I am humbly (yet unapologetically) religious. I am also secular & spiritual! Not ordained, not a scholar, but a devoted student of christian scripture and theology.
My threefold goal here is to share my thoughts, socialize with people, and hopefully make a few internet friends.
1/ Understanding the complexity of religion allows us to see potentials for allyship and community building we would otherwise miss. 80% of the world's population is religious, so for global movements to take shape and succeed requires us to account for that fact
2/ Instead of seeing religion as always reactionary, we can acknowledge that religion operates across the political spectrum. Historically, religion played a role in the Haitan slave revolution, the US civil rights movement and South American liberation theology
3/ Today, religion is far from uniformly reactionary — in the US for instance, the rise of Christian nationalism is being opposed by religious people and organisations who support LGBT rights and workers' struggle, through groups like the Institute for Christian Socialism
5/ The traumas and mental struggles caused by our present crises not only create individual misery, but also dampen participation in collective political movements. Spiritual practice however is very beneficial to mental health, and can help to break that loop
I really resonate with this article, especially this part: "I find that the problem of meaning in this void is often best addressed by a type of #pantheism, an embrace of that change. More than a former Christian, what I think of myself on some days as is an aspiring pagan."
I'm not wholly convinced of his argument, and hopefully I can write about why later this week, but on the whole it is excellent.
Why we need a new expression of the sacred: a #pagan#theology
I'm Martha, a white #queer#trans lady and a candidate for UU ministry. I hope to find and spread some #TransJoy and #QueerJoy while I'm here. :Blobhaj_Heart_Trans:
Why putin’s Public Acts Of #Religious Piety Make Him Even More Dangerous
#Geopolitical analysts who view russia as an unpredictable force tend to understand moscow’s actions in purely worldly, political terms. German Professor of #Theology Hubertus Lutterbach has uncovered a different message hidden in putin’s religiosity — an implicit threat to his neighbors and the world
Extract
Chosen by God to reign over a certain territory as a priest-king.
I'm still #writing independent scholarship on #theology and pop culture, and also lots of #fiction. Presently working out my own take on "dark heroic fantasy".
Christian ethics need to be tied to our eschatology.
Ask, is there any place for this behavior in the kingdom of God?
If the kingdom of God in its fullness - Christian eschatology, that is, the good world God dreams and destines for his creation when all is finally made right - excludes violence and shame-making and cruelty, then there is no place for violence and shame-making and cruelty in the bringing about of the Kingdom.
If it doesn't belong in the world as it shall be, it doesn't belong in the world as it is today.
Paul Kingsnorth of #DarkMountain has converted to Orthodox Christianity - after a life of being an atheist turned animist turned Zen Buddhist turned Wiccan priest, he was recently claimed by the Christian God in the same Earth-shattering way that we polytheists often describe being claimed by our Gods or Spirits to do Work. Here's his article on it:
Jordan Shapiro's #FREEPLAY is "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" for a new generation: part philosophy, part psychology, part spirituality, but ALL #VideoGames.
The more I engage non-polytheists (namely atheists, monotheists, and modern "spiritual but not religious" pantheists) on matters of #theology, the clearer it becomes to me that the way we discuss theism and Gods, even academically, has deep roots in #colonialism and #ChristianSupremacy. Think about who benefits from limiting the definition of "God".
Hi! I'm new here, even if I was active in an other instance before, so I thought it was a good time for writing an #introduction. So, here we go!
I'm Emmanuel Wald, trainee #pastor in a French united (#Lutheran and #Reformed) church. I serve in a parish of Alsace, the easternmost cultural region of metropolitan France. Before that I was teacher of religious culture in middle- and highschools. If you follow me, you'll probably see a lot of toots about #theology and theological POV on the society
I'm formerly gamerparent on twitter, the host of The Magic Hour Show #gaming#Podcast The kids are grown and off at uni so I'm rediscovering myself in the quiet.
I'm a musician, freelance recording engineer, and producer. I can edit video, and I write words too. I love film and TV.
I am in the middle of a soldering project to build my own modular #eurorack#synthesizer#diy I just started a blog collecting my thoughts and notes on the process.
I'm Joanna. You might have known me on twitter as joannamuses. I live in Melbourne on the lands of the Kulin Nation.
I work in banking deceased estates (which is a stressful and morbid way to make a living) but am interested in a bunch of other things. I'm obsessed with #eurovision, get a lot of joy out of trashy dance music and have been getting into #MusicalTheatre lately. I'm always interested in non-fiction #book recommendations. I post quite a bit about things happening in #Melbourne and love discussing what might make this place better. I'm an amateur #photographer, mostly of #architecture and cute animals (instagram links in bio). Long walks through Melbourne make me happy. I'm also currently trying to learn to speak #indonesian
Some other interests I probably won't post that much about but would be interested to follow discussions on are #christian#theology and spirituality, #linguistics and Indigenous history and culture.