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CSA’s free weekly publication, a carefully curated collection of original articles at the intersection of spiritual formation and social action.
By Mark J. DeHaven, Ph.D.
(Editor’s note: This is Part 2 of a 4-part health care series we are running over the next few months. You can access Part 1 here.)
Americans are increasingly frustrated and angry about the state of health care in the U.S.
By Kristyn Komarnicki
As the nation is reeling from racial violence and crippling floods, a group of leaders decided it was a good time to draw some sharp lines around sexuality issues, making sexual orientation and gender identity a central tenet of the Christian faith.
From Gene Sharp
Reporting Sick (“Sick-In”)
Where strikes are forbidden by or are not feasible for other reasons, workers can achieve the same goals, ranging from a reduction in production to the equivalent of a real strike, by agreeing to call in sick.
From Gene Sharp
Displays of Flags and Symbols
This technique showcases the flag or colors of a national, religious, social or political group, in a form of nonviolent protest that draws on the existence of deep emotions or from the intention to stir them.
From Gene Sharp
Refusal of an Assemblage or Meeting to Disperse
A formal or informal meeting may demonstrate opposition by rejecting requests, whether official or not, to disperse. Sometimes, this technique is closely linked to non-obedience or civil disobedience with “illegitimate” laws.
From Gene Sharp
Removal of Signs and Placemarks
This technique involves removing, altering or replacing street signs, public transportation signs, and other placemarkers. Doing so can temporarily mislead, hinder or delay the movement of troops or foreign policemen, with both practical and psychological impacts.
From Gene Sharp
This technique consists of a group of people occupying a public place while sitting on chairs, stools, or even the floor, with the aim of disturbing normal activities.
Attributed to Saint Patrick
Christ, as a light
Illumine and guide me.
Christ, as a shield
Overshadow me.
Christ under me;
Christ over me;
Christ beside me;
On my left and my right.
By John Seel, PhD
Why the cultural enchantment with Game of Thrones? The anticipation of the Season 7 finale begs the question: “Why this broad appeal?” The answer to this question reveals the dominant frame through which one assesses reality.
By Leslie Leyland Fields
We are all racist in some ways. We all make judgments based on externalities. We all categorize—it is the mind’s natural state to sort and order and try to contain all the disparate information our brains are constantly receiving , which means we all place people in boxes with labels.
From CSA
Because this is not a time for ambiguity, we reject the idol of white supremacy
From CSA
…Because this is not a time for ambiguity, we reject the idol of white supremacy, of neo-nazism, and of a nationalism that places country before God. We affirm that every person is made in the image of God.
By Mark Phifer-Houseman
I don’t really believe in prayer.
I’m not talking about mindfulness or centering or yoga-breath-prayer or contemplation in nature—all of which have immediate, easily measurable embodied benefits. I am talking about intercessory prayer the way Jesus, Paul, and your grandma talk about and practice.
By Jon Carlson
Where do you locate evil?
In the aftermath of the deadly white supremacist rallies in Charlottesville, it’s easy to point to places where evil was active: evil was marching down the streets, under Confederate flags and Nazi swastikas.
By John Backman
Who in their right mind wants to be a prophet?
No one who’s read the Old Testament, that’s for sure. God kept asking prophets to do weird things, like go naked for three years as a warning (Isaiah 20:1-6), or marry a prostitute just to make a point (Hosea 1:2), or incur the wrath of people in power and end up left to die (Jeremiah 38:1-13).
By Amy Knorr
Recently, my family stayed with dear friends who have two darling little girls. One night, during bath time, screams erupted from the second floor. Leaving my own girls to work on the clean-up project we were in the middle of, I climbed the stairs to see if I could help.
By Nikki Toyama-Szeto
It is tempting to say the rally in Charlottesville to “Unite the Right” was ignorant. Or to call it bigotry. It’s easy to call this “divisions between people” or something else that analyzes, holds the situation at arm’s-length, and allows us to return to our plate of penne.
CSA is a group of Christian scholar-activists, stirring the imagination for a fuller expression of Christian faithfulness and a more just society.
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