I wanted to share an important statement, issued on June 1, 2017, from the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, the Most Reverend Michael B. Curry. I also want to share a few things about Bishop Curry himself. Presiding Bishop’s Statement on President Donald Trump’s Action on the Paris Climate Accord With the announcement […]
In previous posts (Trinities; When Early Christians Revered a Female Deity; Trials and Tribulations of Translating Scripture 2; and The Feminine/Androgynous Jesus), we have dealt to some extent with Mary, the mother of Jesus (also known in Christian tradition as the Virgin Mary or the Mother of God). We have seen that, although there is […]
The devil, also referred to as Satan, is featured several times in the Great Litany of the Church, which is sometimes spoken or chanted during Lent. Are these references to Satan pertinent to us in our time? If so, in what way? Is the devil a real being with potential to do great harm or […]
In the Western Christian tradition, we are about to enter the season of Lent. This year, Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, takes place on March 1. Traditionally, Lent is the period of 40 days (excluding Sundays) leading up to Easter, when Christians fast, contemplate their sins, repent and ask for forgiveness. Lent (a […]
Our new President, Donald Trump, heard a number of inspiring readings during his Inauguration, as well as at the National Prayer Service the next day. It is hard to read body language, but for most of the time that I watched both events, I got the distinct feeling that he was bored. I hope I’m […]
It is probably safe to say that many if not most of us are familiar with classic detective Sherlock Holmes. His creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), actually was ambivalent about his creation, and here we will honor that sentiment and focus on an element of Doyle’s life that was much closer to his heart: […]
One year ago, I posted my first blog on WisdomWordsPPF.org! I thought I would provide a review of the topics and topic areas, to give new visitors a feel for what I have been covering and to help sporadic visitors to get caught up. (Note that there are overlaps in the following selections.) Posts on […]
What do Chicago, Clinton Township, Michigan, and Pembroke, Massachusetts have in common? They are all home to churches named for St. Thecla. Who was Thecla? The story of Thecla is found in the apocryphal book, The Acts of Paul and Thecla, written in the late second century. Church leader Tertullian, writing about 200 in de […]
The concept of God as Father resonates well with many religious Jews and Christians. The all-male Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Ghost/Holy Spirit – is so ingrained for Christians that our faith without it seems somehow heretical or false. In recent years, however, the idea of God as Father, for many people whose human […]
In Trials and Tribulations 1, we presented an overview of the history of the Bible and the various ancient manuscripts that scholars have used over the centuries to translate Biblical texts from the original languages into other languages. We noted that translating from ancient languages and incomplete manuscripts copied centuries later present challenges to translators […]