Features
The buzz of life: Notes from the farm
The post office called recently about a box of honeybees. The assault of insecticides means my sister can no longer overwinter her hives.
Let It Burn, by Ruthie Foster
Ruthie Foster has a powerhouse of a blues/gospel voice, which she never allows to overpower a song. If you’re not sold already, Foster made her newest album in New Orleans with the Blind Boys of Alabama and a cast of hotshot players. It wouldn’t have killed them to restrain the Hammond organ player once in a while, but that’s being picky: the project brings a truckload of soul and grit.
The great exhale: CO2 and the extinction of species
Long ago, another atmospheric shift took place. It shows how different the earth's environments have been—and how different they may become.
Controversial dig: The politics of Israeli archaeology
Israelis take great interest in archaeology, as findings can validate Jews' ancient claims to the land. Of course, Palestinians have similar claims.
Monsieur Lazhar
Movies about education are seldom convincing; their depiction of what goes on in the classroom hardly ever tallies with our own experiences. So the sweet and poignant Quebecois film Monsieur Lazhar is a rare pleasure.
The seeker next door: What drives the ‘spiritual but not religious’?
It’s tempting to dismiss SBNRs as salad-bar spiritualists concerned primarily with themselves. But many assumptions about this group are off target.
A Wasteland Companion, by M. Ward
M. Ward’s solo albums reveal that he surpasses his more-famous collaborators (Conor Oberst, Zooey Deschanel) on all fronts. His sound has a sepia-toned timelessness; it’s both inventive and a whole bunch of kinds of old-fashioned.
Pull It Together, by Shannon Stephens
On her third album, Shannon Stephens reins in her chamber-folk experimentalism in favor of a bluesy little band that takes her songs to unexpected places. Her sound remains relatively subdued, yet it grooves and pops and even swaggers.
Eating in ignorance
Reconciliation requires relocation. To see the effects of our food choices, we have to get close to the land.
Sent to serve: William Willimon on being bishop
“I find little support for democracy in scripture," says William H. Willimon. "Bishops have power to send because all ministry in Jesus’ name is ‘sent.’”
Going Catholic? Evangelicals and birth control: Evangelicals and birth control
Is there an anti-birth control shift taking place among evangelicals? If so, do their arguments mirror Catholic thought?
Kisses on the Bottom, by Paul McCartney
The first question to ask about a Paul McCartney standards album is why it took him so long. The guy’s always been fascinated by the American Songbook, and unlike some pop singers who have taken detours to the land of jazzy old tunes and swinging little combos, Sir Paul has a powerful and chameleonic voice.
Bully
Lee Hirsch’s documentary Bully rings false from beginning to end. The film wants to sound alarm bells about the prevalence of bullying in public schools, which is certainly a very real problem. But like the recently completed trilogy of TV documentaries about the child murders at Robin Hood Hills and the young men who were evidently scapegoated for the crime, the movie has a tawdry, voyeuristic quality that keeps distracting you from its alleged agenda.
Books
The Nature Principle, by Richard Louv
In Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv sounded an alarm over the loss of outdoor experiences for children. Not only children, however, need to be outdoors.
When Women Were Birds, by Terry Tempest Williams
Terry Tempest Williams is a writer of stunning power. She is also a writer who spends pages mistaking journal entries for literature.
The lure of Jonestown
Julia Scheeres’s unsettling book reminds us that Peoples Temple could have appealed to anyone concerned about racism, sexism and poverty.
Visions of a Better World, by Quinton Dixie and Peter Eisenstadt
Quinton Dixie and Peter Eisenstadt focus on the first half of Thurman’s life, finding there not only the deep and complex roots of his mature works, but also a far-reaching influence on historical events and actors.
Departments
Holy small talk
In the fellowship hall, theology becomes incarnational and takes on all the fleshly concerns brought to church that day.
Junk food epidemic
Eliminating food deserts isn’t enough. The nation’s diet problem calls for sustained community attention--and better federal policy.
The baseball life
When I was ten, baseball became the organizing principle of my life. The game taught me that success is rare and precious.
News
ELCA seminary and Lenoir-Rhyne will merge
Although they will stay on their campuses 140 miles apart, Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, North Carolina, and Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia, South Carolina, will merge July 1....
Methodists maintain policies on sexuality
Despite emotional protests and fierce lobbying from LGBTQ rights groups, United Methodists voted to maintain their denomination’s stance that “the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching”—an expected outcome as the denomi...
UMC rejects call to divest from firms selling to Israel
At their General Conference, United Methodists twice rejected resolutions that called for the denomination to divest from companies accused of contributing to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories....
Religious websites are the most attacked by hackers
Online religion may be good for your soul but dangerous for your computer, according to a new report....
Are Americans in Rome behind crackdown on nuns?
When the Vatican announced a doctrinal crackdown on the leadership organization representing most of the 57,000 nuns in the U.S., the sisters said they were “stunned” by the move....
White House releases faith-based guidelines
A new White House report that offers guidance on public-private partnerships between the government and faith-based groups leaves critical questions unanswered and does not resolve the issue of religious groups’ ability to discriminate in hiring a...
Opposition to gay marriage lower in 2012 campaign
Opposition to gay marriage is significantly lower in 2012 compared to the previous two presidential campaigns, a survey by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press shows....
Israel's Conservative wing OKs gay and lesbian rabbis
In a landmark decision, the Masorti Movement, the Israeli branch of Conservative Judaism, announced that its rabbinical school will begin to accept gay and lesbian candidates for ordination....
Praying for God to hurt someone is not illegal, judge rules
Is it OK to ask God to do harm to another person? The theology of such “imprecatory prayer” may be a matter of debate, but a Dallas judge has ruled that it is legal, at least as long as no one is actually threatened or harmed....
Lectionary
Sunday, June 10, 2012: Mark 3:20-35
We might be tempted to adopt a vague notion of “faith” as the only criterion for inclusion in this family, but Jesus’ teaching will not allow us to separate faith from faithfulness or discipleship from submission.
Sunday, June 3, 2012: Isaiah 6:1-8; Romans 8:12-17; John 3:1-17
These Trinity Sunday texts show God moving graciously—and persistently—toward people while they struggle to stay on their feet.