All Posts By

Debra Rienstra

Blog

The Aesthetics of Decline

A palpable holiness remains. The foundation stones and a few walls trace a jagged outline of daily monastic life. The arches of the abbey church

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Blog

A Prayer for Turning Corners

Today feels like a moment of transition. This past week, I closed the books on one of the longest academic years I’ve ever experienced. Today,

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Blog

Living on the Fault Lines

Walking the dog last October, before the US presidential election, I noted the obvious evidence that my neighborhood sits on a fault line. Not a

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Blog

God’s Wildness

I didn’t plan this—honest—but on Earth Day this part Thursday, my syllabi had me teaching nature-related literature: in one class, some poems by Andrew Marvell

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Blog

Pandemic Check-up

“Shift into self-compassion. You’re not unproductive. You’re living through a pandemic. #breathe” — Dr. Thema, Feb. 10 on Twitter @drthema. Debra? We’re ready for you

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Blog

Sacramental Transparency

Earlier this week, Steve Mathonnet-VanderWell sparked a lively conversation on this blog with his provocative question, “Does being a hard-nosed Calvinist who sees the struggle

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