WASHINGTON (RNS) — Mosques across the country are beginning to use a model similar to the one used by some suburban and downtown megachurches, operating multiple sites to serve a large and dispersed congregation. Many of these “mosque chains” brand…
FAITH DIGEST
McCain, Obama to meet at church. In a direct effort to court people of faith, John McCain and Barack Obama will make their first joint appearance of the presidential campaign at California pastor Rick Warren's Saddleback Civil Forum on Leadership…
The Gospel According to ‘the Boss’
BOSTON (RNS) — To millions of fans, he's “the Boss,” the blue-jeaned troubadour of the American heartland who finds nobility in the grind of daily life. Across 35 years in dozens of rock anthems, from Born to Run to Glory…
Thanks for the bees
One of the last places I expected to find an article about the demise of the honeybee was the Religious Herald [“To bee or not to bee,” Herald, July 24]. But it was a pleasant surprise! And I think the…
Oprah’s unorthodox spirituality touches audience, but is it ‘twitter & twaddle’?
WASHINGTON (RNS) — Oprah Winfrey has become a catalyst for a new journalistic project and increasing news coverage by conservative Christians questioning and criticizing her spiritual beliefs. Some evangelical Christians have voiced alarm Winfrey is introducing the 46 million viewers…
FAITHSHAPERS: Tricky Topics: Prayer
Our daughter Abby is starting to scare us. We thought she would unquestioningly believe everything we told her for several more years, but no such luck. She learned to thank God for things as we say our prayers at bed…
Faith in the face of uncertainty: Religious giving tops $100 billion
WASHINGTON (RNS) — Giving to religious charities and congregations passed the $100 billion mark for the first time in 2007, according to a recent report by the Giving USA Foundation. Giving to religious groups increased 4.7 percent, bringing the total…
What honors a soldier most — faith traditions or military regs?
ARLINGTON (RNS) — Strik-ing symmetry marks the rolling green hills of Arlington National Cemetery — rows upon rows of identical white limestone markers, perfectly spaced in every direction. But underground, Muslims are laid to rest on their right side, facing…
Christian, Muslim leaders report progress at Yale talks
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (RNS) — Following up on a public exchange of letters last year about the need for Christian and Muslim understanding, leaders and scholars representing both faiths have begun the task of trying to make their calls more…