The Readers Digest and the Psychology of Fallenness

The March 2009 issue of Reader’s Digest offers up an interesting look at the Psychology of Fallenness. ====== [Please forgive me, a sinner. This essay may be even less coherent and more in need of editing than usual (quite a feat!). In … [Continue reading]

Of Mother Earth and the Invisible Hand

It’s been a real blessing to teach a course at seminary this semester. It’s not just that I love teaching no matter what the context (I do); it is just much more satisfying to work with people who share the same assumptions and goals I do, and to do … [Continue reading]

On the Spirituality of Sleep

This month I started teaching a theology class on “Kyivan Spirituality” here in the parish and at our seminary in New Jersey. They say that the best way to learn something is to teach it. Given how mundane (i.e. non-spiritual) I am, there has been a … [Continue reading]

Catching Up

It’s been even busier here than normal over the last couple of weeks. Not only are we are in the midst of our Nativity Season (today is Theophany, when we celebrate the Baptism of Christ) with all the extra services, celebrations, and caroling, but I … [Continue reading]

Life on the Old Calendar

Introduction: Christmas on 12/25 or 1/7? While the majority of Orthodox Christians in the world use the Julian (aka “Old”) Calendar for liturgical purposes, the majority of Orthodox Christians here in the West join our heterodox and secular … [Continue reading]

Soviet atheism and American secularism

Introduction: thinking about the radical atheism of the Soviet Communists The Soviet Communists were atheist totalitarians. They tried to create a system that would make both faith and the religious institutions that foster it seem silly and … [Continue reading]

On Newsweek’s Religious Case for Gay Marriage

I warned my parishioners that the only thing that the Fathers spent more time preaching on than money was sex. I’m sure they rather I talked about their budgets! Advocacy Journalism - and Bible Study - at their Worst The December 15th (2008) … [Continue reading]

Just another update

This past week was another busy week. Monday: After updating the website and publishing the podcast, I headed to New Britain for Ihumen Gregory’s memorial service (Panakhida). We carried his casket from the hearse, up the stairs, then into the … [Continue reading]

Mumbai attack – connecting the dots

Islamist terrorists conducted coordinated attacks against pre-selected targets in Mombai last week. This kind of attack requires a network consisting of well-developed recruiting, training, intelligence, operations, and command & control cells. … [Continue reading]

How many cars do we need?

Our economy continues to “correct” itself after decades of being artificially inflated by easy credit, poor saving habits, and superfluous spending. The government is attempting to ease the effects of this correction by replacing the suddenly prudent … [Continue reading]