Sarahbeth Caplin's Blog, page 18
August 10, 2018
Living in a gefilte fish bowl
I’ve joked before that few things make me feel more Jewish than being in church. People chuckle, but it’s true. Having that background, even if it’s no longer my religion, makes me stand out. It’s not like it’s a big secret, but when people find out, suddenly I’m a spectacle. My Christian friends in Campus … Continue reading Living in a gefilte fish bowl
August 7, 2018
The art of living with tension
You could say my future conversion to Christianity was set in stone when I had my Bat Mitzvah in a church. At the time, that was my only option—borrowing another religion’s sanctuary to celebrate my entrance into Jewish adulthood because there were no synagogues nearby. Just as there are “Christmas and Easter” Christians, my family … Continue reading The art of living with tension
August 3, 2018
Breaking the law for the sake of the gospel
While in prison for conspiring to assassinate Hitler, Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote the following letter to a friend: What is bothering me incessantly is the question of what Christianity really is, or indeed who Christ really is, for us today. The … Continue reading →
August 2, 2018
From “too Jewish” to “too Christian”
On the first day of Sociology class my junior year of college, I arrived a few minutes early. Selecting a seat at the back of the auditorium, I quietly read my bible. Soon I was interrupted by a tap on … Continue reading →
July 30, 2018
My top reads of the summer
I normally save my book recommendations for the end of the year, but I’ve read so many good ones this summer, I decided to do an intermittent list. My book preferences are a mix of fiction (typically YA or suspense, … Continue reading →
July 26, 2018
The biggest theological differences between Judaism and Christianity
Much of my work consists of pointing out the ways that Jews and Christians can learn from each other, based on their shared history in Scripture. Today, however, I want to point out some of the ways that the two … Continue reading →
July 24, 2018
Navigating the stress of evangelism
I thought keeping kosher was a heavy obligation in Judaism. Years later, I decided that the pressure to evangelize non-Christians was worse. It’s easier for me to explain evangelism done badly than well. My memoir opens with the story of … Continue reading →
July 23, 2018
Why progressives and conservatives don’t like me
It’s hard for a person with one foot in two spiritual worlds to find a place to call home; it’s harder still when your theology is such that it annoys both progressive and conservative Christians alike. I say this not … Continue reading →
July 19, 2018
One denomination’s truth is another’s heresy
If you’re familiar with my backstory, you’ve probably heard me say more than once that the Jewish way of studying the Bible is what ended up saving my faith – that is to say, asking hard questions of the text, … Continue reading →
July 18, 2018
The battle for self-acceptance: hair and faith edition
I’ve written before about how my curly hair is an outward marker of my Jewish identity (ethnically speaking). I want to revisit that subject today, because it took me over 25 years to find the right haircut. 25+ years of … Continue reading →
