Dan J. Brennan

Born Again Bodies

I find R. Marie Griffith to be an intelligent writer, an intelligent reader of culture and Christianity.  She has written another incredible, thought-provoking book, this time on Christian fitness and the diet culture: Born Again Bodies: Flesh and Spirit in American Christianity.  Currently she states the obvious, millions of American Christians "have made a religious duty out of diet" or are absolutely convinced that divine diet consists only of raw foods and vegetables.  "Disregard what goes into your body, many suggest, and you will not only gain weight, look ugly, and feel awful but you will also doom yourself to a lifetime and likely an eternity of divine disfavor."  She notes how, "Christian diet vendors have plainly hit upon a painful but highly lucrative theme.  Today, books categorized as Christian life and spirituality make up about 40 per cent of all self-help books, and a sizeable proportion of the genre is devoted to weight loss." 

Lewis Smedes: Cross-sex Friendship Quote of the Week

"Freedom for friendships outside of marriage is a gift that comes with fidelity.  A covenant-keeper does not have to worry much or moralize a great deal about the properties of relationship outside of marriage.  Within commitment there is room for surprises, risks, and adventures.  Loyalty is limiting but not constricting...Fidelity is freedom from legalistic fears because it keeps one's focus on the essence of covenant keeping."

Lewis Smedes, Mere Morality

Attraction, Sexuality, Marriage, and Community

Dennis Hiebert writes, "Sexuality is not merely some physical impulse contained in a safe-box to be let out only on special, appropriate occasions.  Humans are not sexual when they participate in sexual acts, and asexual at all other times...cross-sex friendship cannot be asexual, but neither can cross-sex acquaintance, association, or spousal relations. All cross-sex interactions are inexorably sexual in some form or dimension, and subject to sexual attraction of complementarity, just as all same-sex interactions are sexual and subject to the sexual attraction of similarity.  Morally, there is no asexual plateau of safety; all human interaction occurs on the slippery slope of sexuality." (Journal of Psychology and Theology, "Toward Adult Cross-Sex Friendship").

Do you want to revisit the conversation on attraction?

I picture my conversations here on attraction to like Jesus Creed does evolution, you know?  I don't know how many times the evolution topic has come up on that blog (that's just one repetitive example).

Happy Thanksgiving

I wish all my friends and the visitors of this blog today who are celebrating Thanksgiving with friends and family, a happy Thanksgiving. 

Imagine this.....

Men and women made in the good and holy image of God....and consider cross-gender friendship in the light of this quote:

Surprising Conversation

I had a surprising conversation last night thanks to my hot, beautiful wife.  Hollywood may have a definition of hot, but its really this kind of presence that is super hot.  For those of you who have been hanging around faith dance a while, you may remember my failures in finding a copy of Terrance McGoldrick's book, Sweet and Gentle Struggle.  It's about Francis de Sales and friendship.  I craved that book.  I tried for all of 2007 to get a copy.  No such luck.  I emailed McGoldrick on a couple of occasions and never got a reply.  I have given up hope for the time being.  Little did I know, that Sheila kept on persevering trying to get a copy for me--and kept on trying to track down McGoldrick without my knowledge.  That fits a definition of a hot wife in my book.  :-)

Quote of the day

"I am a woman called to ministry who has been both supported and demonized in evangelicalism."

Wyndy Corbin Reuschling

Reviving Evangelical Ethics: The Promises and Pitfalls of Classic Models of Morality

This is a book I have been wainting to look at here.  I will review it in the days ahead. 

Take Two: Cross-Gender Friendship Survey

This is take two.  The second time I published this today.  Read my post before this if you want to know what happened to the other one (or better yet, if you know what happened, let me know! ;-)  I would be interested in any responses.

For lurkers, first-time visitors, and regular faith dance readers:

This is take two.  The second time I published this today.  Read my post before this if you want to know what happened to the other one (or better yet, if you know what happened, let me know! ;-)  I would be interested in any responses.

For lurkers, first-time visitors, and regular faith dance readers:

Typepad/Facebook Blackhole Survey

I typed a post this morning and published it.  It was this:

Cross-Gender Friendship Survey

For lurkers, first-time visitors, and regular faith dance readers:

For lurkers, first-time visitors, and regular faith dance readers:

China and Lurkers

It's always interesting to find out that someone from across the world (in this instance, like China) has googled "male female friendship" and decided to read my blog for any significant length of time (in this particular instance, over 60 minutes).   I am always intrigued by lurkers who are not a part of the Western culture and their interest in cross-gender friendships.  Where are they in their journey on male-female friendship?  Just starting out?  Where are they in their views of gender?  What is happening in their lives?  This blog would be very interesting if all the lurkers who visited here would come forth and share their interest.