Public Writing

Diversify Diversity

Don't jettison protections, distribute them more evenly

Public Writing

Good Friday: (A Homily) Left Without Deliverance

A short piece of creative fiction included in Joshua Terry’s 2016 self-published Point Man. Holy Fuck. Sacred and profane so near one another they kiss, they cannot be distinguished. Death and life, giver and taker, embraced in one. Holy Fuck!  Holy.  Fuck.  Holy  A word that means “set

Public Speaking

UUMCCH 2: Jeremiah, Why Do You Weep?

The following is the second half of an invited presentation I gave at University UMC in Chapel Hill for "Table Talk; Pastor-Led Conversations for Youth and Adults.” I was invited to speak on Jeremiah by Mitzi Johnson, Pastor of Spiritual Formation, for the 2016 series “Scandal, Politics, Thrills,

Public Speaking

UUMCCH 1: Jeremiah, Why Do You Weep?

The following is the first half of an invited presentation I gave at University UMC in Chapel Hill for "Table Talk; Pastor-Led Conversations for Youth and Adults.” I was invited to speak on Jeremiah by Mitzi Johnson, Pastor of Spiritual Formation, for the 2016 series “Scandal, Politics, Thrills,

Name Change

I was born Logan Mehl-Laituri, and this was the name that appears on my military records and which I used for my first two books, Reborn on the Fourth of July and For God and Country (in that order). On April 17, 2013, I was confirmed into the Episcopal

Huffington Post

More to Just War Than Just War

*Originally published on April 10, 2016, by The Huffington Post. From April 11-13, Pax Christi is convening a conference in Rome to pursue "the explicit rejection" of what is known as the "just war" tradition (JWT). Although I have considered myself a pacifist, to the

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coursework

"Theology in the Crosshairs: Toward a Martial Hermeneutic"

coursework Featured

M.Litt Coursework

Dissertation: Theology in the Crosshairs: Toward a Martial Hermeneutic (John Perry) * Later abridged for a presentation at Eastern University (St Davids, PA) Martinmas (Fall 2014) Eschatology with Judith Wolfe: "War Without Eschatology (End): Apocalyptic Instincts in Christian Ethics" Origins of Christian Theology with NT Wright: "Deus, Ergo

coursework

“War Without Eschatology: Apocalyptic Instincts in Christian Ethics”

Long before Oxford ethicist Nigel Bigger ‘reacts’ against the “wishful thinking” of Christian pacifism in his 2013 monograph, In Defence of War, pacifist John Yoder lampooned so-called Christian realism as “pie in the sky” for its failure to articulate an eschatologically realistic cosmological perspective. Who was the hopeless idealist

coursework

“Illuminating this Present Darkness: Paul’s Armor of God in Ephesians Across Church History”

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For our[a] struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but

coursework

“Maximos’ Promising Difficulties: The Origins, Trajectory, and Potential of the Confessor’s Ambigua”

In the following paper, I set out to describe the significance of the Ambigua of Maximos the Confessor in terms of his own oeuvre and career, theological development before and after its composition, and finally as an example for doing theology today. In the first section, I outline Maximos’ overall

coursework

“deus, ergo supplico: The Primacy of Prayer in Christian Belief”

The Latin phrase lex orandi, lex credenda roughly translates as “the law of prayer is the law of belief.” This phrase evokes the complex relationship between piety and doctrine, between experience and intellect. Does one precede the other? Do they exist inextricably as a symbiosis, as eternal equals? This is

coursework

“As We Have Heard, So We Have Seen: Pulling Political Theology from the Psalms”

Probably because of their place in the liturgy and contemporary reception of them as worship songs, the Psalms are not thought of as “theology” proper. The experiential value too often out weighs the intellectual work to which they can call us. Extensive interpretations of other books of the Bible exist,

coursework

“How Realistic are Christian Politics? A Case for Eschatological Realism”

In theological ethics, two opposing schools of thought dominate the question of war and peace, each with their corresponding intellectual heavyweights. Following WWII, the conversation was dominated by Reinhold Niebuhr’s “Christian realism,” itself a reaction against Walter Rauschenbusch’s Social Gospel movement that found popular support in the early

coursework

"Catastrophe Repeated? A Theological Review of Alasdair MacIntyre’s After Virtue"

First published in 1981, Alasdair MacIntyre's After Virtue is the first work of his "mature" period, at the age of 52. A beautifully crafted argument with clear transitions between individual claims (and chapters), its clarity certainly contributed to its wide readership and critical acclaim. Though it

Public Writing

Advice to Seminary Professors

*Originally published on June 30, 2015 by Faith and Leadership. A Christian combat veteran offers guidance for seminary professors whose students include veterans. July 4th, 2015, marks my ninth “rebirthday” – the anniversary of my baptism, which triggered a chain of events that culminated in my honorable discharge from the Army.

Public Writing

The War Cry

*Published on May 19, 2015, in Coming Home: Ministry that Matters with Veterans and Military Families by Chaplain Zachary Moon (Chalice Press) The centurion had heard about a local healer who could work miracles. He had been told that a few of his men had stolen away one day to

Christian Century

“Soldier saints, then and now”

*Originally published on November 6, 2014, by The Christian Century. It has since been removed. From All Saints until Veterans Day, I’m posting a blog series on soldier saints at Centurions Guild. “Ten Saints, Ten Days” explores ten lives, their context, and their relevance to soldiers today. In the

Huffington Post

Celebrating Martinmas on Veterans Day

*Originally published on November 22, 2013 by The Huffington Post. Last year, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops approved a nation-wide collection to benefit the Archdiocese for the Military Services, to be garnered “every three years proximate to Veteran's Day or a similar strategic date beginning

Huffington Post

Veterans at Duke: Optimistic Face Masks a Troubling Reality

*Originally published on November 11, 2013, by The Huffington Post. As I prepared to head to Duke University, as the first person in my family to pursue a masters degree, I felt I had made a great choice. Besides funding my education, my experience as an Iraq War veteran was

Christian Century

A Christian and a soldier

*Originally published on November 1, 2013, by The Christian Century. It has since been removed. Growing up in my Presbyterian youth group, we read about the Bible’s centurions with the assumption that they’re the antagonists. They help arrest Jesus, nail his hands and feet to the cross, mock

Red Letter Christians

Sergeant Francis

Posttraummatic stress created the saint we know today.

coursework Featured

MTS Coursework

Thesis: "What Terrible Wisdom, That Awe-ful Power to Unmake: Surveying Moments of Moral Identity Amidst War" (with Warren Kinghorn) Gender, Theology, and Ministry Thesis: Semester 1 (Fall 2010) OT11: Old Testament Interpretation with Anathea Portier-Young CE44: Love in the Christian Tradition with Amy Laura Hall CT32:

Red Letter Christians

Why I Am Against "Gay" Marriage

And you should be too.

coursework

MTS-4b: Bell

Discussed on May 6, 2013, with Stanley Hauerwas as part of my MTS Thesis Proposal. Just War as Christian Discipleship – Daniel Bell Daniel Bell's book[1] is an important work that attempts to re-center the tradition of just war on the church instead of the state. To