Theological Ethics of the Treatment of Animals
How does the Bible encourage us to treat animals ethically?
Category: Reading & Interpretation
Readings and interpretations is a category of articles focused on particular scripture passages and biblical texts. These articles provide commentary and insight for biblical texts by looking into comparative literary evidence, archaeological backgrounds, and linguistic particulars. Conclusions are reflective and inclusive of philosophical movements, literary theory, theology, and pop culture.
Purim During a Time of Transition
The Jewish holiday Purim bookmarked my year of celebrating major Jewish holidays, and it fell merely days before my family embarked on a significant cross-country move. So naturally, this meant a few last-minute store visits to purchase baking supplies and simplifying the menu to accommodate our temporary dining table surface. Nevertheless, we made more than…
Demanding Justice in Psalm 82
This week, I presented a summary of research on Psalm 82 at the Oxford Interfaith Forum Psalms in Interfaith Context Reading Group. We had a lively discussion that ranged from identifying the prophetic voice, the mythological provenance, linguistic and poetic features, and extended theological implications. This presentation opened with a reading of Psalm 82 in…
The Psalter and Abraham’s Prayers
This month’s Oxford Interfaith Forum Monthly Interfaith Psalm Reading & Discussion, hosted by the Oxford Interfaith Forum, was led by Ustadha Yomna Helmy, Centre of Islamic Studies, the University of Cambridge on a Comparative Reading of the Hebrew Bible Psalter and Abraham’s Prayers in the Quran. Two Prayer Texts Dr. Helmy brought us along on…
Tu B’Shvt—A Celebration of Trees and Life
Tu B’Shvt, January’s Jewish Holiday, called for a celebration of the birth of trees. Another name for the day is Rosh HaShanah La’Llanot, “New Year for Trees.” The holiday recalls the importance of God’s creation and the gift of nature. Trees appear as unique markers in the Torah, so a holiday dedicated to celebrating life…
A Festival of Light
The final 2021 meeting of the Oxford Interfaith Forum Discussion Series featured a discussion about The Festival of Light. We opened our program with recognition of Senior Scholar Rvd. Dr. John Goldingay, who, along with his wife, Kathleen Scott Goldingay, suffered a significant loss this year when Kathleen’s daughter died tragically in an automobile crash.…
Hanukkah is not a Type of Christmas
The start of Hanukkah coincided this year with the Christian Advent. I love the Advent season. The four weeks leading up to Christmas Day are reflective and a centering time of faith. I found it very enlightening to reflect on the Hanukkah tradition during this time of faithful reflection. We lit the Menorah on Sunday…
Messiah & Messianism
The third meeting of the Oxford Interfaith Forum Discussion Series met to share different religious views about the Messiah. Two scholars presented historical and biblical traditions from Jewish and Christian perspectives: Dr. Benjamin Sax, Scholar at the Institue for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (Baltimore, MD), and Rev. Dr. John Goldingay, David Allan Hubbard Professor…
Podcast: Theological Ethics of Sexbots
Jump directly to Theological Ethics of Sexbots Podcast In an age of quick-paced technological developments, it’s no surprise we are seeing tv-series and films address ethical issues surrounding human interaction with robots. Even though Artificial Intelligence (AI) still has a ways to go before a synthetic being may be able to interact fully and free…
Interfaith Discussion about Abraham and His Family
Read or Listen Introduction to the Seminar Oxford Interfaith Forum presents Interfaith Discussion Series intended to promote interreligious dialogue between scholars of different faiths that draw from similar scripture traditions. This session, entitled “Discussions on Abraham and His Children,” is meant to focus on shared narratives of tradition about the Religious Patriarch Abraham. The session…