Where Is Amos When We Need Him?

Where is Amos when we need him? Amos made it hard for the rich, the famous and the powerful to sleep well at night. He put their feet to the fire, so to speak. He started out in the Tekoa countryside but was last seen in Bethel. That was before they kicked him out,...

Dare We Hope for the Transformation of Islam?

Fourteen hundred years ago Muhammad toured the Arabian peninsula preaching his innovative version of monotheism and morality. The movement he inspired has become a cultural and religious force of global significance. Recent events have put Islam on the defensive,...

Glory, Glory in Red and Gold

Christmas always decorates the world, and in beautiful, colorful ways; not only sanctuaries, but homes, yards, shops and squares. It is one of the best parts of the holidays, a yuletide feast for the eyes. So it was last Sunday; a bright red banner with the gold...

What’s Become of Press Coverage of Religion?

Just when we need it, it’s not there. I refer to the need of the American public for thoughtful analysis of religious issues. Religion played a significant role in the World Trade Center attack, and religion has been at the heart of our response. The prayer...

The Ebb and Flow of Religious Freedom

In Afghanistan these days, people are cutting their beards, lifting their veils and playing music. It is all part of the “wild and worldly” celebration that broke out as the Taliban was run out of town. It demonstrated how people of faith reassert their...