Anthony B. Robinson

Tony is a writer, teacher, speaker and ordained minister (United Church of Christ). He served as Senior Minister of Seattle’s Plymouth Congregational Church for fourteen years. His newest book is Useful Wisdom: Letters to Young (and not so young) Ministers. He divides his time between Seattle and a cabin in Wallowa County of northeastern Oregon. If you’d like to know more or receive his regular blogs in your email, go to his site listed above to sign-up.

On the Road Again (and why am I Sounding like Such a Curmudgeon?)

The upshot is that travel, like a lot of things in the land of the free and home of the brave is short on grace and graciousness.

Truth in Labeling: The Trump Voters

In the wake of the election, I’ve been trying to focus less on Trump himself (delegating that, so to speak, to a legion of others), and more on those who voted for him, many of them new in his camp as of this election.

Revolt Against the Elites: Up and Down, Not Right and Left

Maybe that left/right framework is missing something. Maybe it even misses what’s really going on today.

Understanding Trump Voters: Be Baffled? Or be Curious?

Instead of judging — labeling and dismissing — these voters, our fellow citizens, one might be curious. What motivated them? Why did some shift, if uneasily, from the party of their parents and grandparents?

So That Happened…

I suspect two aspects of Democratic strategy backfired. All the court cases against Trump only added to his image as a fighter against the establishment and hardened the loyalty of his base, maybe even enlarging it.

Don’t Buy the Substitute Religion of Politics

As America has become a more secularized society, politics has emerged as a "replacement" religion for more traditional religions.

Election Puzzle: Crime Is Down but People Feel Unsafe

People aren’t feeling it because while certain types of violent crime are down, a different category — social disorder — is up. What falls under “social disorder”?

Surprises From Our Walking Tour of Japan: Kyoto is a Big City

At a Zen Temple we visited there were several wonderful “dry fish pond gardens” with swept sand representing water. One had been created by a Japanese convert to Christianity who hid a cross in the design of the garden.

Why do Many Voters Support Trump?

My perplexed fellow traveler and I tend to look at and listen to Trump, shake our heads and say, “I don’t get it.” And we don’t. We live in blue bubbles. He in L. A., me in Seattle.

What Happened to Coach Tim?

Walz needed some Ronald Reagan-esque wry amusement over his opponent. Some humor. And even a little confident condescension toward his much younger opponent.

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