John G. Stackhouse Jr.'s Blog, page 11

Whose Issue?

City streets are filling with demonstrators on behalf of black and indigenous victims of police brutality, and against racism generally. But I’m not BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or a Person Of Colour). So is this really my issue? Decades ago when … Continued

3 Geniuses on Vacation

George Steiner, the literary critic, Wynton Marsalis, the celebrated trumpeter, and Doug Gilmour, the Hall-of-Fame hockey player, walk into a bar. The bartender looks up, takes stock of the situation, and asks, “What’s this? Some kind of joke?” It is … Continued

Realistically, What Do We Expect?

Reform is in the air. Reconsideration of police forces. Renaming of buildings, colleges, airports, and more. Revising of policies and procedures. Re-education of the recalcitrant. Some of this reaction is commendable and long overdue. Some of it, to be sure, … Continued

From “Guilt,” “Racism,” “Privilege,” and “Fragility” to Justice, Responsibility, Realism, and Hope

The internet is telling me that as a white person I should feel guilty for all the bad things that have happened to BIPOC people in North America not only as far back as 1619 but all the way back … Continued

Should the Statues Come Down?

It’s easy to mock all the statue-removers as crazy mobs accomplishing nothing on behalf of the real victims of racism, past and present. It’s not as if for every statue that comes down, an underprivileged person gets a college scholarship … Continued

To My Teachers: Thanks

My friend Tom Morris recently reminisced on Facebook about teachers who had blessed him in special ways over his life. His poignant reflections prompted me to set out a few memories of my own. Here goes: Thanks to my elementary … Continued

Did the Supreme Court Just Threaten Freedom of Religion?

“It is hard to overstate the magnitude of this decision, and the size of the loss to religious and social conservatives. SCOTUS, the highest legal authority in the land, has declared that homosexuality and transgenderism are like race. If you … Continued

So about the Police…

“There is no good police versus bad police,” avers Brock University sociologist Tamari Kitossa. “In a social order that is based on social inequality, even the most benign and friendly cop is little more than an ideological prop to make us … Continued

Religion and Politics: Which Is Master? Which Is Servant?

Religion and politics keep intersecting, at home and abroad. Too often, of course, the combination raises questions…and hackles. It should instead raise hope. It’s bad enough when people’s religion isn’t strong enough to overcome more basic drives: nationalism, for instance, … Continued

The Big “What’s Next”

“I’ve been studying religion for years, and I’m still not confident I know what happens after we die.” This rueful admission comes from Dr. Henry McCord, the husband of Téa Leoni’s eponymous character on her recently concluded TV series Madam Secretary. … Continued