Review a book, get a book! Have you read something that has nurtured your faith and scholarship? ESN welcomes reviews of books from various fields of study and various genres. Our article, A Call For Reviews, includes guidelines for submitting reviews. We thank Duane Ebesu for this review that explores how religious values are connected with economic behavior. The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Economic Ethics, edited by Albino Barrera and Roy C. Amore is a learned investigation into the … [Read more...] about Book Review: The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Economic Ethics
Science Corner: Making Change
How does change happen? Fast, slow, locally, everywhere, smoothly or in leaps and bounds? Of course the answer can be all of the above, depending on the change and the circumstances. Still, it's a question that came to mind as I thought about advent this year. We are rehearsing the wait for one of the most profound changes the world has experienced. We have the benefit of knowing how long we will wait and what we are waiting for, and yet the nature of the change still has multiple facets to consider. … [Read more...] about Science Corner: Making Change
The Gift of Waiting
We are in a time of waiting in the church year. During Advent, we remember Israel’s waiting for a messiah and Mary’s waiting for the birth of Jesus. We also wait in hope for Christ's future return. I look forward to this season not only for its theological significance but also because waiting is a fundamental part of life. Waiting for the end of the semester. Waiting to hear about an article or book’s publication. Waiting for a job offer. Waiting to hear a diagnosis. Waiting for an upcoming … [Read more...] about The Gift of Waiting
What’s Your Story?
What story is driving your life today on this scholar’s journey? As humans, we are wired to make meaning and understand the world through narratives that connect the events, people, beliefs, and places in our lives. Neurobiology and neuropsychology confirm the physical reality of what we have known to be true. We are always living in and creating stories, whether we are aware of them or not. To know who we are as individuals and communities, we must know what story we are part of. Whether you are a graduate … [Read more...] about What’s Your Story?
Science Corner: Responding in Kind
"What a piece of work is a man" declares Hamlet, and indeed human beings are quite extraordinary. What other organism can organize 334 million individuals (or even 158 million) over 3.8 million square miles in a shared activity in service of an abstraction like democracy? In terms of sheer numbers, the closest would probably be an ant colony or a bacterial film, both of which can coordinate the activities of that many individuals, but via genetics and biochemistry. Only humans are socially engaged at such a scale … [Read more...] about Science Corner: Responding in Kind