Told You So: Church ‘Sued’ Over Gay Marriage, and BBC Cheers Polyamory
During the debate of the gay marriage Bill in Parliament, many said that the Church would face litigation; now it is happening
The Church of England, when the plans to redefine marriage were first announced, said it could be the biggest threat to establishment in 500 years. They secured what they believed to be a suitable protection and, although they still opposed the principle, they felt somewhat reassured. Others, mind you, didn’t buy it. Expert human rights... Continue Reading
Transformationalism Again: Mr. McWilliams Glosses the Text
Continuing the discussion on the meaning of traformationalism
Despite the unfortunate rhetoric of some transformationalists, it is not our job as Christians to transform the world. But God in his grace does bless the work of our hands, and he sometimes uses his people to accomplish considerable good in society. Even if the current cultural situation is one of those “Romans 1” moments... Continue Reading
Study: Too Much Religion Can Harm Economy
Too much religion can harm a society’s economy by undermining the drive for financial success
The study cites the Bible to show how Judaism and Christianity turn upside down the belief that the highest possible income leads to the highest possible happiness and psychological adjustment. It quotes biblical examples such as Jesus’ teaching, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” from Matthew 5:3. CANTERBURY,... Continue Reading
What Christian Left Can Learn From Right
'Moral Mondays' are latest example of growing progressive force. But beware of missteps.
Rev. William Barber, head of the North Carolina chapter of the NAACP and leader of the Moral Mondays, declares, “This is no momentary hyperventilation. This is a movement.” All the more reason to heed the lessons learned from the cautionary tale of the Christian Right, which in addition to gaining visibility and political influence turned... Continue Reading
Book Review: “Life in God” by Matthew Myer Boulton
For Calvin, Christian doctrine is properly conceived and articulated for the sake of Christian formation
Boutlon’s stated goal for the book is to present “a critical, constructive retrieval of Calvin’s reforming project, always with a view to how that project may be inherited and developed by Christian communities today.” He does exactly this, in my estimation, in a way that is both engaging and thought-provoking. Life in God: John... Continue Reading
The Coming Collapse of the PC (USA)
A recent study points to the coming collapse of the PC (USA)—demographic and theological realities will force the denomination to accept a new, diminished future
….it is no longer clear that the denomination can exist in any form resembling the PC (USA) we have known till now. In fact, it is likely that tomorrow’s PC (USA) will be a fraction of its present size. Its financial resources will be stretched the breaking point. Young clergy will suffer as the Board... Continue Reading
What ‘The Butler’ Gets Wrong About Ronald Reagan and Race
Historians of the 40th president are troubled by the movie’s portrayal of Reagan’s attitudes toward race.
Films like “The Butler” can be good opportunities for a healthy consideration of our troubled racial history, but not if they persist with inaccurate portrayals. Rather than advancing a flawed portrait of Reagan on race, perhaps “The Butler” can start the process of getting Reagan right on race. One cold evening in Dixon, Ill.,... Continue Reading
Ordinary: The New Radical?
In Christian circles, successive waves of extraordinariness have whipped us up into a frenzy, only to leave us exhausted or disillusioned.
In many ways, it’s more fun to be part of movements than churches. We can express our own individuality, pick our favorite leaders, and be swept off our feet at conferences. We can be anonymous. Although encouraged by like-minded believers, we are not bound up with them so that we should feel compelled to bear... Continue Reading
Peeking Outside the Darwin Cage
Five teachers talk about their passion for pointing students to the mind behind the universe and the risks they take to do it
Brown would like to see students thinking for themselves, but in a public high school, he has to be careful with his words. His school district lies in the same region as Dover, Pa., where a school board in 2004 tried to institute a teaching policy that would have included information about intelligent design and... Continue Reading
Recovering Confession
5 reasons to confess our sins regularly to God
I don’t hear much talk about confession these days. There was a time when any good book on Christian piety dealt with it. Confession used to occupy an important place in the liturgy of corporate worship. But outside of a general admission that we are sinners, or the specific confession of the one “big sin”... Continue Reading