/morsl/articles/rss en /morsl/article/what-do-you-see <p>What do you see when you look at my face? Loneliness, isolation, seclusion? What do you see when you look in my eyes? Dejection, desperation, dreariness? I am a Muslim woman, after all. I am both visible and invisible to people around me. They cannot see me, yet they know that I am a living being, breathing and walking beneath my veil.</p> Wed, 27 Nov 2024 16:07:46 +0000 Afifa Naz 2877 at /morsl /morsl/article/interfaith-dialogue-spiritual-wellness/do-mitz-wha <p>There is a lot of talk about mitzvos in Judaism. So what are they and what do they mean to me? The word mitzvah has been interpreted in a number of ways. Sometimes it means a commandment. Often it is considered simply a good deed or an act of kindness. But we can derive a deeper understanding by looking at the Hebrew rot, <i>L ‘tzavot</i>, which when translated means ‘to connect.’ G-d gave us mitzvos as a way of connecting to Him.</p> Mon, 25 Nov 2024 20:57:10 +0000 Sarede Switzer 2876 at /morsl /morsl/article/interfaith-dialogue-spiritual-wellness/lesson-heretic-2024-film <p>Recently, I went to see the film <em>Heretic</em>. I was curious about what it would portray about religious thinking, and I wasn’t disappointed. I won’t spoil the plot of the movie here, but I will discuss some of the arguments made during the beginning and middle of the film.</p> <p>The antagonist Mr. Reed (played by Hugh Grant) tries to dismantle the faith of two university-student-aged missionaries who come proselyting at his door.</p> Tue, 19 Nov 2024 19:43:27 +0000 Candice Wendt 2874 at /morsl /morsl/article/interfaith-dialogue-spiritual-wellness/significant-act <p>The idea of transcendence often brings to mind something other-worldly, or beyond our normal sensory range. It is a concept that has developed in many spiritual traditions. Dictionaries remind us of where the word comes from: the prefix trans-from the Latin verb "to cross", or simply meaning "across", and -scend, from the Latin verb "to rise or climb," also the root of the English ascend. So, when we put the two together, we get something like "to climb across." This makes me think that transcendence is perhaps more earthly than we normally suppose.</p> Mon, 18 Nov 2024 20:27:04 +0000 Loren R. Carle 2873 at /morsl /morsl/article/interfaith-dialogue-spiritual-wellness/confessions-bi-spiritual <p>Our society is sometimes fixated on demarcating the boundaries of identity. Anyone with a dual or multiple identity can testify to this, including those who are mixed-race, or who do not conform to a binary gender structure. What about people who are bi-spiritual, those who feel equally at home in two or more spiritual communities? Most, if not all, of the contributions to <i>Radix Magazine</i> are written from the perspective of one faith tradition.</p> Wed, 13 Nov 2024 20:43:41 +0000 Kathryn Lum 2871 at /morsl /morsl/article/interfaith-dialogue/interfaith-dialogue <p>This past Wednesday, MORSL started training a cohort ����VR��Ƶ and Concordia students in the ethics and practice of interfaith dialogue. As Carlene and I chatted about the upcoming program, I asked what principles we teach and practice in the program. Here are some ideas that struck me as I learned about MORSL’s curriculum.</p> <p>Interfaith dialogue is an opportunity to learn more about your own religion as much as anything. As you explore questions and topics, this will prompt curiosity, and you may find yourself taking some deep dives into topics that are new for you!</p> Thu, 07 Nov 2024 20:50:08 +0000 Candice Wendt 2866 at /morsl /morsl/article/meditation-spiritual-wellness/neuroscience-prayer-and-journaling <p>What can we do to find relief when we feel anxious, threatened, or stuck in patterns of low moods or spiraling thoughts? Whether this is caused by unpleasant interactions on social media, the burdens of schoolwork, or worrying about the future, journaling and prayer can both help according to happiness researcher and expert Arthur Brooks. He shared his thoughts on a <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6ifnhTZLpllBAjQwK0SKvs?si=rtwYtU8hTHWq_YdioAAEmA&nd=1&dlsi=4d608c2581584245">recent podcast episode</a> (listen at 32:09 for thoughts on anxiety, journaling, and prayer).</p> Wed, 06 Nov 2024 21:05:27 +0000 Candice Wendt 2865 at /morsl /morsl/article/meditation-spiritual-wellness/akida <p>When I was little, I was an idealist, and my dream was world peace. Then I entered adolescence and became convinced, to my great dismay, that things had already gone so wrong in the world that my dream could never by anything more than simply a dream, and that in fact, our world was destined for ruin. I see things differently now, and my idea of the world has been informed by my experience of it; I’m no longer much of an idealist, nor am I a pessimist.</p> Wed, 06 Nov 2024 16:53:51 +0000 Erica Crawford 2864 at /morsl /morsl/article/holidays-and-holy-days-spiritual-wellness/spooky-stories-and-spirituality <p>Why are we drawn to spooky stories? Is this related to spirituality? I’ve been thinking about these questions this October as I discovered and became hooked on the podcast <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/76571Rfl3m7PLJQZKQIGCT">“Spooked.”</a></p> <p>I’ve found that there are ways these stories intrigue and benefit me, even spiritually.</p> Thu, 31 Oct 2024 15:00:17 +0000 Candice Wendt 2861 at /morsl /morsl/article/interfaith-dialogue/intercultural-and-interreligious-dialogue <p>The developing field of Interreligious/Interfaith Studies asserts something radical: that the phenomenon of religion isn’t something that can be meaningfully understood in the singular; that the study of religion should actually be the study of religions-in-relation; that—to quote Max Müller— “those who know one, know none.” In addition to this important insight, Interreligious/ Interfaith Studies asserts something even more radical: that this field of study should do more than just explain these relations, that it should train students how to help religious communities foster and nourish h</p> Mon, 28 Oct 2024 19:50:42 +0000 Elyse Macleod 2860 at /morsl