John Dart
Lutherans to address issues of homosexuality: Recommendations due from sexuality studies task force
After nearly four years—some say 15 years—of discussion the largest U.S....
UCC reaps publicity from banned ad: Church bouncers
The United Church of Christ, a budget-struggling mainline denomination often confused with a similarly named church, felt that only a bold regional and national TV ad campaign costing $1.7 million ...
College to close out "open theism" scholar: John E. Sanders and Huntington College
After escaping an ouster a year ago by the Evangelical Theological Society, a leading proponent of “open theism” theology is being shown the door by trustees at Huntington (Indiana) College for his...
"More Orthodox" than the Orthodox: American converts to Orthodoxy
It’s commonly observed that converts to a faith are the most ardent defenders of it. That seems to be the case with American converts to Orthodoxy....
Americans' belief in God is high but nuanced, study says: Polling the populace
A new analysis of how strongly Americans believe in God finds no upward trends in atheism, agnosticism and doubt....
Iliff seminary warned on diversity issues: Problems prompted resignation of Latino president
The United Methodist Church has warned its Denver seminary that nearly $1 million in support will be cut off if the school does not resolve internal racial and cultural issues that prompted its Lat...
The faith factor: Religion and presidential politics
Despite the attention given to religious issues in this year’s presidential race, three public opinion experts have stated that the political force of faith and ethics questions has been overblown....
Finnish scholar's visa ordeal continues: The case of Veli-Matti Karkkainen
A Finnish theologian, forced by U.S....
Religious insiders: Mainline Protestants still dominate
Mainline Protestant denominations have steadily declined in membership for four decades in the U.S., so it was not surprising to learn recently that Protestants overall are losing, or have lost, th...
Kirkpatrick to lead Reformed alliance: World Alliance of Reformed Churches
Clifton Kirkpatrick, reelected recently as the top executive in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), was also the unanimous choice to be president of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches for the ne...
Study: Student debt hurts new pastors: Average debt of $25,000
Seminarians preparing to serve as pastors are increasingly taking out low-interest government loans to pay educational costs, but researchers say that trend is dangerously compounding the struggles...
U.S. to deport Fuller professor back to Finland: Karkkainen doesn't fit post-9/11 visa definitions
An international expert in ecumenical and Pentecostal studies is being forced to leave the United States at the end of July because he does not fit post-9/11 visa definitions for continuing as a te...
Scriptural schemes: The ABCBAs of biblical writing
“But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first” (Mark 10:31)....
On the faith-based campain trail: Bush shores up support
As presidential campaigns swung into their final five months, President Bush worked at cementing his strong support from evangelicals and shoring up ties to Catholics by visiting and honoring Pope ...
All in the family: United Methodists reaffirm gay ban
On the persistent question of whether churches should tolerate same-sex intimacy by any of its ministers, opponents won a series of victories in May as United Methodists met in Pittsburgh....
What's hot and not in Episcopal church names: Lots of saints
The most popular names of Episcopal parishes in the U.S. are in a virtual three-way tie between churches with the word Christ (527), St....
Paul: Female hair too sexy to go unveiled: Considered sexual equivalent of male testicles
The apostle Paul wanted women to cover their tresses while praying because he—like the rest of Hellenistic culture then—believed that the long hair of adult females was the sexual equivalent of mal...
Storm clouds gathering: Lutherans face sexuality issues
This was to be a relatively calm year for Mark S. Hanson, the presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America....
Dissident bishops hold defiant service: "Unauthorized and clandestine"
Episcopal church leaders have reacted sharply to what one called an “unauthorized and clandestine” service in Ohio at which five retired conservative U.S....
Methodists promote drug discount card: United Methodist Church makes card available to members
The news in early March that all United Methodists could receive a free drug discount card with savings up to 65 percent appeared at first glance to be a bold health-care step by a major denominati...