Latest Articles
Cloud rider
After Jesus has been taken up in a cloud, the “men in white” convey a message of hope to the disciples: this Cloud Rider will return in the same way they saw him go....
Hard words: Wright’s jeremiad
I wish Jeremiah Wright had made his point about America’s failings without saying “God damn America.” But not for a moment do I wish he had been less prophetic....
The Wright context: Prophetic preaching
If you were to visit Trinity United Church of Christ, a predominantly African-American congregation on the Chicago’s South Side, you would be warmly welcomed....
Century Marks
Get moving: Americans could cut carbon emissions by 64 million tons if they’d either walk or bicycle for 30 minutes a day instead of driving. They’d also collectively shed 3 billion pounds of excess fat in the process. Even more would be done for the environment if people gave up eating meat, since livestock production produces 18 percent of the world’s greenhouse-gas emissions (Sierra, March/April).
Briefly noted
Research indicates that within the next 12 years, the number of Muslims worshiping at mosques in Britain will outstrip that of Catholics attending mass....
Jerusalem to permit first non-Orthodox cemetery: Court had ordered change years ago
Non-Orthodox Jewish groups are praising the decision of Jerusalem municipal officials to approve the establishment of the city’s first non-Orthodox cemetery....
Pope's baptism of Muslim is questioned in Italy: Leaders shocked by event's high profile
Pope Benedict XVI’s baptism of an Egyptian-born formerly Muslim Italian journalist, known for being a strident critic of restrictions on religious freedom in Islamic countries, has been questioned ...
Judge rules against female seminary professor: Sheri Klouda and Southern Baptist
A federal judge in Texas has ruled against a former professor at a prominent Southern Baptist seminary who said she was dismissed because of her gender....
Gambling opponents say moral arguments fall flat: Economically grounded arguments may be more effective
The moral opposition to gambling may be gasping for its last breaths....
UMC membership down, but constituency expands: Worship attendance dips only slightly
The number of professing adult United Methodist Church members has continued to decline—now to 7.93 million—though the last tabulated drop was less than a percentage point....
New Baptist Covenant to convene again in 2011: Triennial meetings are historical Baptist pattern
Organizers of the New Baptist Covenant celebration are recommending a repeat of the historic pan-Baptist event in 2011 but not a new denomination or other permanent organization....
Gay acceptance has advances and setbacks in three denominations: No consensus
“The Church’s Unfinished Sexual Revolution” was the title of an article in the spring 2006 issue of Yale Divinity School’s Reflections magazine. In it longtime Christian ethicist James B....
Responding to Obama: Reactions to the Philadelphia speech on race
Richard Lischer, professor of preaching, Duke Divinity School: “It’s been 40 years since we have heard redemptive language in the political arena....
Focus differs on Wright and GOP friend Hagee: "Wright didn't want to nuke anybody"
Two politically attuned professors in the South called the sharp rhetoric of Jeremiah Wright understandable in the context of an inner-city, largely black church, and both experts marveled at how p...
Obama caught between pulpit and politics: A politician and a parishioner
When Senator Barack Obama faced the cameras in a nationally televised speech in mid-March, he was caught between his roles as politician and parishioner, forced to condemn his pastor’s words as he ...
Choice terms: Fancy religious language
The word jargon suggests needlessly obscure words that insiders use to dazzle and confuse outsiders....
Delegate count: The Ickes strategy past and present
As a delegate and organizer at six Democratic national conventions (those that nominated George McGovern, Jimmy Carter [twice], Bill Clinton [twice] and Al Gore), I offer this advice to the campaig...
Grace in the center: A sampling of sayings
Tim Goeglein, special assistant to the president and deputy director of the Office of Public Liaison, was recently caught plagiarizing Dartmouth veteran Jeffrey Hart....