Lent

Over the years, I have worked on a collection of (un)timely essays, Lenten reflections upon Friedrich Nietzsche's Thus Spake Zarathustra, his anti-gospel. Surprising to some, Nietzsche is often a favorite "atheologian" for those of us trained in the theological arts. The son of a preacher man (a Lutheran pastor), Nietzsche knew his Christianity well, having

Seen in Union Square, NYC.

Ash Wednesday. And no one cares to make any money off of it. So it doesn't matter. There's no party. No consumption. In fact, the only consumption is lack. We take on emptiness to feel present and presence. And yet advertising is all about need - created need, commodification, distinction, distanciation, fear, insufficiency, desire. Is

Like much of American culture, there is a disconnection between celebrations and their roots. I find this most apparent in the nation's observation of religious holidays. Perhaps one of the most significant is Mardi Gras, also known as Carnival. We praise Tuesday as a great celebration, an expression of Spring Fever, a dance to the