I spent the first thirty years of my adult life fighting racial injustice in America. I was a community activist in Boston in the sixties, I spent time in jail in North Carolina in 1963, and I walked across that Selma bridge with Dr. King in 1965. I was the Massachusetts state official responsible . . . . Continue Reading »
One of the most haunting images I know of comes from the last days of James Simon, a German Jewish composer who perished at Auschwitz. Having survived Theresienstadt, he and others were sent off to their final destination. Witnesses say that the last time they saw him, Simon was waiting for the . . . . Continue Reading »
“Begin with Blackstone’s Commentaries,” wrote presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln in 1860, when asked how to get a thorough knowledge of law; read them “carefully through, say twice.” (That’s four thousand pages, just to “begin” with.) Lawyers involved in drafting and debating the . . . . Continue Reading »
In the Bible, the week-long holiday of Passover is usually called the festival of unleavened bread (matzot). During those seven days (eight, outside of Israel) Jews refrain from leavened bread and divest themselves of it. Clear as this obligation may be, the basis of these laws is presented . . . . Continue Reading »
I recently met a medical student who was beginning her rotation in internal medicine. A special morning session had been set aside to discuss proper protocols for interacting with patients. The person leading the discussion came from the hospital’s office of diversity and inclusion. She emphasized . . . . Continue Reading »
In the popular understanding of Christmas, Charles Dickens’s 1843 novella looms large. A Christmas Carol seems to represent not only Christmassy warmth, fellowship, and cheer, but the very essence of Christian practice. At the end, Ebenezer Scrooge, the old skinflint, is redeemed by an . . . . Continue Reading »
In his latest book, Allah: God in the Qur’an, Professor Reynolds has united deep erudition with clear pedagogical style to introduce the Qur’anic vision of God to Western lay readers. He flies close to the Qur’anic text throughout, while drawing from later traditions to shed light on the . . . . Continue Reading »
Oh, to be married in the Middle Ages! Your parents would select your spouse. Relatives and the local lord would consider and approve the choice; the clergy would do likewise and bless the bond before God and family, parish and town. You’d know what to expect about the rest of your life because . . . . Continue Reading »
What happened on Easter Sunday was the most explosive experience in human history, shattering all previous expectations of human destiny. Continue Reading »
The distinctive Protestant culture of the United States does not emphasize Holy Week or Good Friday, as is customary in Catholic cultures. Continue Reading »
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