News
Lamin Sanneh, scholar of Christian missions, dies at age 76
Sanneh challenged the idea that Christianity was merely a tool of colonialism.
Challenges continue after war ends, says Syrian priest and peacemaker Alexi Chehadeh
Chehadeh leads the largest local NGO in Syria, serving 2.5 million people a year.
Nancy Pittman becomes president of Phillips Theological Seminary
The search committee chair praised Pittman’s “vision for the future of theological education.”
The Crystal Cathedral is still a cathedral, but soon a Catholic one
Once the symbol of evangelist Robert Schuller’s success, the 128-foot-tall glass building went into foreclosure and the Diocese of Orange bought it.
James Kenneth Echols, first African American Lutheran seminary president, dies at age 67
Richard J. Perry Jr., a professor emeritus at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, called Echols “a giant in the world of theological education.”
Faith-based credit unions offer an alternative to big banks, payday loans
“The purpose of a bank is to make money for the investors,” said a Catholic credit union leader. “The purpose of a credit union is to serve the membership.”
California program seeks to stop homelessness before it begins
Keep Oakland Housed—a joint effort of the city and social service, legal, and faith-based organizations—helps tenants facing eviction.
Tibetan Buddhists consider who will lead them after present Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama has said in recent years that he may not reincarnate.
Colombian megachurch hopes to draw in former combatants
Avivamiento was one of just two large evangelical churches to voice its support for the 2016 peace accord, which is still being implemented.
Anti-Semitic incidents persist even as U.S. Jews find greater acceptance
Recent surveys show that “the vast majority of Americans do not have negative opinions of their Jewish neighbors.”
Seminary started by Baptist moderates to close in January
The Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond opened in the wake of the Southern Baptist “conservative resurgence” launched in 1979.
Faith groups in Tijuana rise to meet needs of migrant caravan
In addition to the thousands who arrived with the caravan, people deported from the U.S. have been living in Tijuana—sometimes on the streets.
Historic Los Angeles church, once an activist hub, seeks new life
César Chávez once preached at the church, which supported Chicano civil rights organizers. But the church wants to do more than preserve its past.
Martha C. Nussbaum wins $1 million Berggruen Prize
The Berggruen Institute called her “one of the world’s leading public philosophers.”
Robert Jones, religion researcher, wins a Grawemeyer award
Jones received the honor for his book The End of White Christian America.
Airbnb announcement that it would drop West Bank properties sparks charge of anti-Semitism
The company gives Crimea as another disputed territory where it has removed listings. Critics pointed to other areas under occupation—such as northern Cyprus—where it has not.
Clergy visits give hope to ICE detainees, but access is inconsistent
All prisoners in the United States have religious rights, undocumented or not. But human rights groups and a government inspector report concerns at various ICE detention centers, such as the right to worship being denied or disrupted.
Mark Jobe to become president of Moody Bible Institute
Jobe comes to the school a year after all three top leaders resigned amid tensions around the school’s theological standards, finances, and treatment of students of color.
Is religious intensity in the U.S. declining? Sociologists disagree
At the heart of the debate is a question: Is American religion exceptional?
Christian leader resigns as former staff describe “toxic masculinity” in workplace
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) leaders also rescinded their recommendation of a book by Noel Castellanos, former president of the Christian Community Development Association, for church members to read and discuss.