A Case for Followers of Christ Engaging the SDGs by Dwight J. Friesen I want to suggest that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are not a political experiment or a secular distraction—they are a faithful, tangible way to live out
This is my presentation titled, “Inner Development Goals & Faith for Cities: Cultivating the Inner Capacities for Sustainable Urban Futures.” I was hoping to present it in person in Yogyakarta, Indonesia next week but sadly my funding fell through. The
Thank you to all the St Paul people and groups who collaborated together to co-create the 2025 “Theology Beer Camp,” hosted by Tripp Fuller of Homebrewed Christianity. Special thanks to the good folx at Luther Seminary for hosting the pre-event
Yesterday, October 1, 2025, the world lost one of its most extraordinary voices for creation. Dr. Jane Morris Goodall, died at the age of 91. Her journey from curious child to pioneering primatologist, conservationist, and global humanitarian is a reminder
In just a few days – September 28, 2025 to be exact – this nation will observe National Good Neighbor Day. A real holiday signed in effect by none other than President Jimmy Carter. The idea is so simple. On
My good friends, colleagues, and fellow labors for a better urban future for all and everything at Faith for Cities have issued a call for papers for a conference in this November in Indonesia. The theme is: “Religion & the
The IDG Summit website states: Today’s world is dividing socially and politically, environmentally and technologically. Leading to ever-growing tensions, conflicts and even war. As a consequence, we find ourselves pulled between opposing stories, values and worldviews. Making it harder to
Over the past week, cities across the United States have erupted with protests and riots in response to recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions—particularly in Los Angeles, where tensions boiled over after a series of aggressive raids. These aren’t
With the recent – May 8, 2025 – election of Pope Leo XIV, we find ourselves at the beginning of a new chapter in the unfolding story of Christ’s church. While each papal transition carries its own significance, there’s something
Next week I’ll be in Nashville participating in the Post-Evangelcial Collective’s national gathering. The conference gathers pastors, artists, and church leaders in the post-evangelical space to connect, share resources, learn from one another, and discover that we’re not alone as
CANCELLED I’m sorry to say that the class I was planning to teach as part of VST’s Summer School had to be cancelled. VST has so many amazing Summer Classes, check out their lineup! Here is the title and description
Parish Collective’s annual Inhabit Conference is about two months away. The conference will be held in Chicago this year. Reserve your spot now. See you there! Peace, dwight
As part of this year’s “Day of Scholarship” at The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology, I presented a poster board highlighting some of the work I do in service of the UN-Habitat’s efforts at implementing the Sustainable Development Goals
As it says on The Other Journal’s website, the latest issue of the journal is akin to a roundtable response to Esther Meek’s work as the Senior Scholar at The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology. The issue features a thoughtful
This is my 25th top ten list of books for the year. Wow, I’m really getting old! In celebration of my book list’s silver anniversary, I’ve revisited all my prior years’ lists… so fun for me to see what I
UN-Habitat’s 12th session of the World Urban Forum wrapped up at the end of last week. A standard practice at the end of these kinds of conferences is the crafting and release of a summary statement which includes a “Call
Earlier today I came across a post-election reflection piece on the Church Anew website by Dr. Walter Brueggemann… the wise, influential, and kind Hebrew Bible scholar. Brueggemann’s article is titled, “Beyond the Fetal Position,” and I commend it to you. Brueggemann
Well, I’m very excited that UN-Habitat’s 12th convening of the World Urban Forum is just a few days away. WUF is the world’s premier conference on sustainable urbanization. This year – for the first time – there is a Faith
This Saturday, I’m supposed to board a plane bound for Cairo, Egypt, to attend the 12th convening of the “World Urban Forum” (WUF12) hosted by UN-Habitat. It’s an event I’ve been eagerly anticipating—except for one small issue: my passport and
I am excited to take part in celebrating God’s call to serve as a minister of the liberating Gospel of Jesus of Nazareth in the life of Holly Greenidge. Holly’s ordination service will take place in Portland, Oregon, on Saturday,
There is still time to join the – first-ever – Faith Pavilion at UN-Habitat’s Twelveth convening of the World Urban Forum. Applications are due by Monday, October 14th, 2024. This is an amazing opportunity to meet and collaborate with global
Beginning later today, I will be serving as the Theologian in Residence for this year’s Western Gathering of Leaders. Innovative Episcopal leaders will be convening to share best practices, and I get to frame some of the shifts within Western
Next week, the Office of the President will be hosting Lisa Sharon Harper at The Seattle School to speak on a Christian call to engage the tragedies in Gaza. The school’s intention is to encourage our community to consider the
This weekend I get to preach at St. Columba’s Episcopal Church in Kent to launch a short series of midweek conversations about our evolving times and cultural context. My working title is: “What’s Going Here? Becoming St Columba’s in a
On Sunday, July 21st, 2024 – one week from today – I have the privilege of guest presiding & preaching at St Luke’s in North Bellevue. That week’s Gospel lectionary text is Mark 6:30-34 & 53-54 – while I’m still
So I was poking around the interwebs and stumbled across a little conversation about “gathering” that I forgot about. Enjoy… Peace, dwight View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Seattle School (@theseattleschool)
I highly commend Sue Phillips’s recent essay, “The Spiritual Infrastructure of the Future: Stewards of Religious Assets Should Embrace Spiritual Innovators.” Sue is on the founding team of the Workshop for Emotional and Spiritual Technology, a tech startup working to
The Seattle School recently filmed and uploaded a couple of Instagram posts describing the school’s MATC degree. Enjoy! Peace, dwight View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Seattle School (@theseattleschool) View this post on Instagram A post
