Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Baptists in Israel: A Hundred-Year Journey
There are plenty of holiday tours that will take you to the Seven Churches in Revelation. The sites are easily identifiable, and some of them at least retain an air of mysterious sanctity. Go to Ephesus, for instance,...
How to Spend Your Time Waiting For Jesus’ Return
In all the hoopla surrounding May 21 – a predicted day for the rapture – several things stood out. First is the fact that the prediction didn't come true, although those folks who experienced the tornadoes in Kansas...
See Rock City: TravelBlog 6
The carved rock city of Petra is widely acclaimed as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and a wonder it is. Participants in the Campbell University Divinity School "Bible Lands Study Tour" visited the site...
Lofty Language of KJV is More Common Than You Might Think
(RNS) Twelve phrases believed to have originated in the King James Bible, which celebrates its 400th anniversary this year: “Fight the good fight” (1 Timothy 6:12) “What comes out of the mouths of babes” (Psalms 8:2)...
Chances Are Thou Keepest a KJV in Thy House
(RNS) If thou hast a Bible in the house and readeth it at least once a month, chances are strong it’s the majestic King James Version of the Bible in Elizabethan English, according to a recent survey. Of the 89 percent...
Oops! Printing Errors in the Original KJV
(RNS) In the days before spell check, printer errors occasionally crept into the King James Version of the Bible. Here are some of the most notable: -- In a 1612 edition, Psalm 119:161 read “Printers have persecuted me...
Israeli Baptists Celebrate 100 Years in Region
Observing a hundred years of witness in the region of Israel, Baptists held a three-day celebration attended by guests from around the world. Baptist work in the region started in 1911 with the return of Shukri Musa to...
Anti-Immigration Group Gives Fs to Presidential Candidates
What do President Barack Obama and U.S. Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) have in common other than running for president in 2012? They both received Fs on a report card issued by NumbersUSA, an anti-immigration lobby group....
“Let the Churches Do It” Is a Deceptive Myth
Three outspoken Americans recently fed the storyline that charity is the solution to solving social problems. When Catholic scholars charged that House Speaker John Boehner's social service budget cuts were at odds...
Over the Jordan and through the desert: TravelBlog 5
Today was largely a travel day for the intrepid members of Campbell University Divinity School's "Bible Lands Study Tour," though we did manage to see a few things of interest. We were up and out early, bags all...
Exhibit Highlights Hindu Blue-Skinned Savior
NASHVILLE (RNS) In Hindu tradition, Lord Vishnu shows up in many forms. There’s Prince Rama, who killed the demon Ravana; Vamana the dwarf; Parashurama the vengeful; and Matsya the great fish. Then there’s Varasha, the...
Bob Dylan’s Religious Mystique Endures
(RNS) Through the 1960s, Bob Dylan was hailed as a prophet, first of folk music, then of rock ‘n’ roll—at least by those who forgave him the heresy of having “gone electric.” But when rock’s best-known Jew famously...
Star Trek’s Spock Describes His Jewish Roots
ROCKVILLE, Md. (RNS) The V-shaped hand sign that made actor Leonard Nimoy famous as Mr. Spock may have seemed to be from a planet far away. But the “Star Trek” star says he created it from childhood memories of his...
Churches’ Response to Change: Stagnation or Relevance
The 21st-century world is in constant flux. The advances in technology, the continuing spread of globalization, the uprisings in the Arab world, and the growing interaction between diverse cultures present our modern...
Faith Leaders Affirm Obama’s Push for Middle East Peace
More than 25 national leaders of Jewish, Christian and Muslim American religious organizations affirmed President Barack Obama's speech last week aimed at pushing Israelis and Palestinians to pursue peace. During a...
Violence Builds Against Egypt’s Christian Minority
The State Department keeps a list of eight "Countries of Particular Concern" where there are severe violations of religious freedom. The countries on the list are the usual suspects – Burma, China, North Korea and...
From the sea to the river – by way of three cities: TravelBlog 4
The virtual ride for those following the Campbell University Divinity School "Bible Lands Study Tour" continues with a long day that began with a 90-minute drive to the Coast, where we visited the ruins of Caesarea...
From Capernaum to Nazareth: TravelBlog 3
If you've been virtually touring Israel with the study group from Campbell University Divinity School, you know that this was our second full day of exploring in Galilee. It was a full day, and the weather could not...
From endurance to inspiration
By John Pierce There are 96 members of my daughter’s high school class who will receive diplomas today. The school has an Honors Night tradition of having a teacher say something about each graduate. So I arrived...
Exploring Upper Galilee: TravelBlog 2
The "Bible Lands Study Tour" group from Campbell University Divinity School spent Friday circumnavigating much of the region north and east of the Sea of Galilee, ranging from the Mt. of Beatitudes near Capernaum to...
It’s The End of the World as They Know It, and Atheists Feel Fine
(RNS) Harold Camping’s campaign to warn Christians that the rapture is coming on Saturday (May 21) may have won him a band of followers, especially among those who have reportedly quit jobs or used up their life...