Latest Articles
Jews, Muslims wary of full-body scanners: Buddhists and Hindus not as concerned
Canadian lawyer Kerry Gearin is planning to fly to Washington, D.C., this summer for a conference on Islamic family law, but the full-body scanners being deployed in some U.S....
Some military chaplains uneasy on planned repeal of 'Don't Ask' policy: Say change will infringe on religious beliefs
As Congress and the Pentagon grapple with a proposal to allow gays to serve openly in the military, some chaplains— especially evangelicals—worry that the change will infringe on their religious be...
Episcopal priests in D.C. may conduct gay nuptials: Priests may preside at civil marriages
Shortly after same-sex marriage became legal in the District of Columbia, Bishop John Chane of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington said that its priests may preside at such civil marriages in the n...
Catholic Charities drops spousal benefits in response to same-sex marriage law: Policy applies to new employees
The archdiocese of Washington’s social service branch will stop offering benefits to spouses of new employees in a bid to balance the District of Columbia’s new same-sex marriage law with Catholic ...
Lesbian bishop-elect clears crucial hurdle: Mary Glasspool of the Los Angeles diocese
A majority of dioceses in the Episcopal Church have confirmed the election of an open lesbian as a bishop in Los Angeles, bringing her one step closer to consecration....
Obama's 'spiritual cabinet' offers advice and prayer: Seven fresh faces
Near the end of a bumpy first year in office, President Obama readied for a Christmas vacation in Hawaii, but before he left, he called on a group of five ministers for a spiritual recharge....
Methodists suspend funding of two seminaries: Claremont School of Theology, United Theological Seminary
The United Methodist Church is withholding funds from two of its seminaries until they submit updated financial reports, and one campus—Claremont School of Theology in southern California—will also...
A bad place to be sick: Health care myths debunked
Whenever talk turns to how dreadful health care is in countries where the government has a large role in it, I think back to a summer spent in Scotland....
Doctors of the soul: Bedside prayers
I have long envied the white coats that physicians wear in hospitals; they’re simple, no nonsense and authoritative....
My life as an acolyte: Humble but wholehearted work
When my daughter became a teenager, she was invited to serve as an acolyte at our Episcopal church. I thought it would be a wonderful thing to do with her....
God at the center: What's church about?
At a church leadership retreat, a tall man with a mustache and red suspenders stands up and says, “Several of us here find ourselves wondering if our church is still God-centered....
After the earthquake: MCC workers in Haiti
When the earthquake struck Haiti on January 12, Ben and Alexis Depp were in Port-au-Prince working with the Mennonite Central Committee....
Leading from the belly: Pastoral plenty
“Seventy-eight percent of all clergy are either overweight (48 percent) or obese (30 percent).” —Pulpit & Pew Research Pr...
The Christ with scars: John 20:19-31
Thomas used to shock me. I agreed with John Calvin that “the stupidity of Thomas was astonishing and monstrous . . ....
Lives together
It is by living and dying that one becomes a theologian, Martin Luther said....
A Christian diet: The case for food rules
About ten years ago I started to become vegetarian. But although my menu shifted, my Christian observance continued pretty much the same. A cradle Anglican, I was a graduate student at King’s College, Cambridge. Evensong in chapel was a staple of my spiritual diet, often followed by dinner in the hall. Although physical sustenance came right after spiritual sustenance, I had little sense of a link between the two beyond the notion that sharing food with others was a good thing to do and that one should not take too much food in order to leave plenty for others. As a Christian, I was not unusual in failing to make connections between faith and food.
Peter's familiar story: John 21:1-19
Fred Snodgrass made one mistake and the world never let him forget it. Snodgrass was playing center field for the New York Giants in the 1912 World Series against the Red Sox....
Shakespeare (The Illustrated and Updated Edition)
Upon learning of Bill Bryson’s new Shakespeare (The Illustrated and Updated Edition), I felt momentarily confused....
Samuel Johnson: Selected Writings
Some 300 years after his birth in 1709, Samuel Johnson is remembered for having had a very successful biographer and for being eminently quotabl...