WACO, Texas — Like the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel’s “wheel in the middle of a wheel,” King James-only churches represent a resilient subculture within the subculture of American fundamentalist Protestants, some scholars insist. King James-only churches believe God preserved the…
Museum to feature treasure trove of biblical artifacts
WASHINGTON (RNS) — An evangelical businessman from Oklahoma has planned a multimillion-dollar, high-tech, interactive museum of the Bible. The plan was announced first amid 130 biblical artifacts exhibited at the Vatican Embassy and later at a conference at Baylor University…
Whose ‘majesty’ were the KJV translators exalting?
WACO, Texas — When many readers describe the 1611 King James Version of the Bible, the word “majesty” tends to enter the conversation. It’s no wonder, according to Laura Knoppers, professor of English at Penn State University. The translators King…
Christianity a ‘translated religion’ — into Living Word and written word
WACO, Texas — Translation of Scripture grows naturally out of a central Christian theme — God making himself known by identifying with the commonplace, said Lamin Sanneh, professor of mission and world Christianity at Yale University. “Translation into the common…
Some African-Americans bristle at ‘slave of Christ’ language
WASHINGTON (RNS) — For evangelical author John MacArthur, the best way to explain a Christian’s relationship to Jesus is what appears to be a simple metaphor — one often used by the Apostle Paul himself. “To be a Christian is…
Global south Christians love the Bible books Luther hated
WACO, Texas — Regions Martin Luther never knew have embraced biblical books the Protestant reformer never liked, author and educator Philip Jenkins said. “If Luther hated it, it goes down great in Africa,” said Jenkins, professor of humanities at Penn…
Diver searches for the Apostle Paul’s shipwreck
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (RNS) — Even long before the times of Jesus and the Apostle Paul, Malta was the rocky knob at the western edge of the Roman Empire, the place where the leftovers of the Mediterranean Sea washed up and…
Editor calls for resolution targeting Westboro Baptist Church
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (ABP) – A Baptist newspaper editor says it is time for the state’s Southern Baptists to take a public stand against a tiny Kansas congregation known for pickets across the country with signs reading “God Hates Fags.”…
Supreme Court sides with Texas in case involving prisoner’s rights
WASHINGTON (ABP) – The United States Supreme Court ruled April 20 that a federal law protecting the religious liberty of prison inmates does not entitle a prisoner to monetary damages if that right is denied. Brent Walker of the Baptist…
Eunoia, the Baptist campus ministry at UVA, wins creativity award
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Eunoia, the Baptist campus ministry at the University of Virginia, is one of seven winners of a UVA competition that showcases the creativity and innovation of the university’s undergraduates, officials announced April 18. {youtube}BbfYf7at7k8{/youtube} To compete for…
Wildfires destroy church facility
POSSUM KINGDOM LAKE, Texas (ABP) — Wildfires that rampage across parts of Texas destroyed most of the facilities of a Baptist church. Wildfires hit Baptist church. More than 90 wildfires have broken out across the state, torching about 1 million…
Baptist supports religious freedom for Muslims
GEORGETOWN, Ky. (ABP) – A Baptist church-state expert criticized arguments used by opponents of building mosques in the United States that Islam is not a religion and therefore undeserving of protection of the First Amendment. Melissa Rogers delivers Shurden lectures…