading has a flow I found encompassing. If only …….. yes we can…