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Fabulous, Father!
The Guardian calls our attention to an "ideal church show" taking place yesterday and today in Manchester. Not New Hampshire, the other one, in the North of England.
Now, ordinarily a church supplies expo wouldn't capture much of our attention, besotted as it is with term papers and reality television. But the Guardian notes that this particular gathering will include a clerical fashion show, apparently featuring bespoke garments for the ecclesiastical set.
Nones on the Democratic bus
The possibly-spiritual-but-definitely-not-religious are growing in ranks, says the Pew Forum, and the resulting Nones On the Bus blogo-tour is as usual drawing good crowds.
Paul Waldman highlights one interesting subpoint: the Nones are growing not just more plentiful but also more Democratic. He credits Republican hostility to nonbelievers.
Thursday digest
New today from the Century: Melisa Goss on human trafficking, Walter Brueggemann reviews Jon Levenson, more.
Inheriting Abraham, by Jon D. Levenson
As long ago as 1996, Jon Levenson wrote an important article, “The Universal Horizon of Biblical Particularism.” In that piece he reflected on the way in which the Hebrew Bible adjudicated the part...
Unbolting the Dark, a Memoir, by Lynne Spellman
Spellman is more conscious of her losses than most people. Her mother died of breast cancer when she was 12....
The Teavangelicals, by David Brody
Almost half of those who identify with the Tea Party movement are conservative evangelicals....
Our Divided Political Heart, by E. J. Dionne Jr.
Dionne maintains that the contentiousness in contemporary U.S. politics is rooted in our history....
Into the darkness
Halloween's tradition of shadowy characters makes it as good a time as any to think on the reality of evil, sin and death that besets us.
Pulpit safety Sunday
Much has been said about Pulpit Freedom Sunday already, but there's still a thing or two to add.
First, let's talk about the political and legal aspects of the story. Reuters says it's "not entirely clear" why the IRS hasn't gone after churches making endorsements in recent years. I’d say the reason is actually pretty clear: the U.S. House of Representatives.
Religious bigotry vs. partisanship
Michigan pastor Kent Clark loves him some Paul Ryan but doesn't think Mitt Romney is a Christian.
Not a problem for anyone involved. As we learned last month from Pew (pdf), being a Mormon doesn't really hurt a person's chances among evangelical voters, even though many of them agree with Clark.
Wednesday digest
New today from the Century: Daniel Schultz on Pulpit Freedom Sunday, Edward Blum reviews John Turner's Brigham Young bio, more.
Brigham Young, by John G. Turner
Brigham Young, unlike Joseph Smith, played no role in the translation of the Book of Mormon. He never ran for president of the United States, as Smith did in 1844....
Take & read: Fall books
Our fall books issue includes the following annotated lists of top new titles: New Testament, practical theology and world Christianity/American religion.
The reading congregation: Editor Christopher Smith
"In 2010 we decided to do a quarterly print magazine," says Englewood Review of Books editor C. Christopher Smith. "We felt like we were moving against the cultural tide."
Sunday, October 21, 2012: Mark 10:35-45
I’ve always been a goal-oriented person. I like to run marathons, for example, because they turn my daily training runs into a work in progress....
Meet John Q. Nones: A profile of the fast-growing religiously unaffiliated
c. 2012 Religion News Service (RNS)...
The rise of the 'nones'
The number of Americans who say they have no religious affiliation has hit an all-time high—about one in five adults—according to a study released October 9 by the Pew Forum on Religion & Publi...
Speaking to the fear
The fear is palpable. The Obama supporters feel that a Romney presidency will completely erode our safety net, so that only the rich will survive. Women feel like any gains that they have eked out in society for the last few decades will be taken away completely. The Romney supporters think that we need to get someone in there who knows about business, or else our economy will collapse. They worry about the looming deficit and an oversized government, so they want Romney to make the tough decisions.
Lord, have mercy
The summer has brought some changes, big and small, to the congregation where I am a pastor. Of course, the big one is a new senior pastor....
Tuesday digest
New today from the Century: Amy Frykholm interviews Chris Smith, Tony Robinson's picks in practical theology, more.