Often, people don’t recognize how multifaceted the answers are to “what is religion?,” “what are the sources of theologies,” “what are the components of theologies?” Talking about Christianity, the Bible is often seen as the theological source. By recognizing how the associated histories and theologies, as well as how the Bible is far from the onlyContinue reading “Notes on: What is Religion?”
Tag Archives: theology
Very Brief Thoughts: Easter and Theology
Think how much different (and more powerful) Christian celebrations of Easter would be if mainstream theology embraced all aspects of this ritual. This ritual—partially and selectively and without historicism—celebrates and mourns a person-deity, while manifesting erasure when it comes to the poor, unwanted, immigrant, and Black status of this person-deity, erasure manifested from and perpetuatedContinue reading “Very Brief Thoughts: Easter and Theology”
A few thoughts about Christmas songs, the related theologies, and traditions.
A powerful lesson happens when we have understandings of the past informed by evidence: the realization that most things considered “traditional” or as having lasted forever are actually new developments–often in the past century, sometimes in the past decade or two. Of course, this doesn’t detract from the power associated with the mores and ritualsContinue reading “A few thoughts about Christmas songs, the related theologies, and traditions.”
Book Review–“The Rise of the Nones: Understanding and Reaching the Religiously Unaffiliated”
I read James Emery White’s The Rise of the Nones: Understanding and Reaching the Religiously Unaffiliated (2014) this morning in preparation for a new specific topics course I am teaching this spring–Atheists, Other “Heathens,” and 20th C. United States. White writes from the perspective of a long time pastor and a follower of Protestant Christian theology and forContinue reading “Book Review–“The Rise of the Nones: Understanding and Reaching the Religiously Unaffiliated””
Bachmann: Archeology Proves the Bible is True
GOP politician Michele Bachmann recently commented: …You know the remarkable thing–when you read the Bible, every archeology find that’s ever come forward has only proved the authenticity of the Bible… Such a statement is both interesting and very problematic because Bachmann’s words are false, and because correctness is found much more in the exact opposite. ThatContinue reading “Bachmann: Archeology Proves the Bible is True”
On Being Hated: Politicians, Ethics, and Affect
Sometimes I wonder how politicians like Donald Trump and Ted Cruz must feel knowing that millions of people hate them or dislike them to extreme degrees because of their blatantly hypocritical and inhumane behavior and rhetoric. Anyone who understands how the world actually works–understandings informed by biology, history, psychology, and sociology–is appalled by their behavior. PoliticsContinue reading “On Being Hated: Politicians, Ethics, and Affect”
What a Month (Part II) and Hurricane Harvey: Communications, Floods, Guns, Prayers, and Volunteers
When I posted a blog a few days ago titled, “What a Month!,” I had no clue Hurricane Harvey would pound Houston for days and days, and in the process, it would destroy and upend so many friends and students and the city that I love. It has been a few very wild days. InContinue reading “What a Month (Part II) and Hurricane Harvey: Communications, Floods, Guns, Prayers, and Volunteers”
Culture, Culture, and Culture – Things On My Mind Series, #6
The Brady Bunch contributes to the erasure of women of Color. According to the overwhelming majority of historical evidence, in real life situations, “Alice” (Ann B. Davis) would have been Black or, given its setting in California, Mexican, Chinese, or Japanese. Alice effectively erases important issues of sex, race, and class and the related intersectionalities andContinue reading “Culture, Culture, and Culture – Things On My Mind Series, #6”
Dr. Andrew Joseph Pegoda 