I used to sleep at the foot of Old Glory, and awaken  at dawn’s early light. But, much to my surprise, when I  opened my eyes, I was a victim of the Great Compromise.  -John Prine  They said I would always remember where I was on September 11,2001. It was our Pearl Harbour, a day…

Misty G. Anderson Imagining Methodism in 18th-Century Britain: Enthusiasm,    Belief & the Borders of the Self Baltimore: The John Hopkins University Press, 2012, 279                 I grew up in a place where immediate heartfelt religion -the experience of conversion and being born again – was extremely important. The passing of…

 Medea Benjamin Drone Warfare: Killing by Remote Control  New York: OR Books, 2012.  A recent article in the New York Times, entitled “A Day Job Waiting for a Kill Shot a Word Away” chronicles some of the psychological disturbances facing drone pilots, as they routinely confront an “enemy” across the world from the safety of…

If anyone out there in the vast realm of virtuality follows this blog, even a little bit, you may have noticed that the last two postings had titles that seemed to suggest a commitment to a regular, even weekly, offering. You will subsequently have realized that such commitment is not forthcoming. My apologies.The following, in…

Robyn Ferrell Sacred Exchanges: Images in Global Context New York: Columbia University Press, 2012, 192 pages. $50.00 Time and again, as I read through Robyn Ferrell’s new book, the words of Frank Scott’s villanelle passed, unbidden, through my mind. Not steering by the venal chart, that tricked the mass for private gain.We rise to play a…

Today I came across a piece of news which further confirms some deeply disturbing trends in the Canadian political scene. I am reposting this article, because, it seems one small last-ditch effort, not so much to stave off the onslaught of barbarism, but at least to keep the awareness alive of what is happening .…

Giorgio Agamben The Kingdom and the Glory: For a Theological Genealogy of Economy and Government (Translated by Lorenzo Chiesa and Matteo Mandarini) Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2011, 303 pages.  Glory, both in theology and politics, is precisely what takes the place of that unthinkable emptiness that amounts to the inoperativity of power. And yet, precisely…

Sorry this didn’t work the first time.  I will try it again.Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2012 11:28 AMSubject: CLASSE – Urgent Appeal to the Rest of Canada From Max Silverman, student at UQAM and former mcgiller – *PLEASE READ AND SPREAD FAR AND WIDE. BRING MOTIONS TO YOUR LOCAL UNION COUNCILS, YOUR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, YOUR…

Here is a letter I received this morning regarding the events concerning the university protests and the imposition of Emergency Measures in Quebec. The recent attack on the right to organize and freedom of assembly is a clear warning sign. This must not be allowed to continue. Please take time to read this, and excuse…

Church challenges refugee bill Canada’s shameful refusal to offer asylum to Jews fleeing Nazi Germany aboard the SS St. Louis in 1939 would have been perfectly possible under the provisions of a new refugee bill the Conservative government wants to push through by June 29. The Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers explains that under the proposed Bill…