Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Seminary to offer M.Div. degree program in West Louisville
By John D. Pierce, Nurturing Faith Journal LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Students at Simmons College in West Louisville will have access to a full Master of Divinity degree program beginning in the spring of 2018, thanks to...
Fire and that which follows
By John D. Pierce Warnings are everywhere out West — from flashing roadside signs to Smokey the Bear working overtime. Fire danger is high according to every indicator — and smoke from existing wildfires in forested...
As New School Year Begins, Let’s Praise Teachers
Jesse Owens placed the notion of white supremacy under the worldwide microscope in the summer of 1936 by winning the gold medal in the 100-meter, 200-meter, 4x100-meter relay and long jump at the summer Olympics in...
Pope: 4 Verbs Guide Christian Response to Migrants, Refugees
Pope Francis addressed again the "lamentable situation" of migrants and refugees, calling global Christians to commit to concrete action "at every stage of the migratory experience." Though published Aug. 21, his...
Doing the Right Thing: Deontological Ethics – Part 2
Duty or obligation as the foundation for moral decision-making is the basis for deontological ethics. This approach, which focused on the morality of actions and motives apart from results, was popularized by Immanuel...
August 22, 2017
Charlottesville Was Not a Surprise (Slate) Prominent Conservative Evangelicals Defend Trump After Charlottesville (Reuters) Jerry Falwell Jr. Keeps Defending Trump as Hundreds of Liberty University Grads Return...
What a Nation in Crisis Needs is Authentic Community
The kickoff of the college football season has always excited me. I love a packed stadium with 50,000 or even 100,000 fans pulsating with excitement, announcers yelling, fans screaming. There's nothing like game day....
The Spiritual Battle Yet to Be Fought After Charlottesville
All my life I have lived in Virginia, where dozens of battles were fought over whether we really believe we are created equal. There was plenty of death and destruction. None came close to ending the struggle that had...
Doing the Right Thing: Deontological Ethics – Part 1
Duty or obligation as the foundation for moral decision-making is the basis for deontological ethics. The term derives from the Greek noun "deon," which can be translated as duty or obligation. Students of New...
Ministering to International Students – No Passport Needed
An accessible, yet often overlooked, open door for many churches where global impact and local outreach intersect is international student ministry. God has "brought the world to America," and one strategic group is...
Proving Your Beliefs Aren’t Merely Empty Words
I was serving as a short-term supply pastor years ago for a very small congregation in rural Virginia. My third Sunday there fell on the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, so I decided to weave a couple of sentences from...
‘Detroit’
"Detroit" may have moved out of your local Cineplex, but I cannot think of a timelier movie. With all the talk and action around the events in Charlottesville, Virginia, "Detroit" can act as a primer to help whites...
Where Will You Be for the Total Solar Eclipse?
An eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when one object in the sky moves into the shadow of another. The term is most often used to describe either a solar eclipse (when the moon's shadow crosses Earth's...
NFL Players, Coaches from ’70s Talk Racial Prejudice
Two questions were posed in the early 1970s to a handful of professional football players and coaches who were connected in some way to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes: 1. What do you think about racial prejudice?...
Tillerson: Religious Persecution Far Too Prevalent
Religious freedom restrictions lead to "instability, human rights abuses and violent extremism," the U.S. State Department emphasized in its annual International Religious Freedom Report, released Tuesday, Aug. 15....
What’s Keeping You From Crossing Cultural Barriers?
Crossing cultural barriers often comes unexpectedly. It's as if God had a plan in mind for us, and quite often it only takes a little attention to engage in these new opportunities for developing friendships and...
Profiles in Goodwill: Brent McDougal
Brent McDougal is senior pastor of Cliff Temple Baptist Church in Dallas. 1. Where did you grow up? I grew up mostly in Alabama (Birmingham and Montgomery), but I also lived in South Carolina and Ohio for several...
How God Remains Fully at Work in Our Public Schools
The beginning of the traditional school year brings a wide range of dynamics to the rhythm of life in our society. For some, it is a significant threshold to a new stage of family life, where preschool childhood begins...
Understanding the Value of Utilitarian Ethics – Part 2
The utilitarian approach to ethics is important for its commitment to equality. There are no special interest people or groups. The happiness of each person is measured in an equivalent manner. This characteristic...
Charlottesville Clergy Were Ready Before Deadly Day
Saturday, Aug. 12, was a deadly day in Charlottesville, Virginia, as a Unite the Right rally sparked violent confrontation and apparent domestic terrorism. But a safe space amid the chaos was formed by the work of the...
Is Unity Possible After Charlottesville Rally, Violence?
Violence erupted in a staid university town this weekend, and the symbolism of the white supremacists was startling. A Nazi swastika alongside the Confederate "stars and bars" was a mash-up, to be sure, and the U.S....