Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
U.S. Seminaries Consider Radical Changes
(RNS) For more than 200 years, Andover Newton Theological School (ANTS) has trained future pastors to have expertise in biblical studies, pastoral care and preaching. But in today’s world, the nation’s oldest school of...
Supreme Court Won’t Wade into Roadside Crosses Fight
WASHINGTON (RNS) The Supreme Court announced Monday (Oct. 31) that it will not reopen a case in which a lower court ruled that highway crosses memorializing Utah state troopers are unconstitutional. The court’s...
Faith-healing Parents Sentenced to Six Years
OREGON CITY, Ore. (RNS) An Oregon judge on Monday (Oct. 31) sentenced two members of a faith-healing church to more than six years in prison, saying the death of their newborn son was easily avoidable. A jury in...
New Egypt Sees Coptic Christians Under Threat
British Christians have condemned the Egyptian Army's distortion of its role in the massacre of more than two dozen Coptic Christians in early October. In an unprecedented press conference hosted by Premier Christian...
Two Ethical Approaches: Prescriptive vs. Relational
In the best of times and the worst of times, religiously oriented academic communities strive to develop policies and practices that reflect and express their core values. Recently, two Georgia universities, with roots...
I Have Decided to Follow Jesus … and Tweet
Two years after asking rhetorically if Jesus would tweet, I've finally decided to follow Jesus. I've begun to tweet. In late September 2009, I wrote, "Jesus spoke in tweets before tweets became cool, if by tweets one...
Don’t be surprised
By John Pierce A friend keeps me reminded of the old saying: “If you know it’s a snake when you pick it up, don’t be surprised when it bites you.” That line came to mind when strong reactions...
Lawyer Charges Catholic University with Civil Rights Violations
WASHINGTON (RNS) A famously litigious lawyer has filed charges against the Catholic University of America (CUA) for not providing Muslim students with prayer rooms that are free of Catholic iconography. John F. Banzhaf...
Historic London Cathedral Reopens and Moves to Evict Protesters
LONDON (RNS) London’s historic St. Paul’s Cathedral reopened its doors to visitors Friday (Oct. 28) for the first time in a week, as authorities moved to evict hundreds of camped-out protesters. The church and the...
Crystal Cathedral Endorses Offer to End its Bankruptcy Crisis
(RNS) Crystal Cathedral officials have endorsed an offer from a nearby California university to purchase the glass-walled megachurch and end its bankruptcy crisis. Despite their decision, church leaders say they are...
Three Ways to Lose the J-Word at Your Church
I cannot stand this word and what it represents. I hear it far too often. It represents an attitude that should be banned from local church life. It is the word "just." As in, "I'm just a layperson." Actually, that is...
What’s a Baptist? Anything and Everything
Baptists and Mormons are running ahead of Catholics in media coverage on the current "public religion" front. Many of the members of all three faith groups chafe when they hear their movements denominated...
Leaders vs. Managers: Which Are More Valuable?
Seth Godin does good work. Not only does he provide alternatives to old ways of doing things, he reminds us not to neglect proven concepts. In arecentblogpost, Godin wrote about the differences between managers and...
What’s your sign (for Hallowe’en)?
Churches struggle mightily in deciding what to do about Hallowe'en, which is too culturally embedded to ignore and too demonically inspired to endorse. Some churches go ahead and embrace the day, reminding parishioners...
Playing ‘til the last out
By John Pierce As George Will put it: “Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona.” While I will enjoy college football and other activities on this Saturday,...
What kind of Baptist?
Leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention are thinking about changing the organization's name -- again -- and I suspect the idea will get a lot more traction this time than in previous attempts, in part because SBC...
Bishops Warn Congress on Threats to Freedom
WASHINGTON (RNS) U.S. Catholic bishops dispatched their new point man on religious freedom to warn Congress on Wednesday (Oct. 26) that religious people risk being labeled as “bigots” without greater conscience...
Faith, Political Leaders Find Out How Far Food Stamps Go
WASHINGTON (RNS) Religious leaders and members of Congress this week are getting a firsthand taste of what it’s like to eat on $4.50 a day as part of the “Food Stamp Challenge.”In the challenge, participants try to...
Pope Convenes Interfaith Summit
ASSISI, Italy (RNS) Pope Benedict XVI hosted some 300 representatives of world religions here on Thursday (Oct. 27) for an interfaith summit on justice and peace, with distinct changes made to the event first convened...
“Higher Ground”
"Higher Ground" tells the story of a woman's faith struggle. It's set on the stage of a fundamentalist theology. Corinne (Vera Farmiga) is earnestly trying to find a way to experience God. The movie begins with her...
Why Jesus Is Unimpressed with Your Title
Thank God (literally) our Roman Catholic and Orthodox sisters and brothers aren't biblical literalists. Otherwise, they certainly would be in big trouble with Jesus and his teachings about what we call ourselves. Not...