Image: Christ on Gethsemane, Jesus MAFA Isaiah 61:1-3b, 8 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of … [Read more...] about Finding Light in the Darkness: Reflections on Recent Decisions in Missouri and New York
justice
After Ferguson: Seeking Justice as the Semester Starts
Editor's Note: As we begin a new semester, ESN seeks to support Christian scholars seeking to act justly as teachers and researchers. Later in January, we plan to post a longer reflection by a friend of ESN who is giving deep thought to these issues. As the semester starts, ESN writer Katelin Hansen makes some reading and teaching suggestions. As we continue to process last year's heartbreaking news stories, Christians on academic campuses can play an important role in the ongoing process of lament and reform … [Read more...] about After Ferguson: Seeking Justice as the Semester Starts
Book Review: The Cross and Gendercide
The Cross and Gendercide: A Theological Response to Global Violence Against Women and Girls By Elizabeth Gerhardt My rating: 4 of 5 stars There is a war going on that knows no national borders or physical territories. It is a war that occurs in clinics, ritual ceremonies, sweatshops and brothels, college campuses and religious homes. It is a war against half of the planet's population. It is the war against women. One manifestation of this war is that there is not a woman I know who feels safe walking alone … [Read more...] about Book Review: The Cross and Gendercide
Book Review: Birmingham Revolution
Birmingham Revolution: Martin Luther King Jr.'s Epic Challenge to the Church By Edward Gilbreath My rating: 4 of 5 stars Solitary confinement in prison can be a shattering psychological experience, one often used to break the spirit of those imprisoned. For Martin Luther King, Jr., solitary confinement served not only to further forge the character of this civil rights leader, but resulted in one of the signature documents of the civil rights movement, indeed, one of the most important human rights … [Read more...] about Book Review: Birmingham Revolution
Fruitful, Faithful Presence in the Academy: Part II
In Part I, I explored what Alan G. Padgett, DPhil (Oxford) will share at the upcoming Midwest Faculty Conference: Fruitful, Faithful Presence: Living Theologically in the Midst of the Academy (Cedar Campus, MI, 6/22-28).* Although the conference (or what some have termed a Confamication**) will provide an opportunity for Padgett to develop his thoughts on Fruitful, Faithful Presence in the Academy, he has a significant amount of work in theology involving systematic theology, moral theology (ethics), and the … [Read more...] about Fruitful, Faithful Presence in the Academy: Part II