The mission of this blog is to stimulate interest in the deeply perceptive and still-relevant teachings of Levi A. Olan (1903-1984) by sharing from the Levi A. Olan Sermons and Images at Bridwell Library Digital Collection. The title "Conscience of the City" was applied to Rabbi Olan by a Fortune magazine reporter in 1964. Although Olan's city was Dallas, his thought transcends locality. Our goal is to...
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On Praying to a Limited God
“If God can do anything and He loves all mankind, and He does not use His power to help His child, He is either not God or not good, as the poet McLeish told us …
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Men fail over and over again
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The business of religion
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Yet One More Plague
“One of the oldest and most persistent of our human failings is our stubborn refusal to learn from experience.” Rabbi Olan’s sermon “Yet One More Plague,” delivered on February 9, 1964, begins with a dramatic …
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Can God Really Help?
“All man really wants to hear from God is: ‘I am.'” On February 2, 1964 Rabbi Olan returned to some familiar themes found in many of his radio sermons: the existence of God, the nature …
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God just is
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What Should Dallas Do Now?
“The people want desperately to forget the tragedy and go on with the business of living as though nothing had happened here.” On January 19, 1964, Rabbi Olan posed a question to the citizens of …
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Salvation For Modern Man
“We are involved in a partnership with the universe which promises a better day for humankind.” On January 12, 1964, Rabbi Olan spoke about salvation: a word used by many religions, each with their own …
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Religion at Bargain Prices
“It has been suggested that our culture is dominated by the values of the market place. The worth of anything is determined not by its intrinsic value, but by what it will bring on the …
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The Unforgivable Sin
“We of today are not at home with the idea of sin because we are alien to God and His demands upon our lives.” Today’s sermon deals with a seemingly strange story from the Book …
