Autumn 2026 (Richmond, VA)

It is a gorgeous day here in Richmond. Enjoy your surroundings—it’s a beautiful season.

 

 

 

Blues Hermeneutics and the Canaanite Woman

Today, I highlight the chapter written by Hugh R. Page Jr., Professor of Theology and Africana Studies at the University of Notre Dame: "The Matthean Jesus and the Canaanite Blues," featured in my edited volume, At the Intersection of Hermeneutics and Homiletics. Page's chapter is unique in how it brings blues music culture to bear on the Canaanite woman's experience, introducing a distinctive blues hermeneutic for the marginalized. Through this lens, her cry for justice and her profound faith are powerfully heard. #blueshermeneutics #Canaanitewoman #gospelofmatthew

Poem on Earth

The Earth is beautiful

Wherever you live, you see the same wonder:

rivers, flowers, mountains, butterflies, and birds,

blue skies, rainy days, and sudden storms—

all of these hold such striking grace.

Why, then, do people look past them,

searching for things beyond their own home?

True beauty surrounds us right here.

Look up at the sky, gaze at what is around you;

you will feel and touch all good things.

Do not look for something in another place tomorrow.

The world is here.

The only thing we truly have is now and here.

Check details carefully

When I signed the contract for my edited volume, Rethinking Paul: Critical Conversations for Our World (Westminster John Knox Press), I failed to notice that my name was misspelled. Thankfully, the publisher caught the mistake, corrected it, and sent over a new copy for me to sign. It is a good reminder of how important it is to check details carefully. I am glad this was sorted out!

Challenging the colonial theology

Today, I highlight a compelling chapter by Demetrius K. Williams, Professor of Comparative Literature at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, titled “The Colonial Christ, the Canaanite Woman, and the Crumbs of Insufficiency” in my edited volume, At the Intersection of Hermeneutics and Homiletics. Williams analyzes the narrative from an African American postcolonial perspective, challenging the colonial theology that constructs a savior figure who demands subordination as a prerequisite for inclusion. Furthermore, he underscores the Canaanite woman's defiant, transgressive faith as an empowering model for her daughter and marginalized communities.

My vocation as a scholar

One of the most rewarding aspects of my vocation as a scholar is editing collective volumes. These projects allow me to spearhead less developed fields or reinforce specific areas of interest by bringing together formidable scholars for a crucial endeavor. While my fifth edited volume, Rethinking Paul, is currently underway, I have already conceived of a new project tentatively titled Reading Scripture, Reading the Self: Critical Autobiographical Interpretation. I have recruited eight exceptional scholars who will bring their lived experiences to bear on the biblical texts.

A Womanist Reading of Matthew 15:21-28

Today, I want to honor Mitzi Smith, a professor of New Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary, and highlight her essay, "A Womanist Reading of the Canaanite Woman (Matt 15:21–28): Dehumanization, and the Politics of Respectability and Inclusion," featured in my edited volume, At the Intersection of Hermeneutics and Homiletics. Smith explores the Canaanite woman's faith from a womanist perspective, challenging the ideologies of inclusion and respectability applied to the marginalized. She powerfully argues that true faith is never a weapon used to subdue others.

Queer Interpretation

Today, I highlight Rhiannon Graybill’s chapter, "Love Makes a Family: Queer Kinship in Ruth," from my edited volume, At the Intersection of Hermeneutics and Homiletics. Graybill, a professor of Hebrew Bible at the University of Richmond, explores queer interpretations of the text while resisting fixed definitions. She ultimately challenges readers to remain attentive to the nuances and complexities of queer kinship throughout the story of Ruth. #bookofruth #queerreading #homiletics #interpretation

When It Rains, We Meander: The Quiet Call to Look Inside

There is a profound reason why a rainy day turns our thoughts inward, pulling us into a space of quiet sentimentality. As gray skies dim the natural light, a gentle biological shift occurs: our serotonin dips while melatonin rises, lowering our emotional volume and nudging us toward introspection. Simultaneously, the steady, low-frequency rhythm of falling rain acts as a natural sedative, slowing our heart rates and triggering an evolutionary instinct to seek shelter, let our guard down, and pause from the frantic pace of the outside world. Cloistered safely indoors, the physical world grows quiet, and the scent of petrichor—the earthy aroma of rain hitting dry soil—unlocks the brain's deepest memory centers. In this beautifully suspended moment, free from immediate distractions, our minds naturally meander backward, transforming a simple weather event into a deeply restorative, nostalgic journey.

Decolonizing Ruth: Postcolonial African Perspectives

Today, I highlight a chapter by Robert Wafawanaka, a Hebrew Bible professor at Virginia Union University: "Decolonizing Ruth, Reading and 'Un-reading' Ruth with African Eyes: Masculinity, Disability, and Survival," from my edited volume, At the Intersection of Hermeneutics and Homiletics. Wafawanaka brings a postcolonial Zimbabwean perspective to the text, exploring the intersections of ancient tradition, modern African contexts, masculinity, disability, and survival. Viewing Naomi and Ruth as victims of a male-dominated world, he powerfully argues that women should be empowered to thrive without being shackled by patriarchal traditions.