Feature
Retail evangelist: What I learned selling shoes
One year when I was between interim gigs I got a job at Macy's. My training there wasn't unlike church outreach training.
Minority report: Lutherans and Methodists in Russia
The resurgence of religious life since the collapse of communism has greatly benefited the Orthodox Church. Protestant churches are few and far between.
Russian & Lutheran: An interview with Dietrich Brauer
"Lutheran churches in Russia have an opportunity to be a church not of priests and charismatic leaders who know all the answers, but of a living people, seeing God's righteousness amidst all the unrighteous kingdoms."
Toddler on the loose: Case by case
At first, Mandy was hesitant to come to the children's moment. Before long, some people thought she had become too comfortable in worship.
A response to "Toddler on the loose" Case by case: Case by case
It is no surprise that the most active and decisive character in this case, the instigator of this current conflict and the harbinger of change, is a three-year-old.
Eight minutes of wisdom: The Animate video series
The teachers in Animate are excellent. But I'm not sure that the cumulative impact of the video series is excellent.
Revise us again: Should churches alter worship texts?
In a major hymnal, an unauthorized edit is an embarrassing oversight. In the local church, it's pretty routine.
Feeding and being fed: A feast for those at the edges
Each Tuesday in San Rafael, we experience what it looks like to stop fighting over scraps and instead offer one another something substantial.
Unnoticed ministries: Why churches need to tell their stories
I associate with a lot of liberals who are not people of faith. Few of them have any idea what churches are doing to serve their communities.
Hidden in Timbuktu: An Islamic legacy protected from jihadists
Before the jihadists fled Timbuktu in February, they burned the city's ancient manuscripts. Except all the ones the residents hid.
How to con a pastor
A few friendly pointers
Unrest in Istanbul: Turkey’s season of struggle
Turkey may be a model for the rest of the Middle East, but the country faces deep problems. And religion is not at these problems' core.
The good kind of liberalism: Reviving a theological tradition
Liberalism's collapse was so dramatic that most theologians distanced themselves from the tradition, as if to avoid infection. But now the dust has settled.
Shelter in the parsonage: Case by case
Roberta insisted that although her first husband had abused her, Hank had never hit her. Neither Ian nor Abigail believed these assurances.
Giving to be forgiven: Alms in the Bible
In the Bible, forgiveness involves repayment of what is owed. One way to pay down the debt is through charity to the poor.
Liberal arts for Muslims: Scott Korb on Zaytuna College
"The school believes that there is no way for Islam to grow in this country unless Muslims build institutions that approach the culture with openness."
In the piazza: Conversational witness in Rome
Believers and nonbelievers alike are often reticent to talk about religion. Yet many people long for such conversations.
The Protestant
The Protestant was sitting alone at a table in the far corner. I assumed it was because no one else spoke Protestant.
The logic of the holy: Robert Bellah, 1927–2013
“Time in its aging course teaches all things,” wrote Aeschylus. No one learned more from it than Robert Bellah.