Writing about religion, psychology, politics, and other impolite dinner conversations
I have some seriously conflicted feelings about this whole weekend. I know I am not alone in this, either. For many people who have deconstructed and/or lost the faith they once had, major holidays like this can bring up a LOT of complicated feelings. We used to make a big deal out of Easter and Christmastimes, and now we don't really know what to do with it.
How does one learn to become an excellent preacher? And what does it mean to be an excellent preacher? These questions are ones pastors (and their congregations) want to discover answers for. Preaching is an art; one that takes time and a lot of practice to hone. Preaching also says a lot about the person … Continue reading Mentoring with Morgan: Book Review
You may or may not expect a book with the title of Idiot, Sojourning Soul: A Post-Secular Pilgrimage to be the type to make you both laugh out loud and have over 1,000 endnotes. But it is. Justin Rosolino combines tons of scholarly information with his spiritual journey and a heavy dose of wit to make for an informative read that keeps you intrigued: I was hooked by the first page.
The freeze response may occur in a religious context when people feel stuck or trapped in a harmful situation and they don't see viable options before them to get out or find safety. This could be anything from sexual, narcissistic, financial, or emotional abuse being perpetrated on church members, to simple faith deconstruction like questioning whether hell is real in a system where this is prohibited.
We have officially reached the anniversary of Covid being declared a pandemic. If, over the past year (or more) you have found yourself numb, detached, checked out, unmotivated, and in a word, frozen: then this post is for you.
Is there any other time in recent history when our culture has truly needed to be awake to death and allow ourselves to grieve, yet found ourselves so unable to do so? Christiana Peterson’s Awakened by Death: Life-Giving Lessons from the Mystics is prescient, published in 2020 but written pre-COVID. It is a much-needed voice for our time.
The response you probably didn't even know existed. Today we are going to talk about an often-overlooked trauma response that is near and dear to my heart: the Please / Appease response and how it shows up in religious and political climates.
Mark my words, people - one day we will refer to Tripp Fuller like we talk about famous theologians. In his most recent book Divine Self-Investment: An Open and Relational Constructive Christology, Fuller explores how we can find a new theological way forward between a Christian tradition that has often insisted on rules, dogma, and literalism, and a liberalizing culture that is becoming increasingly less concerned with religious tradition.
Anybody else raised in purity culture? You know, no sex before marriage, I Kissed Dating Goodbye, purity rings, really awful metaphors about how premarital sex degrades girls' value, belief that girls' bodies cause boys and men to stumble, etc... (*raises hand*). If you were raised in 90s and early 2000s evangelical culture like I was, you know it's a whole lifestyle. And often, a cause of much shame and trauma*.
Joe Biden is President. Kamala Harris is a historic Vice President. A 22-year-old poet stole all our hearts, and she referenced Micah and vines and fig trees like I did a couple weeks ago! When I grow up can I be her, please? Executive orders are being signed, an impeachment trial is being planned, all … Continue reading Ideologies of fear vs love
