Latest Articles
Fordlandia: The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford's Forgotten Jungle City
Henry Ford never did things by halves....
The Sins of the Fathers: The Law and Theology of Illegitimacy Reconsidered
To appreciate this important book, the reader must set it in the context of the emerging dialogue betwe...
Mirror, mirror
In this week’s epistle reading, Paul gives us what is perhaps the most alarming sentence in all of scripture: “But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.”...
Prayer vs. the prayer breakfast
When faith-based advocacy groups hold a protest, they often dress it up
in prayer. It's not enough to say to the gathered people and (hopefully)...
Is youth ministry killing the church?
After having worked for several years as a youth pastor, I recently accepted a call to be an interim solo pastor....
Trains, faster trains and automobiles
My wife and I recently moved to a Chicago neighborhood that is farther...
Hopes and fears: A remedy for cynicism
With the terrorist attack that barely failed on a U.S. jetliner on Christmas Day and the opening of a new U.S....
Century Marks
Up with religion: Religion is now the most popular theme studied by historians, according to a member survey by the American Historical Association. Culture had previously taken the top spot in surveys over the past 15 years. A decade ago only 2 percent of job openings and fellowships posted with the AHA listed religion among the desired specializations; last year, 10 percent listed religion (Inside Higher Ed, December 21).
Briefly noted
About one-third of the countries in the world have high restrictions on religion, exposing almost 70 percent of the globe’s population to limitations on their faith, according to the Pew Fo...
Anglicans in Zimbabwe say pro-Mugabe clerics are disrupting churches: Harassment by police
Anglicans in Zimbabwe say that clerics loyal to President Robert Mugabe have marshalled the national police to disrupt services in the country’s capital city of Harare....
WCC warns Uganda leaders on dangers of antigay bill: Law condemned by church and political leaders
The World Council of Churches has raised concerns about a proposed law in Uganda calling for the jailing and possible execution of homosexuals....
Church observers unhappy withCopenhagenAccord: "A weak and morally reprehensible deal"
Faith groups have expressed disappointment and anger over the outcome of the United Nations talks in Copenhagen on climate change, pledging to continue to press for environmental justice....
More Irish bishops resign in wake of abuse report: "Significant reorganization" ahead
Four Irish Catholic bishops have resigned within the first 30 days after a government-ordered investigation announced that over decades the Dublin archdiocese had shielded from the law more than 17...
Southerners lead nation in religious devotion: Mississippi is first
There’s a reason the South is known as the Bible Belt: a survey shows that Southerners—and Mississippians in particular—are the most active in their religious practices and beliefs....
Vatican:Elevation of Pius is not ‘hostile’ to Jews: Beatification of WW2-era pope
A decree moving the controversial wartime Pope Pius XII one step closer to sainthood is not a “hostile act toward the Jewish people,” said the Vatican’s top spokesman....
More people are praying, but religious ties are fraying: Belief in afterlife has also increased
The number of Americans who are praying is increasing at the same time that more of them say they have no formal religious affiliation, according to a major polling organization....
Carter apologizes for any words stigmatizing Israel: Mixed reactions to Yom Kippur prayer asking forgiveness
Criticized in the past for remarks that upset many in America’s Jewish community, former President Jimmy Carter has apologized for any of his words or actions that might have served to stigmatize I...
Clergy unite to urge: ‘Thou shalt be civil’ "Faith Statement on Public Discourse"
It’s gotten ugly out there in the public square—on television, at public meetings, on the Internet....