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Another take: Thinking critically about The Passion of the Christ
Along with other folks at the Christian Century, I saw The Passion of the Christ at a special screening hosted by the Chicago branch of the American Jewish Committee, whose offices are in th...
Significant others: Does the public have a reason to evaluate a candidate's spouse?
As John Kerry nailed down his grip on the Democratic nomination for president, Americans craned their necks for a look at his wife....
Century Marks
Organ grinder: The dean of Northwestern University’s School of Music has proposed ending its organ degree programs, citing low enrollment (only one undergraduate enrolled in the program in t...
Insecure in Baghdad: Hazards of nation building
Getting to Iraq requires a flight from neighboring Jordan that ends with a hair-raising flourish: a 60-degree “corkscrew” turn into the former Saddam International Airport....
Sidelined: Life after football
In April the NFL will bless about 250 draftees with a professional contract; the rest will be cleaning out their identities along with their lockers as they make a sharp turn out of football into n...
Court mends part of church-state wall: State support of religious education
The implications of Supreme Court decisions are often in the eye of the beholder....
Poor screening blamed for priestly abuse crisis: Celibacy and homosexuality not causes
Inadequate screening of potential priests, not celibacy or homosexuality, is to blame for the clergy sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church, according to a blue-ribbon panel formed by the natio...
'Invisible' UCC tries TV ads for exposure: A six-city campaign
Taking a cue from the United Methodists and other media-savvy denominations, the United Church of Christ will spend $1.3 million for a trial television ad campaign in six metropolitan areas through...
Polls: Gay marriage not a decisive issue: But more than half support constitutional amendment
Gay marriage is not a decisive issue for American voters in the 2004 presidential election, despite national debate over gay rights, according to recent polls....
Lutheran numbers up in Africa, down in Europe: Called an African Renaissance
The numbers of Lutherans in Africa has grown by 9 per cent over two years, but Lutheran church membership in Europe and North America has declined in the same period, according to statistics releas...
New York staffers sue Salvation Army: Charge religious and sexual intolerance
Staffers of the Salvation Army in New York state have sued the government-funded organization, alleging that it has preached religious and sexual intolerance to its employees....
Scholars ask academy to keep large meetings: American Academy of Religion
Hundreds of members of the large American Academy of Religion have petitioned the AAR board of directors to rescind last year’s decision to hold its annual meetings separately from the Society of B...
Baptist groups like new ecumenical body: Christian Churches Together
Leaders of the American Baptist Churches in the USA and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship say they are excited about potential opportunities for formal dialogue with other U.S....
Israel keeps Greek patriarch on hold: Reported ties with Arafat
In response to a series of legal challenges, Israel’s Supreme Court has frozen the appointment of the Greek patriarch of the Holy Land, Irineos I, whose position was to have been approved by Israel...
Briefly noted
Catholic leaders criticized the decision March 1 by the California Supreme Court requiring Catholic Charities to pay for birth control as part of its prescription plan for employees....
The problem with The Passion: Braveheart Christianity
The Buddha once remarked that understanding his instruction is like “trying to catch a poisonous snake in the wild”: it’s all too easy to get bitten....
Christians and Jews: Reactions to The Passion of the Christ
Years ago I was part of a religion class in which students were asked to share their religious autobiographies....
Passion pointers: Suggestions from the American Jewish Committee
The American Jewish Committee suggests that Passion plays should take these points into consideration:...