I have never torn down and then rebuilt a house with my own hands, but I imagine that I understand the general principles involved. One of the first steps, of course, is…
Author: mark
Going “Hands On”
One of the keys to effective and engaging conversation about spirituality and religion is to let a particular religion “speak for itself”. In other words, rather than assume that we know what…
Three views of sacred scripture
Throughout my work in university, church, and prison, I have often had conversations about the sacred scriptures of various religions. It can be a confusing topic at times, as there are many…
How big is your story?
Think back to when you were young. Perhaps you were in elementary school or high school. In that context, what were some of the stories that you were forbidden to read, watch…
Where do I begin?
While I was working in a correctional institution as a prison chaplain, one of the most common questions I was asked was, “How do I get back on track with God?” That…
How to study religion (and God)
I am not a plumber. I don’t have any skills that even remotely look like what a plumber would have. Whenever I encounter a plumbing problem, it is best for everyone that…
Three views of God (part 2)
Welcome back to Talking about God! Who is God? We started to explore this question in Part 1, as we looked at mono-theism, poly-theism, and non-theism. Let’s take our discussion one step…
Three views of God (part 1)
Welcome to the new Talking about God series! What do you believe about God? What do your friends believe about God? Is there a God? Are there many gods? Is there no…
Talking about God
Canada is one of the most spiritually diverse countries in the world. And Canadians are well known for being polite and non-confrontational. So you’d think that Canada would be a safe place…
Drive-thru Generosity
Have you ever gone through a drive-thru and arrived at the window to pay for your order, only to find out that the person in front of you had already taken care…