News
Philippine church bombing causes fears of derailed peace process
Dozens were killed or wounded during mass Sunday at a cathedral in the majority Muslim part of the country, where most voters approved expanding an autonomous region to make peace.
A Muslim GOP leader, a Catholic judge, and the American tradition of associations
The right to form associations is part of First Amendment. Yet Americans sometimes view membership in them with suspicion—as some did with Shahid Shafi and Brian Buescher.
Program equips graduates of traditional Muslim schools for engagement with wider world
Madrasa Discourses at Notre Dame covers the scientific and philosophical questions Islamic seminaries often skip.
Rwanda’s Catholic clinics strike a compromise with government on providing access to contraception
The government wanted to increase birth control use. But the Catholic Church runs about a third of the country’s hospitals and clinics. So they struck a deal.
Brazil’s new president begins term with support of conservative Christians
Jair Bolsonaro created a Christian voting bloc through opposition to what he called a liberal moral drift.
Nigerian women’s network builds interfaith bridges
The Women of Faith Peacebuilding Network has reached more than 10,000 Muslim and Christian women across the country.
In a hot real estate market, what happens to old church buildings?
Church leaders, developers, and urban planners face tough questions as they attempt to halt the abandonment and sell-off of centuries-old structures.
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.