Intersections at The Seattle School

Artist Statement To hold hope for all us people wandering, stumbling and fumbling towards home, I have to believe that Love is all that matters in the end. No human being will ever be fully conscious of all the ways he or she misses the point of this life. There are always blind spots in […]

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 […]

How is lamenting alongside people with different cultural backgrounds than our own transformative? What are the consequences of avoiding lament in our culture and in our churches? How might communal lament draw us toward a truer understanding of the kingdom of God? In episode 11 of text.soul.culture, Dr. Soong-Chan Rah joins Dr. J. Derek McNeil to discuss these questions and more. Dr. Rah is the Milton B. Engebretson Professor of Church Growth and Evangelism at North Park Theological Seminary and the author of several books. His life work has revolved around theology, lament, and racial reconciliation.

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.

On November 6, we hosted our 5th annual Stanley Grenz Lecture Series. This year, we were grateful to have as our featured speaker, Reverend Dr. Soong-Chan Rah, a professor, pastor and dynamic author whose life work has revolved around theology, lament, and racial reconciliation. Here, we share the video of the lecture.

Here, several contributors to The Other Journal continue their conversation from Part 1 around the ways in which theology can help us better understand and shape our environmental responsibilities and concerns. This conversation was hosted and curated by Tom Ryan, Master of Divinity ’07 and Executive Editor at The Other Journal.

How might we be called into purpose by our community? What is the why and how of justice? In what places of our lives might we have opportunity to learn from targeted practical application or from thought-provoking education that gives us a wider lens? In episode 10 of text.soul.culture, Dr. Ron Ruthruff joins Dr. J. Derek McNeil as the two discuss these questions in light of Dr. Ruthruff’s personal narrative.

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?