At the beginning of my career I published this article on ethics in pastoral care and counseling. Wee the full article on my webpage at
https://jamesnewtonpoling.com/articles/ethicalmoral-issues-in-pastoral-care-and-counseling-1988
How did the right wing go from the anticommunism requiring loyalty oaths to the U.S. govt in the 1950s to defending gun ownership because they might have to overthrow the U.S. government? See Nancy Poling’s blog at http://nancypoling.com/2013/01/17/of-loyalty-oaths-and-gun-rights/
See my article on Congregation as a Healing Community from 1988.
The Presbyterian Church (USA) had a challenging week dealing with defining marriage, relationships to Israel and Palestine, and fear of losing members and congregations. A good summary can be found at Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Carol J. Adams, feminist-vegan activist and writer, has just published a revised edition of her important book, The Politics of Meat. She makes a compelling argument for reassessing the relationship between feminism and respect for animals. She has an excellent webpage that is worth exploring, http://caroljadams.blogspot.com/.
In my study of the natural environment at the NC Arboretum, I am coming to accept the importance of the subjectivity of nature. This is especially evident with wild animals who live their own dramatic lives without reference to human beings. And it is also true of plants and inorganic objects, according to Whitehead’s Process Philosophy.
What would it mean to live as if the natural world has its own subjectivities and that humans must live with respect and openness to these “Others?”
My new article, “Ambiguity in God and Humans” in the new issue of Journal of Pastoral Theology. You will also find my review of The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Practical Theology, edited by Bonnie Miller-McLemore. You can find these articles if you have access to an academic library.
We have a lot to learn about how God’s creation takes care of us without our awareness. Unless we learn how to care for the earth in return, the future does not look good. The latest species I heard about being endangered are chimney swifts. After we cut down all the forests where they nested, they shifted to chimneys. Now we are capping chimneys and they have no place to go. The same thing is happening with dozens of species. It is a tragic story of violence with short and long-term consequences for human beings.
Some Christians believe that Jesus was sent from heaven to judge the world; after he died he went to heaven to be with God. Someday Jesus will come again to destroy the world and take believers into heaven. In this theology the world as we know it has no place in God’s plan; the earth will be destroyed along with unbelievers. Until Jesus comes, believers should save as many souls as possible. The “Left Behind” novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins give vivid descriptions of this theology, and millions of people believe that destruction is the fate of the world.
Other Christians, like me, believe that Jesus came because “God so loved the world that God sent Jesus. . . .” John 3:16. I believe that Jesus came to earth as an expression of God’s love for people and the earth; Jesus died because of the violence of corrupt political and religious leaders; Jesus rose from the grave because God’s love could not be destroyed by the power of violence and death; Jesus comes again whenever people join together to care for the people and the world that God loves. The meaning of discipleship is that we follow Jesus when we work together for social justice and environmental healing.
I have drawn these two alternative ways of understanding Jesus in stark contrast. Christian life is not divided this way. It is possible to work for the salvation of souls and also work for social justice and environmental healing. Yet, I believe these two tendencies exist in our churches. Personally I believe that Jesus did not come to destroy the material world and evil people, but to save all people and the earth from violence and destruction.
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