Reading the Bible against Plutocracy
This Nov 2025 Activist-Scholars Encounter program from the Center and Library for the Bible and Social Justice features a conversation with Ched and Chuck Collins.
My Upcoming Conversation with Chuck Collins on Nov 13th
22nd Week after Pentecost, 2025 As we near the end of lectionary Year C and our journey through Luke, we are happy to announce that the Center and Library for the Bible and Social Justice will host a conversation between Chuck Collins’ and me on Thursday, Nov 13, from 7:30-9 pm EST. Chuck’s Burned by…
Pay Attention to the Great Economy (Lk 12:13-21)Â Â Â
This week I am commenting on Lk 12:22-34, a keystone teaching that has been marginalized in the lectionary (Sunday’s RCL gospel is 12:32-40). By skipping over it, the RCL cuts out the heart of Jesus argument following on the 8th Sunday’s story of the rich farmer.
Accumulation is for Fools (Lk 12:13-21)
8th Sunday after Pentecost As we turn the corner into August, the RCL commences selections from the Third Gospel’s “Special Section,” which contains mostly unique Lukan material, which in turn illuminate his focus on Sabbath Economics. The backbone of this third of the narrative is a series of “rich man stories” (right), beginning with our…
The Prayer as Manifesto and Covenant (Lk 11:1-13)
This reflection on the Lord’s Prayer highlights its transformative significance in teaching believers persistent prayer for divine justice and community cooperation. It stresses understanding its biblical roots beyond mere recitation, connecting sin and debt, and emphasizes the call for mutual aid under God’s covenant. The Prayer serves as a vital directive for ongoing discipleship.
A Good Samaritan: Sabbath Economics in a society of thievery and hard heartedness
5th Sunday after Pentecost This Sunday’s text (Lk 10:25-37) is one of Luke’s most famous parables—which means considerable energy is spent by our churches to domesticate it. It is thus typically shrugged off as an archetypal story of charity to those in need, and often occasions veiled antisemitic caricatures of Levites and priests! Moreover, we…
Detox on President’s Day Webinar with Chuck Collins
On February 17, 2025, we hosted the “Detox on President’s Day” webinar featuring Ched Myers discussing his book, Healing Affluenza and Resisting Plutocracy, alongside an interview with Chuck Collins, a prominent critic of plutocracy. Cover artist Ted Lyddon Hatten also shared insights about the book’s artwork.
Important Update: Book Launched, but Party Rescheduled!
Ched’s new book is now out! However, in respect for the huge losses and trauma from the Los Angeles fires this month (see more below), we have moved our launch party back: from Feb 15th to Saturday, April 5th.
Healing Affluenza and Resisting Plutocracy: Luke’s Jesus and Sabbath Economics
Myers brings a well-honed interpretive eye to a thematic study of Luke’s Gospel. He reads synoptically the crisis of socioeconomic disparity in Jesus’s world and ours, and proposes powerful analogies that can build social imagination and animate personal and political practices for systemic change and justice among communities of faith today.
Deep Dives
Our last Bartimaeus Kinsler Institute was held in the Ventura River Watershed returned to its roots as a smaller study week. It ran Mon Feb 19, 5pm to Thu Feb 22, 8 pm and was held at local St Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Ojai.We ran with two intensive tracks:– Luke’s vision of “Healing Affluenza and…