Latest Articles
Who do you think you are?
My wife and I recently went to see William Inge's play Picnic, which won the Puli...
Energized: The faces of the young people
Whatever else you might think about the outcome of the election, Barack Obama energized young adults in a way that was reminiscent of John F. Kennedy’s campaign....
Beyond the God gap: Lessons from Nehemiah
The election of Barack Obama offers hope that religion will play a more constructive role in the public arena rather than the largely divisive role it has played in recent years....
Century Marks
Squatters’ (divine) rights: To a Pentecostal community of squatters in Caracas, Venezuela, studied by Rafael Sánchez, their occupation of an empty, 12-story building in what was once a posh part of the town makes good theological sense. The world really belongs to God, they explain, but the devil has taken it over, and Christians’ job, as agents of the Holy Spirit, is to take back what really belongs to God (Public Culture, Spring).
The faith factor: Religion in the voting booth
The role of religion in the presidential campaign was summed up by Associated Press religion writer Eric Gorski in an article headlined “Religion Used to Divide, Mock in ’08.” Lamenting the low lev...
Tackling the big questions: Novelist Mary Doria Russell
Mary Doria Russell’s novels include intricately drawn characters who explore life’s deepest and most troubling questions....
Briefly noted
Oral Roberts University has settled a year-old lawsuit with two former professors who claimed that their actions as whistleblowers cost them their jobs....
Episcopal priest suspended for professing Islam: Ann Holmes Redding
A Seattle Episcopal priest who claims to be both Christian and Muslim has been restricted from public ministry and will be defrocked unless she “reclaims” Christianity, the Episcopal Church has ann...
Dalai Lama has given up on Tibet talks with China: "There hasn't been any positive response from the Chinese side"
The Dalai Lama will abandon efforts to persuade China to allow autonomy in Tibet, the exiled Tibetan leader has declared....
U.S. Orthodox churches have more converts than expected, study says: Mostly from Catholic and evangelical backgrounds
A new survey of Orthodox Christians in America has found a larger-than-expected number of converts, mostly from Roman Catholic and evangelical Protestant backgrounds....
High court weighs limits of broadcast indecency: Federal Communications Commission v. Fox Television
As the rest of the country focused on the presidential election November 4, the Supreme Court danced around the use of dirty words, opting for f-word and s-word as euphe...
Religion professors repairing their rift over annual meetings: Plans difficult to change
Separate fall meetings for the nation’s two largest organizations of religion professors—a showcase of religious studies research and expertise—may last only three years if negotiations under way b...
Religious hate crimes down in 2007, says FBI: Crimes against gays and lesbians up slightly
Hate crimes related to a person’s religion decreased in 2007, but hate crimes against gays and lesbians increased slightly, according to the FBI’s 2007 Hate Crimes Statistics....
Mainline churches pledge support for Obama: "I am filled with hope"
Mainline churches, mostly out of the D.C. loop during the eight years of the Bush administration, were quick to embrace the winner of the long race to the White House....
Voters deal setbacks to gay marriage: California, Arizona and Florida
In a narrow outcome, California voters overturned same-sex marriage rights in the nation’s most populous state, as similar bans on gay marriage were approved in Arizona and Florida....
Recovery Café: The gift of brokenness
Organizations committed to helping the addicted and the homeless can be found in every city. Few of them resemble the Recovery Café. As founder Killian Noe told me, “It looks like a Starbucks.”...
Five churches, one building? Good stewardship: Good stewardship
In the story of David and Goliath, Saul famously insisted that David be outfitted in his own kingly armor. While this was a generous gesture, David found that he could hardly move....
Cell phone sacrament: An outward sign of an inward grace
I did not own one for ages. The first reason was personal: driving the car was a kind of Sabbath for me, with nothing to do but listen to music and watch the scenery....