Daily Theology
Archive for July 2011
Thoughts on the University and the Value of Education: A (Belated) Response to Fr. Himes
Last week in the Education Life section of the New York Times, Laura Pappano wrote on the continuing growth of the master’s degree. According to her interviewees, the former “consolation prize for failing to finish a Ph.D.” has in fact become the new entry-level degree for many jobs in the US. As a result, much … Continue reading
Sacrifice of Praise
During one of our regular Sunday night phone calls, my mom reported her encounter at mass with a song she’d not before heard, “Sacrifice of Praise” by Michael Joncas. Beyond the loveliness of the song’s setting, she was struck by the seeming dissonance of the title: how can “praise” be a “sacrifice”? As I struggled … Continue reading
Discerning a call for another theological space?
I do not know how many times the question has come up for me over the last decade. Which question? “What do you plan to do with THAT?” The topic in question? My area of study. Often times this question is raised merely in a pragmatic sense. As a husband and father of two, people … Continue reading
Vocation
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the word vocation. Since I was 19 years old I have been collecting degrees in theology (a BA, a MTS and soon a PhD). I felt a strong attraction to theology and theological questions and have often described the experience of this attraction being not unlike the experience … Continue reading
Re-imagining in Stained Glass
I’ve been spending my 4th of July weekend with family in Sarasota, providing me a nice opportunity to visit new churches. This past Sunday, I went to mass at St. Patrick’s, which from what I could see appears to be a vibrant and relatively young community here. What I enjoy most about attending new churches … Continue reading
The Vatican, technology, and being human
This past Tuesday, on the 60th anniversary of Pope Benedict’s ordination to the priesthood, the Vatican published a new, interactive, accessibility-oriented website called news.va…. Impressive to say the least. Note the nice twitter integration; the links to tumblr and facebook; and a video of the Holy Father using an iPad to launch the website! The … Continue reading
