Author Archives: Philip E Jenks

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About Philip E Jenks

Philip, a synodical deacon in the ELCA Metropolitan New York synod, is a retired communicator for American Baptist Churches USA, the U.S. Conference for the World Council of Churches, the U.S. National Council of Churches, and two Philadelphia area daily newspapers. He and his spouse, the Rev. Dr. Martha M. Cruz, are the parents of six adults and are members of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Rye Brook, N.Y. They live in Port Chester, N.Y.

Odyssey of a Would-Be Cartoonist, Part 5

Posted on July 23, 2018 by Philip E Jenks

Eastern Baptist College, Part 3 Either despite or because of the tenor of the times, the spiritual dimension of life at Eastern was never lost.   And the theological discourse was rarely tame.  

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Odyssey of a Would-Be Cartoonist, Part 4

Posted on July 23, 2018 by Philip E Jenks

Eastern Baptist College, Part 2

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Odyssey of a Would-Be Cartoonist, Part 3

Posted on July 23, 2018 by Philip E Jenks

Eastern Baptist College July 23, 2018 – I spent barely six months at McConnell AFB, Kansas, from February to August 1968. It was the briefest and, in some ways, the most educational period of my Air Force experience. As a … Continue reading →

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The Lutheran Peacemaker

Posted on July 3, 2018 by Philip E Jenks

July 4, 2018 – Independence Day need not be devoted entirely to martial marches and soldierly invocations. Even our founding parents envisioned it as a day that should be celebrated in peace. In 1971, as an ex-GI engaged in the … Continue reading →

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Shining Light on Luther by Standing in his shadow

Posted on June 25, 2018 by Philip E Jenks

June 25, 2018, Feast Day of Philip Melanchthon, 1497-1560 Martin Luther’s friend and supporter, Melanchthon honed and refined Lutheranism as we know it today. With Luther he joined in the denunciation of indulgences, excessive saint worship, the sacrament of penance, … Continue reading →

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John and John

Posted on June 15, 2018 by Philip E Jenks

I knew I understood Blackie Ryan, a fictional priest who appears in 17 novels by Father Andrew Greeley, because he esteemed three great Johns in his youth: John Unitas, John Kennedy, and John XXIII. I was never much into Unitas, … Continue reading →

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White Russians and Yeltsin in the Wings

Posted on May 31, 2018 by Philip E Jenks

May 31, 2018 – A year ago this month, the safety of secret Soviet spies Elizabeth and Philip Jennings, posing as middle-class Americans in the U.S., was assured by none other than the World Council of Churches. Elizabeth and Philip … Continue reading →

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Our God is a God of Peace

Posted on May 23, 2018 by Philip E Jenks

Port Chester, N.Y., May 23, 2018 – Note: I’ve written several times about my ambivalence toward military memorials and celebrations, and I’m reposting this essay, slightly edited,  from last year. As U.S. women and men in uniform serve on many … Continue reading →

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Saints Who Encouraged and Inspired

Posted on May 16, 2018 by Philip E Jenks

   

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Breaking into Hitler’s House

Posted on May 10, 2018 by Philip E Jenks

Pile the bodies high at Austerlitz and Waterloo.  Shovel them under and let me work–  I am the grass; I cover all. And pile them high at Ypres and Verdun. Shovel them under and let me work. Two years, ten … Continue reading →

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