Editor's (admin's) note. When I shared this on Facebook, I introduced the link with this headnote: "New post to my spirituality blog. In which I'm reminded: (2) We're complicated; (2) Pope Francis' remark about saints and sinners sounds like Luther; and (3) it's always a good idea to look for 'both-and' dialog and reconcile differences." … Continue reading Saints, sinners (an echo of Luther’s simul justus et peccator?), politics and ‘both-and’ dialog in Pope Francis’ interview
Finns re-examine Luther on justification by faith, the indwelling of Christ and other theological headaches
Luther, second from right in back row, and theologians, 1557 woodcut (Wikimedia) A couple of weeks ago, I noticed an item on the Patheos website by Ted Peters, emeritus professor of systematic theology and ethics at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary and the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. I like to check him out from time to … Continue reading Finns re-examine Luther on justification by faith, the indwelling of Christ and other theological headaches
An interfaith ‘aha! moment’: Reading John Wesley’s journal on the love of God and Luther’s theology of justification by grace
O wad some Power the giftie gie usTo see oursels as ithers see us!-- Robert Burns ("To a Louse") Some people have spiritual "aha! moments" at retreats or in the presence of God at the seashore or on a mountaintop. And some of us, I guess, are fated to have our moments of clarity while … Continue reading An interfaith ‘aha! moment’: Reading John Wesley’s journal on the love of God and Luther’s theology of justification by grace
A Franciscan take on the presence of God in all of God’s creation — including brother wolf … and all of us
Second of two posts looking ahead to the new liturgical year and making new (church) year's resolutions. For the earlier post, link HERE. Mural of St. Francis, Creative Commons Prayer. Photo Jim McIntosh (CC BY 2.0) Fr. Richard Rohr's daily meditation for Friday poses a theological question I want to work on in the coming … Continue reading A Franciscan take on the presence of God in all of God’s creation — including brother wolf … and all of us
Theologian N.T. Wright rethinks ‘multi-ethnic, polychrome, mutually supportive’ early church, justification by faith
"Century Marks," Christian Century, April 21, 2021, p. 8. We're still quarantining magazines as they come into the house, and when I was going through them last night, a billboarded pull quote from British theologian N.T. Wright in a back issue of Christian Century jumped up off the page, snuggled up to me and wanted … Continue reading Theologian N.T. Wright rethinks ‘multi-ethnic, polychrome, mutually supportive’ early church, justification by faith
An unfinished outline on a Finnish theologian: Mannermaa, theosis and Lutheran-Russian Orthodox dialog
NOTE: This is something about Luther's concept of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that I was working on last month, before I learned my proposal had been accepted for the Illinois History Conference sponsored by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum -- and my priorities changed! Now I have to crash my paper, … Continue reading An unfinished outline on a Finnish theologian: Mannermaa, theosis and Lutheran-Russian Orthodox dialog
Phillip Cary on Luther — sola scriptura with a twist of performance anxiety
Now here's a guy who's on my wavelength ... Phillip Cary, who teaches philosophy at Eastern University in St. Davids, Pa., has a book out with the somewhat daunting title The Meaning of Protestant Theology: Luther, Augustine, and the Gospel That Gives Us Christ. I hadn't heard of him before, but I saw a review … Continue reading Phillip Cary on Luther — sola scriptura with a twist of performance anxiety
Theology, shmeology: When is an answered prayer like a kick in the pants?
Picking up on a thread -- more like an internal dialog -- that started last month when I was reading a copy of James Hazelwood's new book, Everyday Spirituality, in the doctor's office. Hazelwood is the bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's New England Synod, and he had some interesting things to say … Continue reading Theology, shmeology: When is an answered prayer like a kick in the pants?
A Bonhoeffer moment and a barstool conversation between Luther, Bonhoeffer and a Finnish theologian — links and quotes for future reference
This article in Sojourners magazine -- "Is Today a Bonhoeffer Moment?" -- appeared last year in February, but I never got around to reading it. Then it popped up today on my Facebook timeline. I'm excerpting it and parking here for future reference. (Something I may want to keep in mind, also for future reference: … Continue reading A Bonhoeffer moment and a barstool conversation between Luther, Bonhoeffer and a Finnish theologian — links and quotes for future reference
Krister Stendahl — a Swedish theologian on salvation, eternal life and the ‘coughing [of] mosquitoes’
Normally I don't get my spiritual direction and theological tips from the New York Times, not even back in the day when I thought Sunday mornings were for curling up with the Week in Review section instead of going to church. But I was caught up short the other day when I was tracking down … Continue reading Krister Stendahl — a Swedish theologian on salvation, eternal life and the ‘coughing [of] mosquitoes’
Ordinary Time 