Learning from Lucretius in the shadow of coronavirus
READING: Lines 78-58 from Book VI of the De Rerum Natura (The Nature of Things) by Lucretius trans. by David R. Slavitt (University of California Press, 2008, pp. 253-254) . . . But people / tend to revert under stress to their earlier superstitions and imagine cruel taskmasters, omnipotent beings we wretches / ought to fear and appease, […]
‘We are the Christians who move on’ or ‘Overcoming is worthy only when we think about incorporation’ — some thoughts on ‘God’, ‘verwindung’ and ‘überwindung’
READINGS 1 Corinthians 1:25 For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength. Tao Te Ching (from Ch. 78, trans. Addiss and Lombardo) Nothing in the world is soft and weak as water. But when attacking the hard and strong Nothing can conquer so easily. Weak overcomes strong, Soft overcomes […]
More thoughts about naps on boats and biblical counterblows to [neoliberal, capitalist] oppression
INTRODUCTION This address is in fact two addresses or, to be a bit accurate, there is a meta-address as well as the one obviously given below. The meta-address concerns the fact that, in liberal religious circles (the one I most often inhabit and in which this address was given) most of our time is spent pro-fanum, i. […]
A New Year’s (Decade’s) Resolution?—Be more like Jesus—Some lessons for Unitarian & Free Christians from the Marginal Mennonites and some Trappist Monks
Introduction to the reading I subscribe to a online group called “The Marginal Mennonite Society” — indeed, I consider myself to be a Marginal Mennonite because I find myself very much in agreement with the spirit of their public declaration. For your information and, I hope interest and enjoyment, we’ll read that in a moment. But, having […]
“It is no longer I who pursue philosophy, but rather repentance that thinks through me”—A meditation on an insight of Tanabe Hajime’s
Window in St Olaf’s Church, Wasdale Head READINGS: Psalm 121 (AV) I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that […]
Epiphany — Walking with the three Magians between doubtful maximal belief and total secular humanism
The Nativity Set in the Cambridge Unitarian Church INTRODUCTION In my Christmas Day address I explored with you the thought that when we read the nativity stories — and, today, the associated story of the visit of the Magians (see David Bentley Hart’s translation below)— we are not reading descriptions of actual events because thanks […]
Our gift of Life in context see, a pearl of Grace in Eternity—An address in preparation for the New Year 2020
Spinoza in a window of George’s Meeting House (Unitarian), Exeter READINGS Psalm 74:16-17 The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun. Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter. Night and Death (1828) by Joseph Blanco White (1775–1841) MYSTERIOUS Night! when our […]
Christmas Day Address 2019: The Source that Beckoned
‘The Nativity at Night’ (1490) by Geertgen tot Sint Jans READINGS: ‘Lines written a few miles above Tintern Abbey, on revisiting the banks of the Wye during a tour, 13 July 1798’ by William Wordsworth (this morning we began the service by hearing the first two stanzas). Luke 2:1-20 ADDRESS The Source that Beckoned For […]
Mary ponders and a muddy pond clears—that for which, in Advent, we await (a post-election Advent address)
The nativity scene in the Cambridge Unitarian Church READINGS The Shepherds and the Angels (Luke 2:8-19) In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. […]
Scattering the proud in the imagination of their hearts; putting down the mighty from their seat; exalting the humble and meek; filling the hungry with good things — an Advent address written to outline the task before a progressive, liberal-religious, free-thinking community following Thursday’s General Election (2019)
READINGS The Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) in David Bentley Hart’s translation (2017) And Mary said, ‘My soul proclaims the Lord’s greatness, and my spirit rejoices in God my saviour, because he looked upon the low estate of his slave. For see: Henceforth all generations will bless me; because the Mighty One has done great things to […]