My wife is a certified pastoral counselor, so I sometimes get pulled in on CPE (Clinical Pastoral Training/Education) groups to lead a small training session. This weekend, I led one in Pastoral Theology. I utilize the definition for Pastoral Theology used by Margaret Whipp, in her book "SCM Guidebook: Pastoral Theology," PASTORAL THEOLOGY IS THE …
Category: Christian Ethics
Ethical Loyalties in the Church (by looking at the same in the military and police)
I was reading an interesting article entitled, "Why the US Military Usually Punishes Misconduct but Police Often Close Ranks." The article promotes the idea that while both the military and paramilitary (police) may cover-up crimes done by members, it is far more likely for the police to do this, and more likely that the military …
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The Murky Waters of Ministerial Restoration
I chose not to name names here, but as the stories/charges from my former school have multiplied since I first wrote this narrow somewhat even-handed post, I invite you to read more on your own... https://rightingamerica.net/rape-sexual-harassment-and-more-the-cedarville-stories-are-multiplying/?fbclid=IwAR3w4PvmDPtu5fcnddvHU_EtiR1P534Vdd3PsOu0NVUvx5ZfJlSsFNt5CUQ A Christian college I attended years ago has been in the news lately. It recently fired a professor (I …
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Holy and Unholy Cultures?? (Part 1)
Much like there have been times in church history where people have embraced the idea of "holy language" (Hebrew, Koine Greek, Latin, Middle English) there have been periods of time and places where a similar sanctification has been placed on culture. The Jerusalem Council struggled with this during the first century. Does a Greek have …
What Do We Do With All Them Pagan Holidays?
Okay. I am here to help. Social media gets pretty confusing around Halloween time. People are, again, saying how evil it is for Christians to celebrate the day. In a few weeks more articles will come out talking about how Pagan Christmas is, and then three months later the same for Easter. No one complains …
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Nostalgic Christianity and the Ambiguity of History
Over the years I have been fascinated by those Christians who regularly point back longingly to a time in history that they identify as ideal or idyllic--- especially from a Christian perspective. Some look back to the 1950s. Some look back to the early years of their own faith tradition (whatever period that may be) …
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Unfriendly Media as God’s Instrument
For years it was happening to THEM. THEY were in the spotlight, not US. But things change... and it is about time. For years the Catholic Church has taken a lot of hits for cases of priests taking sexual advantage of parishioners... especially (but not exclusively) young ones. I must be honest that I have …
Salvation as a Human Right? (pt 1 of 3)
I have been reading the essay, “Women Confronting State-Instigated Violence” by Darlene Marquez-Caramanzana. This is not normally the type of writing I would be reading, but it was part of a book that was gifted to me by Father Terry from Aglipay Central Theological Seminary. The book is a collection of essays and poems of …
Learning a New Term: “Symbolic Interactionism”
I have recently begun reading the book Participant Observation by James Spradley. I suppose I should have read it years ago... but better late than never. In Chapter One he references Herbert Blumer (1969) and his work Symbolic Interactionism. Three premises of this theory are (in my own wording) People act towards objects (nouns of …
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Religiopolitical Power
Sometimes things are funny in hindsight. Just about two years ago now, the campaign for the US presidential election was in full swing. Some people lobbied me to vote for one candidate or another. I have no problem with that. While I have never tried to convince someone to vote the way I do in …