I never get tired of this video

“Jesus hasn’t saved us:” Young black women’s return to ancestral religion

Mike the Heathen sends this, a thought-provoking essay about how Christianity has failed some people, and how some of them are returning to their ancestral religions.

If you’ve nothing better to do…

…at 6:30 p.m. today at the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, I’m moderating a (free) discussion on Spiritualism, which is a favorite topic of mine. I learned quite a bit about it when I wrote my Isabella Beecher Hooker biography, but I’m always anxious to learn more. (Spiritualism, the notion that the living can still correspond with the …

M.T. Winter’s event has been rescheduled

I wrote this for Mother Courant, which mentioned an event on transformative spirituality that was supposed to happen the next day. And then the snows came. So the event has been rescheduled for Feb. 22.

Welcome to Lent

For you non-practioners, here’s a little more on the start of a Christian holy season, which extends all the way to Easter. Typically, Christians who observe Lent choose to give up something important to them for the duration. If I observed Lent, I think I’d try to give up saying mean things about people. I don’t …

Opportunities to pray (or just be) with your extended family

The Hartford Seminary is hosting an Interfaith Prayer Vigil for Peace at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the seminary at 77 Sherman in Hartford. The program, organized by seminary students, should last about an hour, and will include speeches by several student leaders, readings from letters by family members of recent victims, interfaith prayer, song and …

Not that I admit there is such a thing, but:

Huffington Post has a list of books every “spiritual but not religious” person should read. Come to think of it, I’ve read most of these. Should I be worried?

Why some feminists hang onto their religious faith

It’s not the traditions that get in the way of equality. It’s the interpretation of those traditions, says this article. I agree. And then there are women who seek change in their own faith groups, through organizations such as Catholics for Choice.

How do you love a racist?

The recent publicity about the death or mistreatment of multiple people of color by law enforcement officials has me wondering about a lot of things, namely: Let’s get the superfluous one out of the way first: This has gone on forever, right? So is social media the conduit by which the rest of us (white …

The progressive Mormon’s guide to this Sunday’s testimony meeting

In the Mormon church, every first Sunday of the month is fast and testimony meeting. So here‘s a suggestion from Jana Riess at Religion News Service for living through the testimony part: A (non-alcoholic) drinking game! And thanks, Leftover, for everything.