Latest Articles
Century Marks
Rinse cycle: A priest assigned to serve the Hispanic population in eastern North Carolina decided to go where the people are....
Pomp and circumstance: Bush as commencement speaker
It was a blustery day in late April when a colleague poked his head into my office and asked, “Have you heard the news? Nicholas Wolterstorff has been replaced as commencement speaker....
Judicial posts: For justice or just us?
When some leading Christian conservatives threw their weight behind Republican efforts recently to speed Senate approval of judicial nominees of President Bush, they subtitled their widely viewed “...
Benedict signals that non-Catholic ties are important: The new pope's interfaith outreach
At a meeting that underlined the high priority he may give to dialogue with non-Catholics—both Christians and the faithful of other religions—Pope Benedict XVI met with more than 30 non-Catholic re...
Fired Habitat founder forms similarly named ministry in same city Building Habitat "not intended to compete": Building Habitat "not intended to compete"
Habitat for Humanity founder Millard Fuller, who was fired in January from his house-building organization, has announced a new housing ministry to be located in the same city, Americus, Georgia....
Knippers, conservative critic of mainline, dies: One of Time magazine's 25 most influential evangelicals
Diane Knippers, 53, president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, a conservative center best known for decrying progressive stances and liberal leaders in mainline denominations, died April...
Reformed museum for the ‘Protestant Rome’ Geneva's International Museum of the Reformation: Geneva's International Museum of the Reformation
Geneva is known around the world as the birthplace of the Calvinist Reformation, and now the Swiss city that is sometimes called the Protestant Rome has the International Museum of the Reformation ...
Senators’ bill would OK stem cell studies: Cloning would be banned
A group of U.S. senators has a proposal it says will alleviate fears of stem cell research. But critics say it would do just the opposite....
Iliff settles with Latino ex-president: David Maldonado says justice issues resolved
Although charges of “institutional racism” at Iliff School of Theology in Denver are still under review, the United Methodist–related seminary has reached an agreement with its first Latino preside...
Portrait of a pastor: Mysteries and blessings
It seems as if all the pastors I know either have read Marilynne Robinson’s novel Gilead or claim that it is on the top of the pile of books they intend to read....
Seeing with a thousand eyes: Passion for reading
For several weeks I’ve toted around Bruce Chatwin’s book The Songlines, on the off chance of having more time for it....
Reading Islam: An extended teachable moment
Prior to September 11, 2001, a substantial majority in the United States approached Islam with a strange kind of detailed ignorance....
Alternative universe: Under John Paul, the church as a total culture
Where were you on the day John Paul II died? I won’t soon forget, for I was caught in a looking-glass world of improbable encounters and reactions....
A new Powell doctrine: A preference for words over military force
In the film The Interpreter, Silvia Broome (Nicole Kidman) tells Secret Service agent Tobin Keller (Sean Penn) that she works as an interpreter at the United Nations because she prefers word...
The pope and me: Claiming acquaintance
It’s easy to find weird epitaphs in old graveyards, in books of quotations or via the Internet....
When in Rome: Hopes for Benedict XVI
It was fascinating to be in Rome on the day Pope John Paul II died and to be in Italy as the College of Cardinals elected Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger to be the new head of the Roman Catholic Church.<...
PCUSA, largest Korean church in dispute: Faction secedes
In a complicated dispute with its largest Korean congregation, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has brought in a former General Assembly moderator, Syngman Rhee, to lead services for denominational...
Connecticut OKs gay civil unions: First state to legalize without court order
Connecticut has become the first state to legalize same-sex unions without being forced to do so by a court....
Briefly noted
The church council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has recommended that its churchwide assembly in August approve interim sharing of the Eucharist between the ELCA and the Unit...