Simply recognizing, or even celebrating, that trans people are equal and essential members of the body of Christ may not adequately overcome a world of anti-trans violence and loathing.

The rear door of the chapel opened, and in came a man wearing a chef's hat and pushing a food cart loaded with hot dogs and beer. Coming down the center aisle, he called out in a loud voice: "Free food!" To me, that's what Communion is all about.

We who care about religious communities must also pay close attention to ways in which online religious ideas and practices--even the virtual presence of the one Christians call Christ--manage to make real bodily difference in the actual world.

Even though Armstrong was insistent on maintaining a big lie as part of his public persona, that doesn't mean that everything he said when shaking hands with somebody was a lie. It doesn't erase whatever gold medals kids were inspired to win after they heard Armstrong give a speech about beating cancer.

Never mind it's based entirely on fantasy. But the pleasure of anticipation must outweigh the disappointment of reality, or else we wouldn't keep doing it, right?