Arts & Culture

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Four members of the five-person "God Squad" speak at a public lunch discussion at First Baptist Church in Tallahassee, Florida, on March 8. From left, the Rev. Dr. Gary Shultz of First Baptist Church; Rabbi Jack Romberg of Temple Israel; the Rev. Betsy Ouellette-Zierden of Good Samaritan United Methodist Church; and the Rev. Tim Holeda, the parochial vicar at the Catholic Co-Cathedral of St. Thomas More. Photo by Mark Wallheiser

Reconciliation, Interfaith, Arts & Culture, Society

An interfaith clergy panel models civil discourse in public conversations about tough topics

Can people debate issues such as abortion, gun control and police brutality without anger and division? The five clergy who make up Tallahassee’s “God Squad” say it’s possible because of the friendship and faith at the core of their long-running civic experiment.

Steve Bell's story serves as an invitation this season of repentance to reflect on how we turn toward God and our fellow creatures. Photo courtesy of Steve Bell

Liturgical Seasons, Lent, Arts & Culture, Performing arts

Gretchen E. Ziegenhals: This Lent, turning again and again to God and one another

When a church turned away from musician Steve Bell and his family, inmates at the federal prison where his father was a chaplain turned toward them, welcoming their brokenness and helping Bell discover a gift from God and a vision for what church can be.

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Liturgical Seasons, Lent, Arts & Culture

Luke A. Powery: Spirituals teach us about suffering before God

African-American spirituals have given voice to people for whom “Lent was life,” says the dean of Duke Chapel, who has written a new book called “Were You There? Lenten Reflections on the Spirituals.”

Sanitation workers discuss their protest with the mayor of Memphis in a musical based on the 1968 Memphis sanitation workers’ strike, “Union: The Musical.” Photo by Alex Maness

Arts & Culture, Performing arts, Reconciliation, Racial & ethnic

Creators of a new musical pursue healing and reconciliation

“Union: A Musical” tells the story of the 1968 Memphis sanitation workers strike. But its real purpose is to spark a conversation about racial and economic justice in the communities where it is performed.

Photo courtesy of Leanne Betasamosake Simpson

Arts & Culture, Environment

Leanne Betasamosake Simpson: Reimagining the rich tradition of indigenous storytelling

The stories of the Nishnaabeg people aren’t just tales; they are an embodied way of teaching, learning and living, says a Canadian artist, writer and scholar.

Mary Oliver lived for many years on Cape Cod, and drew inspiration from its natural beauty. Photo by Deja Vu Designs

Arts & Culture, Literature

How to get started reading poetry

Debra Dean Murphy, professor of religious studies at West Virginia Wesleyan College, recommends the following books about poetry and some Mary Oliver poems.

Mary Oliver's poetry often drew from close attention to the natural world. Oliver died Jan. 17, 2019 at the age of 83. Getty Images / Photo by Kevork Djansezian

Arts & Culture, Literature, Environment, Creation care

Debra Dean Murphy: Mary Oliver and other poets can help us perceive -- and protect -- the natural world

The disciplined reading of poetry can inculcate a mindset of paying deep attention to the world around us, says a scholar.

This year, viewers from 30 countries watched St. Olaf College's five choirs and orchestra in a live stream of the festival’s final performance. Photos courtesy of St. Olaf College

Liturgical Seasons, Advent, Christmas, Arts & Culture

Christmas Festival brings 'good news of great joy' to a diverse and changing world

The St. Olaf Christmas Festival, one of the oldest and most highly regarded musical Christmas celebrations in the country, is a constantly changing ‘global event,’ bringing a message the world wants and needs to hear.

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Christian Leadership, Congregations, Reconciliation, Arts & Culture, Society

Ginger Gaines-Cirelli: Sacred resistance is about our being, not just our doing

In her new book, “Sacred Resistance,” the senior pastor of Foundry UMC in Washington, D.C., articulates how Christians can engage in the work of mending the world.

The film "Behold the Earth" seeks to move people to appreciate nature in all its forms. Photo courtesy of Compass Light Productions

Environment, Creation care, Arts & Culture, Visual arts

David Conover: Regarding nature with wonder

In “Behold the Earth,” a filmmaker combines music, science and Christian faith in a beautiful and moving documentary intended to rekindle an awareness of our connection with nature.

A learning resource for Christian leaders and their institutions from Leadership Education at Duke Divinity