Latest Articles
Reformed Communion moves office from Geneva
The World Communion of Reformed Churches, which represents 80 million Christians in 108 countries, has voted to move its executive offices from Geneva, Switzerland, to Hanover, Germany, by December...
Cokesbury closes its stores as book buyers go online
Following a national decline in sales at retail bookstores, the United Methodist Publishing House will shut down all of its 57 Cokesbury stores, including 19 at seminaries, by April....
New Congress religiously diverse, less Protestant
Three Buddhists, a Hindu and a “none” will walk into the 113th Congress, and it’s no joke. Rather, it’s a series of firsts that reflect the growing religious diversity of the country....
Advent 1C: Jeremiah 33:14-16; Luke 21:25-36
When Advent comes, I worry, agonize and cry. Advent is daunting. Advent is my Everest. That’s why this year I’ve decided to add humor. I’ve taped a greeting card above my computer....
Two fiscal questions
Wonkblog has taken to using “austerity crisis” in place of “fiscal cliff.” They’re right: “fiscal” is not very specific, while “cliff” suggests a problem that happens all at once.
The reality is a crisis that unfolds over time. And it’s caused not by our fiscal policy in general but by something very specific: a severe austerity package actively imposed by Congress the last couple times it kicked the can down the road.
And as we saw then, there are really two questions at hand: when to reduce the deficit and how. The latter is a relatively straightforward partisan standoff. The former has become rhetorically rather bizarre.
Tuesday digest
New today from the Century: Carol Zaleski on immortality, Steve Thorngate on the fiscal cliff, more.
Preparing for Christmas, by Richard Rohr
A new trade edition, Preparing for Christmas sounds the notes you’d expect from the popular Franciscan speaker and writer....
World Famous Headliners, by World Famous Headliners
As Music City songwriters, Al Anderson, Shawn Camp and Pat McLaughlin have penned hits for Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood and Don Williams....
Who is communion for? The debate over the open table
Offering the elements to the unbaptized can be seen as a development and not a revolution, but it is a significant change. Is it a good one?
Holy citizens
This Sunday is the Feast of Christ the King. All of the readings for this Sunday focus on kingship—David’s, God’s, Jesus’. Jesus’ views on kingship are revealed in his famous discussion with Pilate. Jesus makes it clear that his kingship is directed at testifying to the truth.
Jesus is a king with a specific mission: he has come into the world to testify to the truth.
Avoiding the trappings of power
On many accounts, it would be good to learn from the religious right and their demise. What happened? Why did they fall into irrelevancy? Can we avoid the same problems? How?
Monday digest
New today from the Century: the open-table debate, learning from the religious right, more.
Del Rio, Texas, Revisited, Radney Foster
Radney Foster pulls off a neat trick: a live re-recording of his first solo album from 20 years ago, Del Rio, Texas, 1959....
Report: White Christian voters no longer hold keys to the White House
The road to the White House is no longer white and Christian....
Atheists sue IRS for failure to monitor church politicking
A First Amendment watchdog group is suing the Internal Revenue Service for failing to challenge the tax-exempt status of churches whose pastors engage in partisan politicking from the pulpit....
Episcopal leader says S.C. diocese can't secede
Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said Thursday (Nov....
Disciples like me
The more I learned about the Disciples, the more I felt this was the church for me. Then, inevitably, I found the skeleton in the Disciples’ closet.
Links? Links.
Here are some things I read recently but didn't get around to blogging about: Doctors Without Borders comes to Queens, communion-denial jumps the shark, more.