About
Since the time I was introduced to Macbeth in high school, I have loved words. I love the way that words sound. I love the meaning that words create. I love the thing that words do in heart, mind, and soul.
Words evoke our reality.
Words express an emotion, an idea, a story,
the Divine.
Truly, words spin worlds.
My affair with words has taken a few paths. In college I was introduced to the Bible as literature. This was new to me. Growing up in the church I read the Bible, a lot. But for me, the Bible had always been a kind of esoteric holy book penned by God rather than an ancient collection of sacred writings overflowing with provocative stories, poems, and letters. And so began my first path – an education in Biblical Studies.
In seminary I realized a second path when theological studies opened my eyes to the biblical writers and redactors who conveyed ideas by carefully crafting and artistically employing words. This insight piqued academic interest, resulting in a D.Min. focusing on the rhetorical function of biblical genres and a Ph.D. specializing in the efficacy of biblical literary figures to make meaning. Today I enjoy collegial dialogue and ongoing learning through membership in the Society of Biblical Literature and Academy of Homiletics, and as an independent scholar in the American Academy of Religion.
Besides my love for words and the use of words in scripture, is Pearl Church. Pearl is a unique expression of Christianity in the world that makes room for difference, mystery, and complexity. We understand Christianity as a loving way of life that facilitates transformation and nurtures peace. Does religion exist for any other reason?
Herein lies a cumulative path that I’m increasingly passionate about – the articulation of good in Christianity. Right now, a Christian reformation is taking place. This reformation is unwilling to accept incoherent “truths,” dogma that fosters violence, and faith that is animated by fear. However, I am convinced that this reformation must go further than denial and critique. The provocation of deconstruction must function to make reconstruction possible. Death must give way to new life, which is the result of a gospel that is truly good. For this reason, I desire to contribute to a generative movement that critiques and articulates Christianity, for today.