Latest Articles
Smiley faces
A recent obituary leads me to return to a question that now and then shows up in my writing and speaking: what happened during the recent past to change a formerly virtuous America into the chaotic...
A letter to Timothy
Dear Timothy, As I was preparing a brief meditation on the “last words” of Jesus, I thought of you....
Families in crisis: Two parents are better than one
From Culture Wars to Common Good: Religion and the American Family Debate, 2nd ed. by Don S. Browning, Bonnie J. Miller-McLemore, Pamela D. Couture, K. Brynolf Lyon and Robert M....
A week of signs: The first seven days of a pastor
In his memoir Open Secrets, Richard Lischer tells of his search for a pastoral vocation in “New Cana,” a small town in southern Illinois....
The turn in the path: Sunday, May 20 (John 14:23-29; Revelation 21:10)
In garden design, gates and curved paths and alcoves satisfy a human desire for mystery and resolution. A well-planned garden mirrors the invitation to pilgrimage and spiritual completion....
Standing his ground
Cardinal Ratzinger: The Vatican's Enforcer of the Faith by John L. Allen Jr....
The Dutch story: Legalizing euthanasia
In the course of arguing against legalizing euthanasia, ethicist William F....
Under fire: A surfeit of sexual politics
In one of his classes, Stanley Hauerwas was asked,“What do you think of Willimon’s preaching?” Hauerwas said, “My main criticism is that Willimon is far too subtle, much too...
Right of return: Can the Palestinians go home?
In the Jubilee vision of Leviticus 25, the dispossessed and disenfranchised are allowed to return to their ancestral homes every 50 years....
Barth and beyond: Making grace real
With a new generation of theologians reevaluating the theology of Karl Barth, some are suggesting that this pivotal figure of the 20th century may enjoy his greatest influence in the 21st....
Hard words
One reason I teach undergraduate religion instead of preaching is that I am not sure preaching can be taught....
Natural prayers
In the long history of this column, I have never received so much positive and helpful correspondence as I did in response to the one (January 24) that incidentally mentioned how I had cherished bu...
Plagued: The new challenge to public health
Betrayal of Trust: The Collapse of Global Public Health by Laurie Garrett...
Witness and remember: McVeigh's execution should be televised
After 30 years of directing funerals, I’ve come to believe in open caskets....
Right of return: Can the Palestinians go home?
In the Jubilee vision of Leviticus 25, the dispossessed and disenfranchised are allowed to return to their ancestral homes every 50 years....
Living in the Bible
Reading the Bible Again for the First Time: Taking the Bible Seriously But Not Literally by Marcus J. Borg...