Latest Articles
The many feminisms and sexual ethics
In her essay in The Postcolonial Studies Reader, “First
Things First,” Kirsten Holst Petersen writes about her experience...
Demons, by Cowboy Junkies
Vic Chesnutt, who died of an overdose in 2009, was one of the best and most unusual songwriters of his generation. Country-rock veterans Cowboy Junkies are far more conventional....
Holy imitation: A manual for disciples
In The Lausiac History, fifth-century saint Palladius argues that readers should imitate an ascetic vision, not specific ascetic practices.
The Tree of Life: Written and directed by Terrence Malick
For years, rumors abounded that Terrence Malick was working on a screenplay version of
the book of Genesis. Though Genesis: The Movie has not yet come to fruition, The Tree of Life comes close to being such a film.
Parochial schools not immune to bullies
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (RNS) Middle school is no picnic for a lot of
students, but for Alec McGuire, it was intolerable....
Report says Islamophobia on the rise
(RNS) A new report asserts that anti-Muslim prejudice has worsened in
recent years, but argues the trend could be reversed with greater
community outreach....
Chinese house church leaders attend rights defense seminar
Hong Kong, 24 June (ENInews)--Chinese house church leaders attended a
training seminar from 14-16 June in Zhejiang, an eastern coastal province in...
Israeli ambassador praises wartime pope
(RNS) In a conciliatory gesture regarding one of the most sensitive
points of Jewish-Catholic relations, Israel's ambassador to the Vatican...
China vows to ordain bishops without Vatican's OK
(RNS) In a move likely to aggravate tensions with the Vatican, China's
state-run Catholic church announced on Thursday (June 23) that it may...
U.S. Jews not able to fly on Delta flights to Saudi Arabia
JERUSALEM (RNS) Jews and Israelis, or passengers carrying any
non-Islamic article of faith, will not be able to fly code-share flights...
Summer reading list
Musicophilia, by Oliver
Sacks. This promises to be a fascinating, in-depth account of the
physiological/psychological/emotive effects music has on us.
Colbert's commencement sermon
Stephen Colbert's commencement speech at Northwestern wasn't as funny as Conan O'Brien's at Dartmouth, but the inevitable "now I'm serious kids, please keep listening" section was far better--it was pretty much a hard-hitting sermon.
KJV at 400
For a majority of mainline Christians, the NRSV is the biblical translation of choice. But the KJV is the English-language Bible on which all others stand.
In the Cool of the Day, by Daniel Martin Moore
Nostalgic country-gospel records inhabit a liminal space between personal-historical document and genuine religious statement. Daniel Martin Moore's latest follows this path but enlivens it a bit.
Study says Jews volunteer, but not because of 'Jewish' values
(RNS) Young Jewish Americans volunteer enthusiastically for a
multitude of causes, but the vast majority do not connect their service...
Muslims to meet on response to Islamophobia
(RNS) With the 10th anniversary of 9/11 looming, attendees at North
America's largest Muslim gathering next month will be told that the best...
Pawlenty leads in informal poll of evangelical leaders
WASHINGTON (RNS) Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty is the top
Republican pick of evangelical leaders, according to an informal survey,...
Summer reading list
The Little Way of
Saint Therese of Lisieux: Into the Arms of Love, by John Nelson.
Therese--who died of tuberculosis at age 24 and was canonized less than 30
years later--was an unassuming woman who found great joy in her littleness.
This volume promises to be refreshing spiritual nourishment.
Two people I'm admiring this week
The most Christlike behavior I've seen in the news in some time comes from a Muslim victim of a hate crime.