St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church

Jeremiah Wright has given several spirited and thought provoking interviews, talks and speeches. I have lots of disagreements with him, but I understand how he puts his logic together.

His presence in the media might cause a furor - people are wondering if his presence will harm the Obama campaign. But I suggest it will not hurt Obama. Because Wright and Obama will be revealed as two different people, in very different roles, the press will find it hard to attach the two.

Thomas Frank, former editor of one of the most important cultural journals in modern times (now, I think, defunct), is now writing for the Wall Street Journal.

Amazing.

We should change the way how we train our clergy. Here is one suggestion.

The priesthood would be a five year training program that is conducted locally in the home diocese, on-line with seminarians and professors nationally (and internationally), with yearly coursework at established seminaries.

Olivia Judson describes cooperative relationships between species in nature. It seems cosmic to me - in fact, I think that symbiotic friendship she describes represents how the divine works in nature. She writes:

I recently updated our page about money. I tried to be as honest as I could about what the church needs, and how we might talk about it.

I'm convinced that churches can be the best local distributors of services to the indigent, the mentally ill, and the undocumented. I think, however, the theology gets in the way for most people.

One Atheist argued with me that the church is a money making institution. I admit, sometimes I wish it were. But that's not the experience of most churches, which struggle just to keep their buildings safe.

Congestion Pricing Dead. I'm not sure why anyone would drive into the city during rush hour anyway.

It would have been an effective disincentive for driving, which is good for all sorts of reasons. We don't know if it would have been, a regressive tax. We do know however, that it would have been a tax on drivers.

From the Chronicle Review

Prophet and Pastor

To his former professor, congregant, and friend, Jeremiah Wright has been both

By MARTIN E. MARTY

Through the decades, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. has called me teacher, reminding me of the years when he earned a master's degree in theology and ministry at the University of Chicago — and friend. My wife and I and our guests have worshiped at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, where he recently completed a 36-year ministry.

Henry Siegman writes in the LRB

The Real Jeremiah Wright

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOdlnzkeoyQ

Obama’s recent speech was a brilliant piece of rhetoric and oratory. It was composed, not in the period of one or two weeks, but over many years of gestating the varied perspectives he’s witnessed and experienced.

Obama’s detractors will never be satisfied. They will continue to ask why he didn’t abandon Wright earlier. But Obama demonstrated that he is not easily buffeted by political winds the way Clinton was and the political climate demands. He does not abandon his friends. Obama learned Peter’s mistake.