A Thinking Reed

  • The need for cranks

    I meant to flag this interesting article from the New Republic last week: “The Usefulness of Cranks: Nature as a standpoint for social criticism.” It’s about, among other things, the tensions between forms of environmentalism that value nature for its own sake and the progressivist and humanist assumptions of liberalism. Mainstream environmentalism (as represented by…

  • Feminist conversion as a source of theological speech

    In part II of She Who Is, Elizabeth Johnson discusses the sources she’s going to use for her project of theological reconstruction, or as she puts it: “resources for emancipatory speech about God” (p. 61). These are women’s interpreted experience, the Bible, and classical theology. It’s hard not to be reminded of Hooker’s “three-legged stool”…

  • Tradition as a source for liberating speech about God

    Granted my theological reading is pretty spotty to begin with, but a particular hole I’ve been meaning to fill has been feminist theology. So, when I saw a copy of Elizabeth Johnson’s She Who Is at a local used bookstore I decided to pick it up–and I’m glad I did. Not only does Johnson make…

  • Friday Metal: French revolution edition

    First Gojira, now these guys. The French are really making a play for metal powerhouse on the world stage.

  • Hebblethwaite on natural and revealed morality

    In his book Christian Ethics in the Modern Age, British philosopher-theologian Brian Hebblethwaite offers a nice summary of what I tend to think of as the classic Christian understanding of the nature of ethics: Christians certainly believe that all goodness stems from God and reflects both God’s own nature and His will for man. But…

  • Derek Webb

    I don’t usually listen to contemporary Christian music (though I do have a soft spot for Jars of Clay), but I’ve been listening to some Derek Webb after being tipped off by a review of his new album at PopMatters. It’s pretty interesting stuff: an eclectic mix of electronica and pop at times a bit…

  • Conditional and unconditional vegans

    Here is an interesting post on veganism that distinguishes what I would call “conditional” vegans from “unconditional” vegans. The former group opposes the current system of factory farming, but would, hypothetically at least, eat animals raised “humanely” and sustainably. They don’t think, in other words, that it’s inherently wrong for humans to use animals, just…

  • Orangutan and dog make friends

    This is pretty great:

  • The Trinity as a model for human society?

    From Mark D. Chapman’s article, “The Social Doctrine of the Trinity: Some Problems“: In these various different discussions of the implications of the doctrine of the Trinity for life together in society, there is an implicit assumption that the picture of the relationships between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is able to function as…

  • Two episodes from Buffy season 7 seems a bit dicey…

    But, otherwise, this is an interesting list of the top 25 “Whedonverse” episodes (i.e., shows from creator Joss Whedon, including, inter alia, Buffy, Angel, and Firefly).