Features
My church loyalties: Why I am not yet a Catholic
On two occasions I decided to become Catholic. Both times I had to wait because I had been asked to preach or preside as a Methodist.
On not choosing sides: The peacemaking challenge in Israel/Palestine
Why is so much energy aimed at protesting Israel's occupation of the West Bank? Such actions are unlikely to move the levers of power.
In the place of Jesus: Insights from Origen on prayer
Growing in prayer is not simply acquiring a set of special spiritual skills. It is growing into Christian humanity.
Books
Bonhoeffer’s loves
Charles Marsh brings readers closer to Dietrich Bonhoeffer than, at the very least, any prior biographer writing in English.
The Childhood of Jesus, by J. M. Coetzee
J. M. Coetzee reportedly wanted readers to discover the title of The Childhood of Jesus after reading it. I thought of this often as I read it.
The Torah, the Gospel, and the Qur’an, by Anton Wessels
Anton Wessels emphasizes points of convergence among the Abrahamic religions, even assimilating their scriptural perspectives into a single story. It's an audacious wager, and not without dangers.
Lord and God
Bart Ehrman's conclusions aren't novel to anyone familiar with historical scholarship on Christology. But those aren't the readers he has in mind.
Departments
Imagining Cuba’s future
Cuba possesses the conditions often cited to explain Pentecostal growth: rapid social change, economic turmoil, and excluded ethnic groups.
TV with friends
I have always watched TV in community. In many ways these communities of shared stories have shaped the stories I tell about my life.
Mask of Fear, by Sergio Gomez
Sergio Gomez’s works are explorations of personhood and identity....
Art and prayer
At a historical art exhibit, I read that the images on display were intended for private devotion. Would it have been subversive of me to pray?
Church-state borders
The Supreme Court reflects the politics of the moment. And two recent decisions are in line with a shift of the current court toward the right.
Children at the door
Instead of seeking the ability to deport Central American children faster, Obama should treat this situation as the refugee crisis it is.
News
Baptist church ordains transgender woman
In what is likely a first, Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., has ordained Allyson Robinson, who was previously ordained as a man, to the gospel ministry....
Sexuality issues rarely prime cause of schism
The top legislative body of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) votes to allow ministers to preside at same-sex marriages and recommends changing the church’s definition of marriage to that of a “unique commitment between two people.”...
Gay groups drop support for antidiscrimination bill
A 20-year effort to protect gays and lesbians from workplace discrimination is facing a major setback after a coalition of gay rights and civil liberties groups pulled their support because of an exemption for religious groups....
Church of England votes approval of women bishops
After 20 years of turmoil and angry debate, the General Synod of the Church of England said yes to women bishops....
Pope Francis meets with American televangelists
What does it take to produce the first ever papal high five? A meeting with American televangelists, apparently....
Francis meets with victims of abuse, promises ‘accountability’
Pope Francis recently held his first meeting with victims of clergy sexual abuse, begging for forgiveness and promising to hold “accountable” the bishops who were complicit in covering up for predatory priests....
PCUSA cuts controversial booklet from its website
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has removed from its website a booklet that many Jewish groups have criticized as hostile to Israel and denigrating to Judaism....
Lectionary
Sunday, August 17, 2014: Genesis 45:1-15; Matthew 15:21-28
Joseph knows what he is seeing. His brothers do not.
Sunday, August 10, 2014: Romans 10:5-15
Our age is tremendously excited about the visual. Yet here is Paul, firm in the conviction that "faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ."