Why can’t Israeli Jews and Palestinians peacefully co-exist? This question was posed in my last blog during my visit a few weeks ago to the Hebron Tomb of the Patriarchs (Cave of Machpelah). This question incorporates more than 3,000 years of complex Middle East history. Migrations, wars, and …
Machpelah
I returned to Austin late evening four days ago from a two-week tour of Israel and Jordan. My wife and I joined a Seminary-sponsored tour of the Holy Land. Named “The Friendship Tour,” it was a joint Jewish-Christian tour. The tour leaders were Rabbi Neal Blumofe, who teaches Old Testament and …
Balancing Telic and Atelic
It is ‘between’ times: Christmas has passed, and the New Year will begin in a few days. This is a pause period when I reflect on the past and plan for the upcoming year. Most people will look back on 2022 with mixed to negative feelings. The economy was a bust as inflation and the financial markets …
Humanities
I woke up this Saturday morning to a beautiful fall day in Austin. The morning was chilly after a cold front blew in yesterday. The wind blew hard from the north through overcast skies. It felt colder than the posted temperature. I walked briskly into the gym underdressed for the cold, but the …
The Social Teaching of the Christian Churches (Part VI)
I try to steer clear of controversial subjects and listen to all sides. I believe in unity rather than division, although the United States has increasingly become more politically, racially, and socially divisive during my lifetime. I am not proud of this trend and have prayed for it to cease — …
The Social Teaching of the Christian Churches (Part VI)Read More
The Social Teaching of the Christian Churches (Part V)
My wife and I bought several antique maps when we lived in Europe. Dealers purchased antique books which contained maps, then framed and sold these colorful maps as art pieces. Several antique maps hang in the study where I write. One is a hand-drawn map titled A New Mape of the XVII Provinces of …
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The Social Teaching of the Christian Churches (Part IV)
I took a seminary class in world religions that was taught by a Lutheran minister. He specialized in Islamic studies but was well versed in all major religions. What was most impactful to me was not the differences in religions but their many similarities. Most people focus on the key theological …
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The Social Teaching of the Christian Churches (Part III)
During three weeks in October, my church held their annual stewardship campaign. I have been a member of various mainline Protestant denominations and typically, prior to Advent, church leaders devote time to stewardship. The ministers read Scripture about money and preach about financial giving. A …
The Social Teaching of the Christian Churches (Part III)Read More
The Social Teaching of the Christian Churches (Part II)
In my Part I blog, the early Church’s primary focus was on the future coming of Christ. They cared little for building spiritual structures, developing ecclesiastic programs, or hiring church professionals. My source was Dr. Ernst Troeltsch’s (1865–1923) book The Social Teaching of the Christian …
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The Social Teaching of the Christian Churches – Part I
This past Sunday was All Saints’ Sunday, a day of reflection on the saints who have gone before us. When the names of the church members who died this past year were read and a candle lit in their remembrance, I fondly thought about three of the deceased that I knew. A hand bell sounded a somber …
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