Context Matters

This is the second half of my conversation with Rabbi Nancy. We start with the affects of 9/11 on her multi-faith conversations. Then we move to the way such conversations have influence her career. And we finally talk about the Muslims, Jews, and Christians interpret the Sarah and Hagar narratives in Genesis.Listen—Enjoy—and send me an email!To find out more:Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, Philadelphia, PARabbi Nancy’s book Strangers, Neighbors, Friends

In this episode, we talk about multi-faith conversations and what the benefit is to speaking with people who have different religious beliefs than your own. Rabbi Nancy shares several personal stories about how she ended up in multi-faith conversations.To find out more:Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, Philadelphia, PARabbi Nancy’s book Strangers, Neighbors, Friends

Lisa and I discuss what effect cultural diversity has on her art. We also talk about how essential art is within a church context, which makes me consider the value of using concepts of beauty to explore the Genesis narratives.See a few of her pieces here, but I highly recommend going to her website (https://www.abayaworks.com/permanenceoflight)) to see a video of how light changes her art from moment to moment.You can also find her on Instagram @smokeandflame.

 Lisa Abaya is a Philadelphia artist  seeking ways to integrate matters of spirituality into her work. We discuss the influence of geography on her art and also how she explores mysterious concepts of the Holy Spirit through the use of reflective materials.See a few of her pieces here, but I highly recommend going to her website (https://www.abayaworks.com/permanenceoflight)) to see a video of how light changes her art from moment to moment.You can also find her on Instagram @smokeandflame.

I invite Keri Jenkins to the podcasting table to discuss how context helps us understand one another. Keri gives an example of how biblical context helped her understand a tricky passage in the Bible. We conclude with how seeing the physical land where biblical events happened influence how we read the text.Visit narrativeofplace.com for more!

What is “Context Matters”?What is missing from our conversations about background of the Bible and the our modern understanding of it? It is complicated, but wonderful to explore if you bring a curious mind.Visit narrativeofplace.com for more from Dr. Cyndi Parker.