Editorial

Each human soul, entering into the beat of the longing, joins the rhythm of expectation and waiting. We yearn. We wait. We weep.

In this interview with Judith Butler, her work is considered in light of the recent events at Standing Rock and the 2016 presidential election. Housed within The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology, The Other Journal is a bi-annual print and digital journal that aims to create space for Christian interdisciplinary reflection, exploration, and expression at the intersection of theology and culture. This article was originally published on The Other Journal.

This fall, I began my fourth of six semesters at The Seattle School and simultaneously found that many expectations of where I’d be at this point in my life were fully falling apart. A year ago, I’d left behind a community of warmth, color, sunshine, and acceptance for a place that often felt ambivalent towards a brown (stranger) surrounded by mostly white (people) and gray (skies).

At just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No human eye has ever seen him, nor ever […]

In this issue of The Other Journal, we will explore the valences of identity, both individual and communal, personal and public. We will take up the theme of identity in multiple ways, examining its interconnections with sexuality, pluralism and authenticity, the dissolution and reconstitution of borders, racial divisions, and, yes, even the 2016 presidential campaign.

If I had to select one book of poetry that is the most dog-eared in my library, the most quoted in classes at The Seattle School, and the most used by friends in times of celebration and need, it would be, To Bless the Space Between Us by John O’Donohue. A master poet, O’Donohue has taught us that some of the most powerful and intimate words are the invocation, “May you…” Those two little words awaken our longing and desire. They strengthen our presence and belonging. They make a place for the Holy Spirit to dance. They evoke light and life and yes.

Join ecotheologian Mary DeJong (MA in Theology and Culture ’17) for a cup of sage tea as she suggests that our gardens are the source of sacred visions of the divine. Mary is a contributor at The Other Journal. Housed within The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology, The Other Journal is a bi-annual print and digital journal that aims to create space for Christian interdisciplinary reflection, exploration, and expression at the intersection of theology and culture.

In an email discussing this month’s theme on Intersections, the word resilience came up. As I pondered the words I would present for this month’s blog post in response to that word, it became apparent to me: who more readily embodies the word resilience than the black woman?

Fall is always a season of transition as an academic institution, but this fall holds a particular gravitas for The Seattle School community. Together we are holding the tension of endings and new beginnings: We are celebrating the story, labor, and vision that has carried us to our 20th birthday.

#MeToo is a social media movement that cuts a small but significant hole in the dark façade of silence. Most social media protests fade like the news of the day as the next wave of hurricanes, shootings, and revelations crash on our shores. It is too easy to find fault with movements that merely ask for a click of a button to join. There is not much flesh in the game, but in this case, there is a massive amount of flesh in the game when we talk about the reality of sexual abuse.

At my mother’s 80th birthday, we gathered on Whidbey Island to celebrate. At least, that’s what I thought. In the true nature of families, however, my mother had an agenda. My father was 82 and starting the long journey of dementia that would lead to Alzheimer’s. On that perfect summer’s day, there he was standing […]

The woman who anoints Jesus’ feet is a familiar story that appears in each of the four gospels. However, as I read it this year, in the midst of deep political and social unrest, it occupied my imagination in a new way and left me curious about the psychological and theological implications of a universal human emotion: disgust. Do we really see one another?