Latest Articles
For-profit Christian school is awarded a free campus
A for-profit Christian university in Arizona has won one of the education world’s most sought-after prizes: a free, historic, freshly renovated campus in the rolling hills of western Massachusetts....
Mormon blogger faces probe over comments on temple, not on Romney
A Mormon blogger who has written critical web essays about Mormon history, temple worship and contemporary issues—including essays about GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney—is facing church discip...
Americans overstate size of religious minorities
The typical American underestimates how many Protestants there are in the United States and vastly overestimates the size of religious minorities such as Mormons, Muslims and atheist/agnostics, acc...
Report says religion spurs African illegal ivory trade
Since the ban on international trade of ivory in 1989, the ivory black market has been on the rise, and a National Geographic investigation found that demand for religious art pieces carve...
Clergy sabbatical program transferred to seminary
A popular sabbatical program for clergy launched in 2000 by the Lilly Endowment philanthropic foundation has been transferred to Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, the foundation annou...
Weird monk jokes
I have lately been reading stories of the desert monastics, collected by the monk John Moschos in the seventh century. I don’t think I get it.
My pattern has been to feel slightly offended—sometimes even disgusted—by a story, and then walk away from it, wander around for awhile and finally realize that the story was probably a joke. In its own context, the main thing it elicited was probably laughter. But for me the humor is so strange, so wry, so unexpected that I don’t perceive it for hours.
Jordan tour: In the desert
Petra is Jordan’s most popular tourist attraction, and it’s in an area where many poor Bedouins live. So you’re never far from a vendor of some kind, though once you get into the park a ways their wares get a bit tamer. But neither Indiana Jones tote bags nor simple camel-bone beads can distract you from what you’re seeing in the ancient Nabatean city.
Constructive use of jealousy
I get jealous. I try not to, but I hope that I’ve also begun to recognize and constructively use the emotion. Here are some dos and don’ts that I practice to make sure that the little green monster doesn’t take over my life.
It’s All True, by Sylvie Lewis
This singer-songwriter with a breathy tenor-alto takes a successful chance on the opening track, “Dylan’s Arms.” As spare guitar meets lush, multilayered vocals, Lewis offers a starry-eyed ode to t...
The good grain: Restoring wild rice in the North
Wild rice is like maple syrup or morel mushrooms: producers need customers who know the real thing and are willing to pay more for it.
Jesus learned
I have been talking a lot lately about how Biblical inerrantists are forced to twist the Bible in order to defend their doctrine about the Bible....
Once again, the alleged Catholic vote
Molly Worthen's call for a stronger liberal Catholic voice in the public square is a good and thoughtful read. But it's hard to let this go by:
Allowing Republicans to claim the mantle of Catholicism might cost the Democrats the election. As commentators have noted, Catholics may be the nation’s most numerous swing voters.
Noise level
"Noise is not the most important problem in the world," Garret Keizer begins. But he makes a robust case for noise's far-reaching effects.
Soup night at the bar: The rules are simple
Staring down the barrel of another Chicago winter at age 40, I was a little freaked. Then I started to serve soup.
Sunday, October 7, 2012: Mark 10:2-16
One summer when I was a children’s camp counselor at a Presbyterian camp in northern Indiana, I spent long days listening to what we counselors affectionately referred to as nonstop “wubbins questi...
Three simple ways to appreciate your associate pastor
Associate pastors, youth ministers, and other staff ministers often do the unglamorous jobs of ministry without much recognition....
I’m Just Dead I’m Not Gone, by James Luther Dickinson and the North Mississippi Allstars
In his storied career, Jim Dickinson produced some of rock’s greatest acts (Big Star, the Replacements). Here his sons Luther and Cody, who gained fame as the North Mississippi Allstars, accompany him in a live gig recorded three years before his death in 2009.
Worship without walls
Public ritual might be construed as a benign relic, as imperialism, or as marketing. Or it might be seen as a form of pilgrimage.
When we need the Spirit's help
My Dad was a pastor. He began his ministry in the early 50’s, when mainline churches were growing like weeds and a clerical collar would elicit a discount at the local department store and a complementary membership in the country club.
Not so for my son, who has also worked a pastor. He paid full price for his coffee at Starbucks, where he led discussions with Millennials who wouldn’t dream of darkening the door of his grandfather’s church.
Bonus round: What's the _____ in seven words?
The Century's seven-word gospel project, which we started almost a year ago, got another wave of reaction recently when David Heim wrapped it up with a short article in the magazine.