WASHINGTON (ABP) — Jim Wallis and Richard Land agree that faith should influence public policy. They just can't agree on how. The two evangelical leaders — one conservative, one progressive — locked horns in an Oct. 19 debate at the…
Vestal: New collaboration shows ‘reconstruction of Baptist family’
DECATUR, Ga. (ABP) — The Baptist “family” is undergoing “something of a reconstruction” these days, according to Daniel Vestal, executive coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. After decades of infighting within and isolation between various Baptist denominations, an unprecedented opportunity…
Baptist World Alliance welcomes peace letter from Muslim scholars
WASHINGTON (ABP) — A letter asking for peace between Muslims and Christians received a warm welcome from leaders of the Baptist World Alliance Oct. 17. Signed by more than 130 Muslim scholars, theologians and clerics, the 29-page tome asked for…
Yale panel: Separation of church and state misunderstood by many
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (ABP) — The separation of church and state is part of what makes America great — and America is plagued by “total ignorance” about what it means, according to panelists at a Yale Divinity School event. However,…
Evangelicals are moving into power, authors say, but ends can be unclear
WASHINGTON (ABP) — There's no question that in the last few decades evangelical Christians have asserted their growing power in America's public life. The question, according to two new books, is: By what methods, and to what end? Former Washington…
Church building is ‘God’s calling card;’ architecture determines the message
AUSTIN, Texas (ABP) — If your sanctuary could speak, what would it say? The truth is, it does speak — every day. Whether a towering neo-Gothic steeple that knifes the suburban sky or a one-room clapboard chapel nestled in the…
Opinion: What divides us as important as what unites us
The recent media firestorm over Ann Coulter's comments on whether or not the Jewish people require “perfection” follows the predictable pattern. Like Captain Renault in the movie Casablanca, the hosts of various news programs professed themselves “shocked, shocked” to discover…
Yale panel: Does political engagement have a theological foundation?
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (ABP) — Political engagement does have a theological foundation, panelists suggested during a recent exchange at Yale Divinity School. Theologians, lawyers, pastors and ethicists shared their views Oct. 12 at the day-long event, called Voices & Votes…
CBF council OKs UN anti-poverty goals, hears of year-end budget shortfall
DECATUR, Ga. (ABP) — The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's governing board, at its Oct. 11-12 meeting, endorsed the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals, joining many governmental and religious bodies in the global fight against extreme poverty, hunger and disease. Jack Glosgow,…
Spirituality in architecture gets boost from revival of arts
FALLS CHURCH, Va. (ABP) — “Any building completely devoid of art is devoid of spirituality,” says architect Larry Cook. The Virginian is one of a growing number of architects who welcome the return of symbolism and spirituality to church buildings….
Stained-glass windows bathe sacred spaces in light, tell stories of faith
FORT WORTH, Texas (ABP) — If every picture tells a story, the stained-glass windows of Broadway Baptist Church tell tales of grace, sacrifice and love. While the Forth Worth, Texas, church has rested on the same piece of property since…
Midwestern Seminary board meeting ends without action against Roberts
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (ABP) — Despite a public conflict with the chairman of his trustees, the president of a Southern Baptist seminary managed to escape a board meeting Oct. 16. According to a press release from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary,…