Latest Articles
Church of England ‘one generation from extinction’ says former archbishop
c. 2013 Religion News Service...
Crippling fantasies
Don Jon is not about a porn addict saved by a good woman. It's about the unhealthy collision of two people who are ready only for broken relationships.
Preach it like Lincoln
In the Gettysburg Address, we see the classic preacher's conundrum: the call to put words around that which is ineffable. Can we do it in 272 words?
Civil religion at Gettysburg
Lincoln turned toward the philosophical case for abolition for the same reason Roosevelt turned toward the Four Freedoms: because so much death could not be allowed to leave the world untransfigured.
Tuesday digest
New today from the Century: Ben Dueholm and MaryAnn McKibben Dana on the Gettysburg Address, Beth Felker Jones on Don Jon, more.
Tuesday digest
New today from the Century: Ben Dueholm and MaryAnn McKibben Dana on the Gettysburg Address, Beth Felker Jones on Don Jon, more.
Servant, predator and too-entitled pastors
When I began in ministry, men took the time to advise and counsel me. There were few women, and the ones who were there were far away from the rural swamp where I served. They were in more urban areas, miles from the lectionary group where we sipped chicory coffee. It took me years to sort out that I needed to consider the source. I was dealing with different issues than the pastors surrounding me.
One God, one Lord
How can Paul navigate the choppy waters of a pagan environment, with its idols and temples? The obvious place to start is the Shema.
The power of powers
This week my Century lectionary column focused on the text from Luke. Here are several threads I found useful but could not weave into the final piece.
Monday digest
New today from the Century: N. T. Wright on Paul and monotheism, Laura Kelly Fanucci on a calling that comes full circle, more.
The Ash & Clay, by the Milk Carton Kids
Most Americana duos don’t sound as much like Gillian Welch and David Rawlings as people say they do. But the Milk Carton Kids’ resemblance is uncanny.
Methodist bishops asked to charge one of their own for performing gay wedding
c. 2013 Religion News Service...
Activists to fast on Capitol Hill until Congress passes immigration reform
c. 2013 Religion News Service...
Humanists warn public schools over Franklin Graham’s ‘Operation Christmas Child’
c. 2013 Religion News Service...
Vision Forum shuts down after patriarchy proponent’s ‘serious sins’
c. 2013 Religion News Service...
Jewish and pacifist: Jesus and the Old Testament
The Old Testament displays an ongoing conversation between conflicting views of God's character. In light of this, Jesus' story becomes very important.
Translation vs. resurrection
Someone recently asked me about why Jesus’ death was understood by Christians as a resurrection rather than a “bodily translation to heaven” or something of the sort....
Running on empty
We live in the land of all-you-can eat buffets. We entertain ourselves, so we never have to feel loneliness. Our celebrity culture brands ordinary people, so that we can keep consuming one another, never allowing space for loathesome humanity. We keep ourselves productive so we don’t have to mourn. If we fill our lives full with stuff, food, distraction and entertainment, we'll never even have to think about the emptiness.