Rev. Stefan M. Jonasson

ICELAND

From Western Icelanders to Icelandic Canadians (PDF) - Is there a
difference between being a Western Icelander and being an Icelandic
Canadian? I think there is and the difference is more than just a
semantic one. Icelandic Canadians have been part of a bold and
imaginative experiment, where the Icelandic heritage enriches what it
means to be a Canadian for all Canadians, and being Canadian fulfills the
hope embodied in our ancestors’ noblest dreams.

Icelandic Spiritualism: A Review (PDF) - Icelandic lore is so full of
accounts of spiritual and paranormal phenomena that a scholarly study
of their impact on Icelandic religion was long overdue by the time William
H. Swatos, Jr., and Loftur Reimar Gissurarson completed Icelandic
Spiritualism, their study of “mediumship and modernity” in Icelandic
religion. Their book is a welcome contribution to understanding the
distinct (even idiosyncratic) nature of religious life in modern Iceland.

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM

The Most Dangerous Church in America? (PDF) - A chance comment
by a Mormon missionary led me to wonder whether being a dangerous
church might not be a good thing! In a world where the most vulgar
forms of exploitation infect economics, where racism continues to poison
human relations, where the drums of war drown out the songs of peace,
and where the dignity of persons is trampled upon by the almost
unrestrained march of the powerful and privileged, then those who call
for economic equity and racial justice, and those who strive for world
community and affirm the dignity of persons, will inevitably be viewed as
dangerous. So, how dangerous are we?

Salvation and the Email Mission (PDF) - We redeem this world one
person at time and we never know when a letter or an e-mail, a
telephone chat or a casual conversation with a stranger is going to make
all the difference in the world to someone in need.

Towards a Culture of Abundance (PDF) - In seeking to nurture a
culture of abundance among Unitarian Universalists, we must first
acknowledge that most of our congregations are actually characterized
by a culture of scarcity. Amidst competing demands for our resources,
Unitarian Universalists seem inclined to view time and money as
commodities in short supply.

Beyond the Organizational Chart (PDF) - The quality of relationship
between the board of a congregation and its staff looks no more like an
organizational chart than dancing looks like those dance-step templates
that get laid out on the ballroom floor. Much depends on goodwill and
maturity, clarity and commitment. In the end, the real life of the
congregation is lived beyond the organizational chart.