Latest Articles
Which global church? The Pentecostal World Fellowship and the WCC
Weeks after Pentecostals met in Malaysia, Christians from around the globe arrived in Korea. The gatherings represented very different groups.
Is Isaiah about Jesus?
What do these words from Isaiah ben Amoz mean for us?
My first instinct is to meditate on Isaiah 9 in light of its historical situation, which is bound up with the geopolitics of the late 8th century BCE.
Why should small churches give to seminaries?
You’re asking small churches to give money to seminaries, some of which have massive endowments. Do you know how many secretaries some of these seminaries have? Their secretaries have secretaries. And they keep adding vice presidents. The weirdest thing about the addition of all the management? The student body keeps dwindling. Many of these seminaries have residential student bodies that are the same size of our small church.
Safety net successes
Sen. Rubio would replace the EITC with wage supplements. He’s offered few details, but at least he agrees $18,000 is not enough to support a family.
Martin's many masks
In his role as prophet to the nation, Martin Luther King, Jr. drew on the ancient wisdom of both the Greeks and Hebrews....
The New Middle East, by Paul Danahar
Christians in the United States who are committed to accompanying the churches of the Middle East are looking for help in understanding the shifting dynamics of the region after the Arab Spring. Paul Danahar’s lengthy study would seem to promise such help.
Shocked by grace: A visit to death row
Every time I mentioned God, David referred to God’s mercy. Bandying sacred language back and forth with a convicted murderer unnerved me.
Whose transformation?
I once had occasion to meet with a potential confirmation student at a Subway restaurant. He was 6 feet tall, dressed like a punk and played in a rock band....
‘Dear Martin’: Bishop’s letters to MLK trace the highs and lows in race relations
c. 2014 Religion News Service...
In naming cardinals, pope looks to developing world
Pope Francis released the names of new cardinals on January 12, making some surprising choices that largely confirmed the characteristics he wants in the Catholic Church: a greater focus on the poo...
Christians in Libya uneasy about move to Shari‘a law
Church leaders in Libya remain hopeful that Christians in the mostly Muslim country will be allowed to practice their faith, even as the country appears to be moving toward Shari‘a law....
As if
Literary belief is always metaphorical, not actual. What about religious belief?
After six months out of work, it's extremely hard to find a job
This week, the Senate very nearly advanced an extension of unemployment benefits, but it couldn't quite get it done. While some congressional Republican favored an extension if it were offset by spending cuts elsewhere, a popular conservative argument holds that people who have longer access to unemployment benefits will take longer to find a job. The well-worn implication: why work for a living when you can get literally hundreds of dollars a month for free?
Everyday blessings
Novelist Kent Haruf has often drawn on his upbringing on the sparse eastern plains of Colorado. But in his latest novel, Benediction, Haruf inches closer to his roots than he ever has. One of his central characters is a minister in a small town church that’s much like the ones that Haruf grew up in as the son of a Methodist minister.
Pope Francis shakes up Vatican Bank, sets financial cap for sainthood
c. 2014 Religion News Service...
Federal judge strikes down Oklahoma same-sex marriage ban
A federal judge recently ruled that Oklahoma’s voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage violates the U.S. Constitution. Same-sex marriages were put on hold in the state, however, because U.S....
Investment option
Ministry is an undertaking of the entire church. Ministers flourish when they share their experience and reflect on it with others.