Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Look Who’s Coming to Dinner
When some people think of Jesus, they may assume that he spent his time with the most reputable and righteous people of his day. A careful reading of the Gospels might change our thinking and introduce us to the real...
The Dilemma of a Faithless Faith
We don't hear much about orthodoxy these days. The notion comes from a time when the church exercised control over the beliefs and practices of its members. The idea of a binding body of religious teaching is simply...
Safety and Consumer Groups Say ‘No’ to Beer Tax Cut
Members of the beer industry are lobbying Congress for passage of a new bill (H.R. 1305) that would lower the national beer tax by 50 percent. Opponents of the bill warn the bill would enable more young people to buy...
Helms and Bono Team up to Tackle HIV/AIDS
The Prescription for Hope Conference in Washington, D.C., drew church leaders, Christian activists and many who work every day in trying to alleviate the suffering caused by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Many good things had...
Hinduism: A Profile
Hinduism is the oldest living world religion. It is also the most difficult to understand as Hindus may be atheists, monotheists or polytheists, depending on their interpretation of Hinduism's diverse scriptures,...
Land of Canaan: Whose Land Is It?
If it's a matter of who got there first, the Israelites have a case against the Palestinians. If it's a matter of who has held control of the land most recently and for the longest period of time, the Palestinians have...
Why Can’t Everyone Just Get Along? The Answer Begins with Theology
Outsiders often wonder why Muslims and Jews in the Middle East can't put their differences behind them and agree to get along on the land they both claim as holy. The problem is part logistical and part theological,...
Evangelical Theology Drives American Attitudes toward Israel and Middle East
When Ed McAteer watches current events unfold in the Middle East, he sees the fulfillment of biblical prophecy. These things must come to pass, he believes, in order for Jesus to return and bring world history to its...
Another Christian View of Israel Sees Church as New People of God
Evangelical Christian theology undergirding some reaction to the Arab-Israeli conflict hinges on one pivotal notion--that the Jewish people are God's people, God's chosen ones who must be protected. But that's not the...
Unfreezing Moves: Following Jesus into the Mission Field
With all the power and subtlety of a tank, Bill Easum asks, "Is your congregation being faithful to the biblical mission of making disciples?" He rolls on from there. In his latest work, Unfreezing Moves: Following...
Colonial Baptists Battled Taxes
Late one cold night in October 1752, as widow Elizabeth Backus sat by her fire, wrapped in blankets reading the Bible, Massachusetts law officers came for her. They hauled the elderly, ailing Baptist off to jail for...
When the Pinches of Change Come
Many churches and denominations are moving beyond denial and discovering that, in many instances, what they have been doing for decades is no longer working. We haven't been making disciples and now our world and our...
Unbelievable Destruction
I spent this evening with two dear friends whose lives are committed to peace and justice, and whose hearts are breaking over the horrific violence in the Middle East. Jean Zaru is a Palestinian Quaker whose daughter...
When Scholars of Religion Sense the Need of the Times
The Department of Religion at the University of Manitoba announced the theme for the next volume of their scholarly journal, "Studies in Religion." Are you ready? Religion and Undergarments! Passover, Easter and the...
Churches Can Prevent Sexual Abuse by Screening Staff and Volunteers
Seminaries may be the first line of defense in protecting church members from sexual abuse by clergy, but in congregationally governed parishes the ultimate responsibility is with the local church, according to...
Marks of Pastoral Excellence
Pastoral leaders should be gauged by their faithfulness rather than their commitment to a business model of success. The ultimate aim of pastoral leaders is to please God rather than the world. Thus, standards for good...
Rendering Unto Uncle Sam
April 15 is not a date that usually appears on the Christian calendar. It is tax day, the deadline for filing personal income taxes. Is there a biblical and historical precedent for paying taxes? To the surprise of...
Religious Right’s Issues Fade from Public Interest
Key "hot button" issues, such as abortion and homosexuality, concerned few adults, according to a survey of the conservative Barna Research Organization. "The issues often associated with moral decay were not...
Rude, Crude and Socially Unacceptable: A Status Report on Americans Behaving Badly
A recent study conducted by Public Agenda and funded by Pew Charitable Trusts revealed that many Americans found it common to encounter people who are rude and disrespectful. Eight in 10 surveyed said a lack of respect...
The Eyes of the World on the Christians of Palestine
The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem has taken center stage in the incredible drama in the Middle East. Some 70 Palestinian Christian clergy together with approximately 200 Palestinian soldiers are barricaded in...
Journey to Jesus: The Worship, Evangelism, and Nurture Mission of the Church
Journey to Jesus: The Worship, Evangelism, and Nurture Mission of the Church is a new book for pastors and church leaders looking for a better way to do evangelism that inspires deeper, long-lasting commitment to...