Tag: theology

  • Green Junction: Hydraulic Fracturing by Julie Peller, Ph.D.

    Hydraulic fracturing, more commonly known as fracking, is an advanced technological process for mining natural gas and oil from the depths of the earth, typically 1000 to 4000 feet. The process requires huge amounts of fresh water, 1.5 million to 16 million gallons per well, that are mixed with chemicals to pressurize the wells and…

  • Green Junction: Train Wrecks! by Julie Peller, Ph.D.

    The recent train derailment and explosion in Ohio that released toxic chemicals was newsworthy given the magnitude of the crash, toxic releases and affected area. Our chosen way of life is dependent on all types of industrial chemicals and processes, and chemical spills and releases are common. Another fact is that these unhealthy contaminant discharges…

  • See-Judge-Act: Following the Call

    The lesson learned from Louis J Putz CSC is to think about the method of See-Judge-Act as a methodology. Let the technique and experience of following the Call, living the Sermon on the Mount in our lives and society, enter into our movements, daily lives, and organizations that we create to help bring about the reign of…

  • Happy Birthday, St. Bonhoeffer

    Happy Birthday, St. Bonhoeffer. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was born on 4 February 1906, fully in the image and likeness of God. Like all of us, our life challenges us to maintain God’s likeness.  Bonhoeffer became for the world a well-known theologian, pastor, and Nazi resister. He was educated in Europe and the US and had his…

  • Green Junction: By Julie Peller, Ph.D., “one of the largest contributors to the climate and ecological crisis.”

    A November 2022 publication of The United Nations Environment Program describes the fashion industry as “one of the largest contributors to the climate and ecological crisis. It is nature intensive, reliant on fossil fuels, polluting throughout its value chain and wasteful to the extreme. It is also predicated on a culture of overproduction and consumption,…

  • Kingdom?

    Try this: When you hear “Kingdom of God,” think “Kingdom Justice.” The Kingdom of God is here and now. It is not something to come after we leave this world. The Kingdom of God is a joint venture between humans and God to collaborate on bringing Justice here and now. God is a collaborator, not…

  • Green Junction: Climate, Advent, and Hope by Julie Peller, Ph.D.

    Jesuit Fr. Thomas Reese recently wrote an article in Earthbeat (National Catholic Reporter) expressing his profound concern about climate change: the inaction, the minimal communication, and general apathy toward human/earth rights. “Advent should be a time of hope. As a social scientist, I have little hope. As a Christian, I must have hope. This Advent, I will…

  • So we think we are Catholic?

    This post is for “Catholics” all 23 rites. Those who think you are liberal, conservative, progressive, traditional, fallen away, or in-between. Have we tainted our faith with political ideology? Do we understand the universality of the word “catholic”? How often do we find near-heresies and a few real heresies on all social media posts? Do…

  • Are politicians the “product” of Artificial Intelligence?

    Artificial Intelligence (AI) plays a significant role in politics today. Since 2006 as the 2008 election cycle started, the introduction of AI has proved to be the most disruptive technology innovation in political history, and it is just the beginning. Politicians current and many new and upcoming movements are embracing AI and machine learning and…

  • It is time for Catholics “belly up to the bar.” Think Social Teachings!

    The Catholic Church, which includes all the Rites East and West, must reinstll the heart of the gospel messages in Catholic Social Teachings. Have we become so comfortable with our wealth that we forget the Gospel message? Joseph Cardinal Cardijn’s thinking and message go back decades before Vatican II. Cardijn’s methods of See-Judge-Act are vital…