Latest Articles
Good wine: Isaiah 62:1-5; John 2:1-11
On the darkest day of the year, the Incas tried to tie the sun down....
The light of Epiphany: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
The ancient church fathers struggled with the physical implications of the incarnation—the mother’s womb, the birth and afterbirth....
Roeder's frightening defense
As I wrote last week, I’m deeply ambivalent about abortion rights: I don’t believe that abortion amounts to mur...
Christian America and the Kindgom of God
In this book, Richard T. Hughes offers a powerful argument against what he calls the myth of a Christian America....
The Missional Church and Denominations: Helping Congregations Develop a Missional Identity
A classic 1970s study on the demise of railroads concluded that they went out of busine...
The Logic of the Heart: Augustine, Pascal, and the Rationality of Faith
Skepticism sells well at retail but not at wholesale....
R-rated scripture
Occasionally I’ve tried to hide what I am reading, lest someone catch me perusing a work that they think is too salacious for a minister to read. I’ve never done that while reading the Bible. But then I’ve never before read a book of the Bible illustrated by R. Crumb, godfather of the graphic novel.In turning his talent to producing The Book of Genesis Illustrated, Robert Crumb—usually credited as R. Crumb since he made a name for himself in underground newspapers of the 1960s—has found more sex and gore than even he can represent on the page, though he makes a game effort at getting it all in.
A miracle of excess
I have a recurring bad dream. It is similar to the one where you realize it’s time for the final exam and you haven’t been to class all semester. I used to have that dream....
Liberalism and abortion
Flipping through the new issue of The American Prospect, I saw a blurb about an article from last month's issue that I missed amid the end-of-year craziness...
The Messiah's credentials
Since Jesus’ baptism is featured this week in all three lectionary years, it’s important to take into account the different emphases and nuances....
Another kind of surge: 30,000 Greg Mortensons
In early December, as President Obama was announcing that he was sending 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, Greg Mortenson was releasing his book Stones into Schools, a followup to his 2006 ...
Century Marks: “Genius . . . sometimes consists of knowing when to stop.” —Columnist George Will, citing a Charles de Gaulle maxim in making a case forthe U.S. to withdraw from Afghanistan
“I take the ones I can afford and then trust in the Lord.” —Robert Brown, 60, from North Carolina, who has heart disease and emphysema, on coping with the rising cost of prescription drugs
In tough straits: Can the ecumenical logjam be broken?
The ecumenical path has always been narrow, but recent events cast a new light on the limited and shifting range of ecumenical possibilities....
Patel first Muslim to win Grawemeyer religion prize: Director of Interfaith Youth Core
Eboo Patel, founder and executive director of the community service group Interfaith Youth Core, has become the first Muslim to win the prestigious Grawemeyer Award in Religion from the Louisville ...
Russian Orthodox: Female head of German church no reason to end talks: Ecumenical dialogue can continue
Although two celebrations of 50 years of dialogue between Russian Orthodox and German Protestant churches were canceled suddenly in a dispute over the election of a woman as Germany’s senior Protes...
Anglican leader, in Vatican City, downplays church strains: Dialogue back on track
Speaking in Vatican City a month after the Vatican unveiled plans to facilitate the conversion of conservative Anglicans to Catholicism, Arch bishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams offered a moderatel...