The “Spiritual but not Religious” Show
Log on to the “Spiritual but not Religious” Show as host George Lewis interviews Linda Mercadante about her spiritual memoir and research project. They also have a good chat on spirituality, religion, and mystical experience. Listen and post a comment.
- “The Spiritual but not Religious Show” interview with host George Lewis, Mar. 1, 2011 http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/13033144
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3 Comments
Peter Oakley
Hi Linda, really looking forward to your upcoming seminar at New Perspectives on Faith that’s taking place in Goshen, Indiana, Saturday October 1st. Would especially be interested in knowing what you mean by “Bad Theology Kills!” and how our spirit may be harmed by bad theology.
Part of the reason I’ve moved to the outskirts of mainstream Christianity is because I observe this faith tradition being used to justify and condone warfare and killing (W.Bush’s Iraq War comes to mind) – is this an example of bad theology at work?
Many in your audience at the New Perspectives seminar will be Mennonites who adhere to a belief in non-violence, a willingness to lay down our lives for others but in as much as possible not to kill other human beings, neither in God’s name or for the sake of our nation state. What do you make of that — good theology or bad?
– Pete O
LMercadante
Thanks for writing, Pete. Because all religious traditions are made up of human beings, you could use that reasoning to move to the outskirts of all religion. In fact, many people are doing just that. The problem is that there, on the outskirts, they meet the same problems, i.e., human beings! Yes, we all use “bad theology” – whether we call it that or not — to justify our own wrongdoing and blind ourselves to it. So, I’m afraid that leaving religion behind is actually riskier than staying in it and working for it to realize its best potentials, no matter what the tradition. Hope to see you in Goshen and continue the conversation.
Sandy Nixon
This workshop will continue the energetic discussion on spiritual formation that began at last year’s conference. Whether teaching an undergraduate course in spirituality or facilitating a spiritual formation program in a divinity school, teachers face recurring questions and critiques about the character of spirituality as an academic discipline. Does a course in spirituality stand on a par with other courses in the theological curriculum? Do personal questions, experiences, and practices belong in the classroom and to what degree? How does a teacher assess such material as part of the curriculum? What style of pedagogy weaves together the theoretical and analytic with the personal and experiential so as to foster transformation? Panelists will address these challenging issues and offer questions to prompt small group discussion.