Social Action and the Eastern Orthodox Church: Where Do We Go from Here?

In this week’s guest blog post, D. Vasilis Schairer, a graduate student at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, reflects on the history of Eastern Orthodox involvement in social issues and poses an interesting question: if a religious tradition places value on the “transformative relationship between two persons,” what challenges does that raise for religious communities in collaborating with nonprofit or government programs?

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A Call for Guest Bloggers!

Last week, we began a conversation about how the language we use can help create—or at times hinder—social action efforts that are welcoming to people of all faiths and no faith at all.

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Why We Engage in Compassionate Action

Sarah Lipton, Boston Shambhala Publicity Manager, shares her reflections about the relationship between the center's meditation practice and dedication to compassionate social action:

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Looking Back on 2010

Last week, faith community leaders, advocates, service providers and public officials gathered in Boston for the 21st Annual Interfaith Memorial Service for Homeless People, hosted by Church on the Hill. During the interfaith service, which included prayers, reflection and music, the names of people who have died homeless in Massachusetts during the last year were read.

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Building Homes Along the Jericho Road

Are there any architects in your faith community? General contractors? Accountants? Ever thought about how you and members of your faith community might be able to contribute your skills to ending homelessness in Massachusetts?

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A UU Perspective on Faith and Social Action

Lee Paczulla, Social Action Ministries Assistant Coordinator and a Harvard Divinity School student seeking ordination in the Unitarian Universalist tradition, shares her reflections on the role of social action in Unitarian Universalism.

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Meet our New Intern, Lee!

We are pleased to welcome Lee Paczulla as our new Social Action Ministries Assistant Coordinator!

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Boston Faith Communities, Service Providers, Advocates and City Officials Gather for Leading the Way: Ending Homelessness in Boston

This week, people of faith from across Boston gathered with service providers, advocates and City of Boston officials for Leading the Way: Ending Homelessness in Boston, held at Temple Israel.

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Only One Week Away: RSVP Now for Leading the Way!

Will you join us as part of a growing interfaith movement in Massachusetts committed to creating a society in which no one is without a home?

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"Our Sanctuaries Have Windows": A Reflection from Rabbi Suzanne Singer

In our September 2nd post, we looked at a Taslich ceremony celebrating Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish New Year and the first of the Jewish High Holidays.

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Tashlich and Social Action

In our August 20th post, “Religious Services and Social Action,” we began to speak about ways that different denominations and communities connect communal religious practices to social action in their religious services.

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October 5th: Save the Date! Leading the Way: Ending Homelessness in Boston

Leading the Way: Ending Homelessness in Boston

Social Action Ministries and the Boston Regional Network to End Homelessness invite you to join religious and lay leaders from across Boston and across faiths for a free half-day retreat as we commit to work together to end homelessness.

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Finding Common Ground

In past posts, we have considered the question of the extent to which religious differences can or should affect interfaith social action efforts.

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Faith in Public Life

As part of the Social Action Ministries blog, we will periodically post resources about faith, politics and social action. This week, I invite you to take a look at the Faith in Public Life News Reel.

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Why Housing?

Nancy Banks is the Executive Director of the UU Mass Action Network, a network of Unitarian Universalist (UU) churches and fellowships. The mission of the UU Mass Action Network is “to mobilize Unitarian Universalists individually and congregationally to take action in support of Unitarian Universalist principles for a more just, equitable and compassionate Commonwealth.” This week, Nancy Banks shares with us the background behind her organization’s commitment to ending homelessness.

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Call to Action: Help Prevent Devastating Cuts to the Massachusetts Budget!

Social Action Ministries is dedicated to engaging faith communities across Massachusetts in efforts to end homelessness, including legislative advocacy. Today we'd like to share an advocacy alert with you and ask you to take action now to prevent significant cuts to the Massachusetts State Budget.

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Politics and the Pulpit: Carter Lindberg on Martin Luther

The relationship between religion and politics in the United States is at times a contentious issue. One only needs to examine the Internal Revenue Service regulations on tax-exempt organizations and political activity to see that for religious leaders, deciding how or whether to address social and political issues from the pulpit may not be a simple task.

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Rabbi Jill Jacobs and Tikkun Olam

As an interfaith initiative, Social Action Ministries recognizes that people come to the work of ending homelessness with a variety of ways of understanding the relationship between faith and social action. This week we will look at a Jewish concept that has made its way beyond solely Jewish circles: the concept of tikkun olam.




Rabbi Jill Jacobs speaks about tikkun olam (posted by JInsider)


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Religious Perspectives in the Public Sphere

In our reflection last week, we ended with two questions that centered on a basic theme: the relationship between prayerful trust in God and interfaith social action efforts.

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“Pray Hard and Work Hard”: Dr. Ron Sider’s Call to Action

Last week, we turned to the insights of Dr. Ruy Costa of Episcopal City Mission in order to consider the relationship between scripture and social change. Today we turn to an article from someone who also finds a call to justice in the Christian scriptures: Dr. Ronald J. Sider.

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