Like the familiar laments in Psalms, blues artists forthrightly engaged the issues in life that the church would not discuss—such as sexuality, theodicy, and the unabated despair of the people. The lyrics were straightforward and sometimes raunchy, but they captured th...

Tap dance as a secular contemplative practice came into my view at an Atlanta showing of the Broadway show Bring in ’Da Noise, Bring in ’Da Funk. The show was a tap-dancing re-creation of the journey of the black community from Africa through the present day. In this s...