Latest Articles
Be prepared
It's easy to read the parable of the ten virgins as a tribute to two core American values: individualism and meritocracy....
Saints and their source
For all the saints in your congregation, today is a crucial moment to
name both the importance of the saints--that great cloud of...
The founders' failures: Counting on future generations
Many of the issues before us in this election year were present at the founding of the nation, as I learned from Joseph J....
Untruths: Campaign ads that bear false witness
Barack Obama promised to practice a different kind of politics, a politics that would stick to the issues....
Century Marks
True confessions: Michael Jinkins, dean of Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, says that the pastor of a large evangelical church told him he had decided to do away with a corporate confession in worship services. It’s too much of a downer, the pastor explained. Jinkins asked him, “Isn’t it more of a downer for your people to leave worship without confessing their sins and hearing the assurance of God’s pardon?” (Cultural Encounters, Winter).
Discerning the faith factor: Pollster John Green
Described by the Los Angeles Times as the “preeminent student of the relationship between religion and American politics,”John Green has conducted surveys on religion for ev...
Inside The Shack: The Trinity makes the best-seller list
Perhaps the validity of a theological proposal can’t be properly assessed until it has been kitchified. William P....
The wages of greed: Credit meltdown
The sources of the current economic crisis are complex and the blame for the crisis difficult to assess precisely....
Sierra Club highlights going green for God: "Faith in Action" report
From Christians in Hawaii to Buddhists in Connecticut, and from Jews in New York to Muslims in Wisconsin, people of all walks of faith are finding a myriad of ways to care for the environment, sta...
Tutu disturbed at Mbeki ouster in South Africa: Warns against payback mentality
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu says that ousted South African president Thabo Mbeki scored significant economic achievements and promoted peace in Africa, but he made enemies wi...
Anti-Muslim acts down, but profiling up: Leader recommends that officials condemn anti-Muslim bias
Anti-Muslim discrimination reached an all-time high in 2007, according to a report released by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)....
State Department raps China on religious rights: Eight countries cited in all
The U.S. State Department, in its annual report on international religious freedom, has admonished several Asian nations, including China, for severely repressing religion....
Heaven accessible to many, Americans say: A Baylor University study
Heaven is no longer viewed as an exclusive place by many Americans, according to a new survey from Baylor University....
Faith leaders urge long-term solutions for Gulf Coast: A "moral crisis"
More than 100 religious leaders have urged the federal government and both major political parties to develop long-term solutions to address poverty and environmental concerns along the Gulf Coast....
Orthodox body seeks new leader in wake of financial scandal: Misconduct at the highest levels
Reeling from an internal investigation that revealed financial misconduct at its highest levels, the Orthodox Church in America has vowed to work on “building a culture within the church which fost...
PCUSA fasting monthly to identify with poor: First Friday of every month
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is inviting its members to participate in a monthly churchwide fast for “repentance, reflection, and coordinated actions” to empathize with those suffering from hun...
Chaplains aid Wall Street workers as commentators blame greed, risk-taking: Preparing for the ripple effect
As stock market fears and billion-dollar emergency proposals rocked Wall Street, some dazed employees in the financial sector whose faith in the economy was shaken are turning to religious leaders ...
Dissident bishop is removed from Episcopal ministry: Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh
Episcopal bishops have removed Bishop Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh from the denomination’s ministry, saying the leading conservative in a church split has renounced and abandoned the Episcopal Churc...