Christianity
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Reflections on “Pastoral Ethics and Belief Baggage: A Critical Look at Animal Symbolism in Witchcraft” by Claire Ayelotan
Claire’s piece can be read here: https://practicaltheologyhub.com/?p=1298 Fear and the Desire for Control Why are our societies so obsessed with witchcraft? While I was reading Claire’s brilliant piece, I could not help but remember that we used the same Christian text – Pope Gregory IX’s papal bull Vox in Rama – regarding fear of black cats (but my piece was on another topic: https://practicaltheologyhub.com/?p=1268). Black cats and other animals are widely associated with magic and beyond natural (or supernatural) powers. Trying to answer the question, we all abhor death, disease, famine, poverty and not being able to get what we want [in Buddhist terms these are part of what is understood as…
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Can AI sin?
Can AI sin? The obvious answer would be no; it might be created in the image of humanity, but it is not a human being. In my previous article[1] I discussed whether an avatar can be created bad. The conclusion was that the avatar itself was not bad, but it could be seen as bad, depending on the actions of the person they represent. However, if Artificial Intelligence is an entity, should it be treated differently in relation to the question of sin? Depending on our religious, or non-religious, background, our interpretation of what sin is may differ. Most would accept that sin is primarily an action against God, whether…
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Rape Culture in Pastoral Discourses: An Analysis of Women in the Evangelical Religious Context
Sexual violence against women, often legitimized by cultural and pastoral discourses, remains an alarming problem in Brazil. The concept of “rape culture” encompasses a set of beliefs, behaviors, and discourses that normalize and excuse sexual violence, often shifting blame onto those who experience it and protecting the aggressor, according to Judith Herman (1992). In the evangelical context, religious leaders play a unique role in shaping values and beliefs, influencing both individual behaviors and social structures. However, in certain cases, the language adopted by pastors not only reflects unequal gender norms, but also reinforces them, contributing to the perpetuation of a culture of female submission and violence. To understand this problem,…
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Rethinking Religious Engagement Through Worship: Airport Prayer Rooms as Sites of Secular Hospitality
Air travel is often accompanied by heightened emotions and elevated stress levels, arising from a range of challenges—from carefully managing check-in times and adhering to airline baggage allowances to the anxieties about confined spaces, turbulence, the potential impact of flight delays and cancellations, or more sinister imaginings of how flights might go wrong. In recognition of the diverse needs of travellers—whether of any faith or of none—many airports now provide a designated prayer or quiet room. It is my own practice, where time and circumstance permit, to make use of these rooms when passing through airports. I do so with a dual awareness: first of a personal concern—whether or not…
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Lamentation of Dehumanisation: Theological Resistance and the Sacredness of the Accused Child
Atlanta, Georgia “If there’s somebody out there like that has him, I just wish they knew that somebody here loves him; that a whole lot of people love him. This whole community loves him and they want him back, too.” Camille Bell.[1] On the 21st of October 1979, nine-year-old Yusuf Bell ran an errand for an elderly neighbour at a nearby grocery store. He never returned home to his mother, who called out for him. His body was later found in an abandoned school building eighteen days later.[2] His cause of death was classified as a brutal hit on his head and strangulation. Yusuf was one of the thirty African-American…
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“Surprise Theme!”: Canadian Christian Congregational Research
As I analyzed the interview transcripts, I soon realized that an unexpected theme was emerging. Most of the data collected fit nicely into the nodes that I had pre-determined by the semi-structured interview questions and the overall framework of the research project. However, something I wasn’t asking about repeatedly came up throughout the interviews. A surprise theme! The aim of the Divine Pulse Research Project is to “take the pulse” of the Canadian church. While other researchers look at church decline and new congregations, my calling is to explore “greatness” in Canadian Christian congregations. This is a qualitative research study exploring church growth through the lens of Jim Collins’ “Good to Great”…
