tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36324072708530821472011-06-08T02:44:28.763-04:00a study group on comparative religious philosophyAllisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02450066578089008564noreply@blogger.comBlogger271100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632407270853082147.post-11060648429455026922008-07-23T01:43:00.004-04:002008-07-23T14:45:17.209-04:00

"Egypt is trying to break him."DelivererWe don't know, exactly, what Emma thought. Or Joseph. We see them in 1837 and 1838 elliptically, through the eyes and in the words of those around them, with the brief, rending exceptions of Joseph's cries from prison.But we know Joseph, or are coming to. We know that he wept on his father's chest after baptizing the broken old man, and that the soothing

matt bnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632407270853082147.post-35221074230467968962008-07-09T14:15:00.002-04:002008-07-09T14:17:04.793-04:00

“The waters never parted for him, not once.”-Marilynne Robinson, GileadFor Joseph, the waters did part, sometimes. But they crashed closed before him with some frequency as well. His frustrations, reversals, tragedies matched his outsized ambitions, and the dazzling light of revelation threw the painful shadows of God’s frequent absences and inscrutability into sharp relief.Joseph felt all

matt bnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632407270853082147.post-1870228021271107292008-06-25T23:37:00.003-04:002008-06-26T01:28:18.866-04:00

It's easy to forget, and also somewhat alarming, how young Joseph was. He was barely twenty-four when he founded his church; the same age when he stared down Hiram Page, and only a year older when, on merely the strength of a few dozen conversions, uprooted his family and followers to move somewhere he had never seen, and demanded the loyalty of men and women a decade and more older than

matt bnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632407270853082147.post-26590214007338618982008-06-17T21:47:00.006-04:002008-06-18T09:27:13.525-04:00

So, it's only taken me a week to get around to posting something about our first Rough Stone Rolling meeting, but I wanted to put something up for those who couldn't attend and possibly get some virtual conversation going.Since the details are all starting to get a little fuzzy, I'll just quickly mention two topics we spent some good time on (both of which were actually somewhat tangential to the

Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02450066578089008564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632407270853082147.post-54616070046932802242008-06-10T01:07:00.007-04:002008-06-26T01:25:34.082-04:00

The sociologist Peter Berger has posited that human beings are born incomplete. To function in the world, to gain the things we need, we must participate in the creation of a social reality: a set of relationships, of explanations, of norms, of, more than anything else, meanings. These things give us the tools with which to interact with each other and to justify our ways of living. The

matt bnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632407270853082147.post-64960293850979480602008-05-28T12:37:00.000-04:002008-05-28T12:38:16.133-04:00

Start with the title. I am like a huge, rough stone rolling down from a high mountain; and the only polishing I get is when some corner gets rubbed off by coming in contact with something else, striking with accelerated force against religious bigotry, priestcraft, lawyer-craft, doctor-craft, lying editors, suborned judges and jurors, and the authority of perjured

matt bnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632407270853082147.post-59442016659255454532007-12-02T22:52:00.000-05:002007-12-02T23:03:55.830-05:00

So perhaps a few quick things for everyone to ponder before meeting on weds.1.) Why the Broncos can not beat the Raiders and why the BCS is so messed up this year.2.) For the individual, what do things like turn the other cheek and blessing them that curse you mean? 3.) In focusing on the Sermon on the Mount, was the sermon meant for individual or collective obedience? Does the state have a

mcoopernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632407270853082147.post-7115306315234971242007-12-01T00:13:00.000-05:002007-12-01T00:31:37.601-05:00

So a friend and I were talking tonight about the idea of unforgiveable sins in Christianity. According to conventional Christianity there are certain sins that can not be forgiven whic begs the questions, does the atonement of Christ not cover these sins? So if the atonement does not cover these sins, then is it because Christ was not capable to pay the price for these sins? Or if the atonment

mcoopernoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632407270853082147.post-89471037115938805142007-11-23T21:57:00.000-05:002007-11-23T22:22:14.691-05:00

So I just read Pres. Hinckley's talk on War and Peace at the 2003 General Conference. The link to it is here:http://www.lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-353-27,00.htmlGiven we are reading Tolstoy's thoughts on violence I wanted to perhaps make a few comments on Pres. Hinckley's speech.In his speech Pres. Hinckley noted the need to defend freedom and the atrocities that are synonomus

mcoopernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632407270853082147.post-86950836779124960512007-11-22T06:05:00.000-05:002007-11-22T06:33:58.809-05:00

Happy Festivus everyone!Tolstoy is obviously a Christian and has derives his doctrine of good works from his Christian theology. But does Tolstoy ever show how a Christine doctrine ever prevent a good work? Is it possible or just for a religious belief or doctrine to prevent a follower from doing a good work? If it is possible should the doctrine change or the good work left un-done?An example

mcoopernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632407270853082147.post-90136535666917541922007-11-09T19:21:00.000-05:002007-11-09T21:57:47.018-05:00

First off, great discussion the other night. The size and make up of the group is great. Everyone ad great comments and thanks to Allison for hosting and thansk to everyone who brought the eats, my belly thanks you.Now on to Tolstoy.I hope none of you mind but Tolstoy was my suggestion and I as hoping to give a little background on why I picked the book. It gets a little or very repetitive bu

mcoopernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632407270853082147.post-42134380295107187182007-10-28T23:45:00.000-04:002007-10-29T00:16:46.352-04:00

So the Rockies lost the World Series and I blame all of you for not praying hard enough. I expect a cake from each of you in penence.I was listening to Guerilla Radio today, if you get the chance they do a podcast that is alot of fun, and I started thinking about the power of God.So we know that evil things happen, hence God allows them to happen or does not have the capability to stop them from

mcoopernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632407270853082147.post-58733164659924833472007-10-26T12:54:00.000-04:002007-10-26T12:57:33.204-04:00

Hey, folks - if you're still looking for something to do Halloween night, some folks from Langley and I are putting together a trip to the Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse to see the greatest movie ever made. I speak, of course, of the 2004 British masterpiece Shaun of the Dead, which both perfects and transcends the honorable timetested genres of romantic comedy and apocalyptic zombie thriller,

matt bnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632407270853082147.post-76216770792462846632007-10-22T20:06:00.000-04:002007-10-22T20:16:11.477-04:00

Something I was thinking about today and wanted to pose to the group.Every few years there is a national debate about the place of the Ten Commandments in U.S. government building or state houses. For example various federal or state judges have gone to court over the placing of copies of the Ten Commandments in the court in which they preside.My question is why the Ten Commandments, as it is no

mcoopernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632407270853082147.post-24549186997704867232007-10-20T09:22:00.000-04:002007-10-20T10:20:58.458-04:00

So there are alot of things to talk about with Miles so I guess it is just an issue where to begin. Some things I have noticed and please feel free to comment further on anyone or all or interject your own!1.) An overarching theme of God as incredibly human, possesing human emotions almost (or entirely) and reading this has given me new thoughts on the idea of all of us being created in God's

mcoopernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632407270853082147.post-31560817721798206642007-10-14T08:42:00.000-04:002007-10-14T08:52:40.834-04:00

Sorry I did not include this in the comment I just left on Miles but I am a big dumb animal and forgot. By the way, do we get an email when someone leaves a comment on a new post or we only get emailed when there is a new post? The comments are great because it seems the origianl post is the question and the comments are the attempts at answers.For anyone interested or if you have the time. I

mcoopernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632407270853082147.post-39754136134114760412007-10-11T14:08:00.000-04:002007-10-11T14:13:01.632-04:00

A successful inaugural meeting, I think. Apologies again for my misadventures with Pizza Hut; we could have started on time if not for that. Thanks again to Allison for the brownies and the table.Look forward to adding three or four more to our starting five. Next time: Jack Miles's God: A Biography; 7:30 PM on November 8. This is, happily, a Thursday.Miles will be an interesting

matt bnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632407270853082147.post-12499647734922615552007-09-30T16:45:00.000-04:002007-09-30T16:48:22.288-04:00

Well. We're scheduled for this Thursday. Same bat-time (that being 7:30), but what bat-place? The Sports Bar may be a bit loud. Does anybody have a burning preference for one locale over another? I live over in Falls Church, so I am less familiar with the Crystal City area. My first impulse might be the California Pizza Kitchen there across from the mall, for no real reason.Any other

matt bnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632407270853082147.post-60707734909053724732007-09-25T22:26:00.000-04:002007-09-25T22:46:53.574-04:00

So I started in on " A History of God" and I have to say that I am having alot of fun reading it. She is an outstnaind writer, it flow nice and it packed with potent material. A couple of thing I thought could kick start the discussion that Armstong has mentioned thus far:1.) The way Armstong talks about the "conflict", "evolution" and "history" of the interplay between el, elohim, pagain gods

mcoopernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632407270853082147.post-45033104558404550632007-09-22T08:05:00.000-04:002007-09-22T08:48:46.842-04:00

I promise I will do a post on the first reading this weekend but for now, I have a question I can't fully understand so I was hoping I might have some of your help in getting to the bottom of as it is an extremely fundamental question that in the end might be nothing more than semantics.So Christianity laregly claims itself as monothesitic, some say that the bible verse "gods and angels there are

mcoopernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632407270853082147.post-82779851007331836592007-09-17T19:52:00.000-04:002007-09-18T11:30:27.286-04:00

Welcome to the new folks.I went on a bit about Julian of Norwich, medieval English visionary, and her showings last Thursday. I mentioned that they might be available online. It is, here, in irritating frames or downloadable as a PDF. This particular translation (Julian wrote in Middle English; not quite Chaucer, but "Off the which, the first is of His prettious coroning with thornys; and

matt bnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632407270853082147.post-73265902601343045802007-09-17T02:21:00.000-04:002007-09-17T02:35:26.152-04:00

There’s a lot to respond to in the comments from the last post, so I took the liberty of making this a separate post. You can read about theodemocracy at http://www.bycommonconsent.com/2006/03/theodemocracy/As for the “marketplace” notion that I introduced, it seems like what you’re asking is how far and to which spheres of life it should be extended. I am personally open to pragmatic

John Headleynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632407270853082147.post-9499786767293563272007-09-16T00:11:00.001-04:002007-09-16T00:21:59.781-04:00

Not sure if anyone gets the Economist, but in this months issue there is a quick little article talking about the ability of Muslims to assimilate and openly practice their faith in both the U.S. and Europe. This has long been the discusion to have, and rightly so, since 9-11. Generally speaking, Europe has strict wall between church and state (i.e. the banning of veils, relgious symbols, etc.

mcoopernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632407270853082147.post-47636511206175940172007-09-15T22:27:00.000-04:002007-09-18T11:30:44.728-04:00

Karen Armstrong used to be a nun; now she's made a transition increasingly popular in the modern world: she's "spiritual, but not religious." There's something to this, but it strikes me as possible but certainly not the inevitable or necessary dichotomy that it's often held up to be.This book is a popular and fairly worthwhile introduction to the three monotheistic faiths, though it's useful to

matt bnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632407270853082147.post-83003736213577575452007-09-15T19:01:00.000-04:002007-09-15T21:44:23.556-04:00

You'll notice to the right a list of contributors to this blog. Please add a couple of details about yourself to you your profile (i.e., why you wanted to join this group) so we can get to know each other a little.When you create a new post, attach labels with the name of the book and the topic of your post. If the post is about administrative details, us the label "admin."Also, don't be alarmed

Allisonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632407270853082147.post-64591883137994825392007-09-14T17:34:00.000-04:002007-09-15T19:05:31.655-04:00

Thanks to Allison for creating this blog and I think this can be a big success. Let's all really start using it and get others to join in. One thing, the purpose of this entire project is to discover new insights into our own personal spirituality in relation to the spirituality of others who practice numerous different religions. So epecially with the blog, lets present arguments, pose

mcoopernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632407270853082147.post-56489183298309500552007-09-14T00:45:00.000-04:002007-09-15T19:05:36.115-04:00

Hi everyone, and welcome to the new blog! Thanks to Mike and Matt for starting up this group.At our first meeting, we decided to read one book every three weeks and meet to discuss it. Our first book will be A History of God by Karen Armstrong, and we'll meet on October 4 (time and place TBD). In the meantime, this blog is a forum sharing ideas about the book, links to relevant articles or

Allisonnoreply@blogger.com0