Latest Articles
Clergy tax break under review
A federal judge has ruled that an Internal Revenue Service exemption that allows clergy to shield a portion of their salary from federal income taxes is unconstitutional....
Beauty and thanksgiving
The proximity of Thanksgiving and Advent evokes in me an awareness and celebration of the ways God comes into the world.
Unpleasant messages
It is often observed by my friends, and even by my wife, that I might be a little too “angry” for someone who supposedly is called to a ministry of presenting the gospel to others. They don’t go so far as to call me a hypocrite, but I do think they’re pointing out that I’m not always that nice, that I don’t necessarily embody forgiveness (or even the golden rule), that “Christian” implies a graciousness I simply lack.
To be honest, I’m okay with the criticism.
Monday digest
New today from the Century: Changes to the Century site, year-end picks in fiction and theology/spirituality, more.
This blog is going on paternity leave
So, I'm a dad, and I'm taking paternity leave. It'll be several weeks before I'm posting regularly again.
Black, Hispanic end-of-life views rooted in faith, family — and mistrust
c. 2013 Religion News Service
WASHINGTON (RNS) “A higher power will deliver me.”
“If Jesus suffered, I’m going to suffer.”...
Congress pushes for release of American pastor imprisoned in Iran
c. 2013 Religion News Service...
Behind scenes, Catholic bishops seek an exit strategy for Obamacare mandate
c. 2013 Religion News Service...
Facing death: fight, choose or let it come
Death may be inevitable, but one in three Americans—including most blacks and Hispanics—want doctors never to quit fighting it....
World of wonders
The other day on St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis embraced a man suffering from a disfiguring disease called neurofibromatosis, which causes tumors to grow all over the skin. The pope’s action had a stunning, parable-like clarity, evoking Gospel stories of Jesus reaching out to the sick and marginalized.
Also today: Benjamin Britten's 100th birthday
While my life and mind have been shaped by both American evangelicalism and political liberalism, I feel little personal connection to either C. S. Lewis or John F. Kennedy. Like a lot of people, I have mixed feelings about both men; perhaps more importantly, I wasn't around yet when they died. In any case, neither anniversary made me catch my breath this week.
Here's what did: Benjamin Britten's 100th birthday.
Friday digest
New today from the Century: Heath Carter reviews Ira Katznelson, Steve Thorngate observes Benjamin Britten's 100th birthday, more.
How we got here
Were liberal democracies ill equipped to manage the crises of the 1930s? It was a genuine question, as Ira Katznelson underscores in this engrossing book.
Expectations are high for summit between Pope Francis and Vladimir Putin
c. 2013 Religion News Service...