Latest Articles
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace. . . One School at a Time
Greg Mortenson grew up in Tanganyika, now Tanzania, the son of Lutheran missionaries....
The Edge of Heaven
Most of The Edge of Heaven feels like a shaggy dog story. It’s not until well into the second half of the film that writer-director Fatih Akin shows where he’s headed with his tale....
The God of abundance
There are times in my life when I feel like I’ve got nothing to give. There is no gas in my tank. No food in my fridge. I’ve got nothing left to say....
When I can't pray
When I can’t pray I often turn to the end of Romans 8. Here Paul pulls back the velvet curtain of revelation....
Family squabbles: Denominational reunions
When I pack my suitcase for the meeting of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), I often think of the words of 2 Samuel 11:1: “In the spring of the year, the time when kings go ...
Running out of gas: An opportunity for sustainability
Observers of American life have long wondered what it would take to disrupt our love affair with cars. It turns out that $4-a-gallon gasoline might do the trick....
Century Marks
Faith in the media: Newsweek editor Jon Meacham reports that Meet the Press moderator Tim Russert once implored him to appear on his weekend cable show alongside Christopher Hitchens, who had just published a blistering attack on religion. Russert, knowing Meacham was an Episcopalian, wanted him to come on the show and defend the faith (Newsweek, June 23).
Failing on human rights: China watcher Sophie Richardson
China’s crackdown on protesters in Tibet has brought attention to China’s record on human rights—unwelcome attention for the country that hopes this summer’s Olympic Games in Beijing will...
High anxiety: Dealing with critics
Responding effectively to criticism in ministry has been one of my growing edges for many years. On a good day, when I'm well rested, spiritually grounded and in touch with my inner warrior woman, and the planets are properly aligned, I handle criticism just fine. But on my bad days, I’m pretty lousy about staying in my own skin when someone comes at me with a criticism, especially about my preaching.
Briefly noted
The nation’s Roman Catholic bishops have approved, by a vote of 191 to 1, a policy statement condemning embryonic stem cell research....
Bible Society ends contract with president: Chief financial officer on leave
The president of the American Bible Society has been removed from his job just weeks after news reports that an Internet contractor who had received millions from the society had past ties to the p...
Episcopal dioceses vary on same-sex rite policies: Decisions to make in California
As California clerks began issuing civil marriage licenses to same-sex couples in mid-June, Episcopal bishops in the state took a variety of stances on whether their dioceses would provide religiou...
Fundamentalists regain SouthernBaptist presidency: Atlanta-area pastor Johnny Hunt elected
Atlanta-area pastor Johnny Hunt has been elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention, returning control of the 16-million-member denomination to its fundamentalist establishment....
Obama is quick to make contact with evangelical leaders: Off-the-record session in Chicago
Only days after Barack Obama resumed his presidential campaign wearing the label of “presumptive Democratic nominee,” the Illinois senator invited a number of evangelical leaders to a private meeti...
TheAmericanist: An interview with Ken Burns
Ken Burns’s acclaimed documentaries include The Civil War, Baseball, Jazz and, most recently, an account of World War II titled The War....
My Facebook friends: Connected but lonely
With one child in college and two teenagers at home, I learned vicariously about “being friended” and “facebooking.” My kids didn’t want me to join Facebook, but relented when I told them that our ...
The other Jewish lobby: AIPAC is not the only game in town
Remember Dennis Kucinich (D., Ohio), the Democratic presidential candidate who brought a refreshing note of reality to the early primary debates? You don’t remember him?...
Market values: Christian symbols and pagan shrines
As Christians conquered pagan lands, they regularly superimposed Christian symbols on pagan shrines....
Survey findsAmericans flexible on faith tenets and interpretations: The Pew Religious Landscape Survey
Think you know what Americans believe about religion? Think again.
• Seven in ten Americans who follow one particular faith believe that many religions can lead to eternal life....