I have been walking through a bit of personal grief recently. I’ve found that nothing seems to intrigue or engage me in the same ways while I’m carrying such deep emotions. My senses are more detached, like I’m eating bland foods or hearing constant white noise. Things just… are, until they’re so inundating I feel…

The topic of spirituality and sexuality has intrigued me since we received the syllabus for this course. Notions of sexuality in the church have impacted me both personally and through my academic research while at Candler. Last semester I took a research course and did my final project on the history and harmfulness of purity…

I grew up in a tradition that took a lack of idols extremely seriously. We had no pictures of Jesus surrounding our sanctuary, nor stained glass, nor any imagery besides a cross behind the baptistery. However, I still formed images and mental pictures of God and Jesus, as in Sunday school we read picture books…

Addiction runs in my family, as does conservative Christianity. I have always found this coexistence interesting to reflect upon. I grew up Church of Christ, which is a small, predominantly southern, evangelical church tradition. It preaches a strict adherence to the bible. People in the church are not supposed to drink or use any substances;…

Before speaking in class about spirituality in my current workplace, I enjoyed reading the articles about the importance of practicing spirituality in any environment. In business and corporate environments, I have seen many self-help resources on topics like being a good leader, coworker, and teammate. They often contain pithy phrases and relevant buzzwords that convey…

I am in Dr. Kim Boykin’s class on Zen for Christians and it has been breathtakingly impactful. We have been able to practice different Zen Buddhist zazen and engaging in counting the breath and finding the breath. I grew up in such a conservative circle that anything outside of Christianity was not only unknown, it…

I have been looking forward to this week’s conversation since we got the syllabus. Theology and spirituality have deep impacts on the subjects of neurology and psychology, and yet this interdisciplinary conversation rarely takes place. This week’s readings and audio recordings were pertinent. I especially enjoyed the concept of a mental bazaar and cathedral. I…

In reading Soul Feast and contemplating the practices of spirituality, our class was asked to think about spiritual patterns, specifically the pattern of sabbath. Back in my undergraduate studies, I read Spiritual Disciplines Handbook by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun. Calhoun’s book and Thompson’s Soul Feast mirrored each other in promoting a Christian “rule of life.” Spiritual…

Before class, we were asked to reflect on how faith communities have responded to COVID-19, as well as changes in our personal rituals. Firstly, I must say that I have been reflecting on the definition of “ritual.” What makes something “ritualistic”? What defines a habit differently than a ritual? I have learned to consider a…

In reflecting on tonight’s class regarding the pandemic and spirituality, I came into the session burdened by the readings and topic. While many Candler students in our class stated that they have not had much space to discuss the pandemic in their classes, I have discussed it quite often in mine. This paired with the…