Sarahbeth Caplin's Blog, page 6

Let’s Talk: a Rabbi Speaks to Christians (a review)

I’m a sucker for books about interfaith dialogue between Jews and Christians, but almost always left feeling disappointed and even frustrated by them. It’s not that I don’t believe productive conversations are possible – they are! I still have them regularly with Jewish friends.  But when the goal is unity rather than education, Christian doctrine… Continue reading Let’s Talk: a Rabbi Speaks to Christians (a review)

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He stood at the gallows and had the last laugh

Excerpted from my essay collection, Things You Can’t Un-see For as long as I can remember, every morning my father made my mother coffee. Contrary to stereotype, my mother was completely inept with everything in the kitchen, including the coffee maker as old as their marriage. That coffee pot symbolized to me everything a good… Continue reading He stood at the gallows and had the last laugh

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Miracles and other messy things

This is a rare, vulnerable post for me. Generally, my rule about writing on personal topics is, “Don’t share until you’ve processed with the Lord and the people in your inner circle first.” Well, I’ve been processing for most of the year, and I can’t say I’m more resolved now than I was at the… Continue reading Miracles and other messy things

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Should Christians celebrate Hanukkah?

If you’re familiar with my stance on Christians celebrating Passover, then you can guess my feelings about Christians observing Hanukkah. In a recent article for Christianity Today, Maria Baer profiles a Messianic Jewish family who observes the feast of Hanukkah as a reminder of God’s promise to preserve the Jewish people.  While I take some… Continue reading Should Christians celebrate Hanukkah?

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Should Christians Celebrate Hanukkah?

If you’re familiar with my stance on Christians celebrating Passover, then you can guess my feelings about Christians observing Hanukkah. In a recent article for Christianity Today, Maria Baer profiles a Messianic Jewish family who observes the feast of Hanukkah as a reminder of God’s promise to preserve the Jewish people.  While I take some… Continue reading Should Christians Celebrate Hanukkah?

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Rosaries and ugly sweaters

I’ve been making jewelry for years, but just recently started making rosaries: a practice that began in Covid lockdown, when I had an abundance of beads and little to do. As a Catholic-flavored Anglican, the rosary is a helpful visual for me during times of quiet prayer.  I grew up in a home with mezuzahs:… Continue reading Rosaries and ugly sweaters

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Losing the sting of death

In a recent article for Christianity Today, Ewan C. Goligher writes about the increase of physician-assisted suicides in Canada: Grounding the freedom to be killed in the right to life might seem counterintuitive, but the court reasoned that the criminal prohibition on physician-assisted death could force “some individuals to take their own lives prematurely, for… Continue reading Losing the sting of death

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Does Galatians 3:28 teach “Jewish erasure”?

I’ve been rereading Amy-Jill Levine’s book, The Misunderstood Jew. Levine’s work captivates me because she’s an Orthodox Jew who teaches the New Testament at Vanderbilt University. That makes her perspective unique in a world where Jesus’ Jewish background is often forgotten or ignored. While I don’t always agree with her views, Levine’s work is the… Continue reading Does Galatians 3:28 teach “Jewish erasure”?

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Where faith meets climate change

My period of spiritual deconstruction is behind me, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still experience doubt. It’s still there, clinging to the edges of my prayers, but usually harmless enough that I can ignore them. Other times, I can’t: especially when news reports about climate change continue to prophecy doom and gloom about the… Continue reading Where faith meets climate change

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When Faith Clashes With Climate Change

My period of spiritual deconstruction is behind me, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still experience doubt. It’s still there, clinging to the edges of my prayers, but usually harmless enough that I can ignore them. Other times, I can’t: especially when news reports about climate change continue to prophecy doom and gloom about the… Continue reading When Faith Clashes With Climate Change

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