ATLANTA—Varied views on the human body in the Bible and church tradition shape modern Christians’ attitudes about sexuality, ethicist Melissa Browning told a [Baptist] Conference on Sexuality and Covenant. Christians need to formulate “an embodied theology … that is rooted…
Look beyond denominational subculture, Baylor professor urges sexuality conference
ATLANTA—Contemporary ethical debates about sexuality cannot be separated from questions about the nature of the church and whether Christians will be shaped more by covenant community or by culture, a lecturer in Baylor University’s Great Texts program told participants at…
Pastor says SBC should repudiate and/or replace Richard Land
An influential black pastor says the Southern Baptist Convention should repudiate remarks about race by the head of its ethics commission, and if Richard Land does not repent he should be fired. Dwight McKissic, pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in…
Christians lack consensus on sexual ethics, conference speaker says
By Bob Allen Christians no longer share a consensus that sex outside of marriage is always wrong and must find new ways to deal with that reality besides splitting into smaller and smaller groups over issues like homosexuality and contraception,…
Bible translation focuses on dialogue
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS)—The name Jesus Christ doesn’t appear in The Voice, a new translation of the Bible. Nor do words such as angel or apostle. Instead, angel is rendered as “messenger” and apostle as “emissary.” Jesus Christ is “Jesus the…
Millennials losing faith in record numbers, says report
WASHINGTON (RNS)—A growing tide of young Americans is drifting away from the religions of their childhood—and most of them are ending up in no religion at all. One in four young adults choose “unaffiliated” when asked about their religion, according…
Focus on Jesus, interpret the Bible with humility, N.C. pastor tells sexuality conference
ATLANTA—Christians who want to hear God’s voice—particularly when it comes to difficult issues regarding sexuality—need to approach the Scriptures with humility and a desire to know the heart and mind of Christ, speakers told participants at a [Baptist] Conference on…
Christians no longer have consensus on sexual ethics, says keynote speaker at sexuality conference
ATLANTA (ABP)—Christians no longer share a consensus that sex outside of marriage is always wrong and must find new ways to deal with that reality besides splitting into smaller and smaller groups over issues like homosexuality and contraception, a keynote…
‘Confusing’ BGAV budget needs clarifying, say leaders
RICHMOND, Va.—The Baptist General Association of Virginia’s budget has become an overly complex and unwieldy document that needs to be recast to more clearly articulate the BGAV’s mission priorities, three top BGAV leaders said April 17. In addition, allocations for…
Young ‘Millennials’ losing faith in record numbers
WASHINGTON (RNS)—A growing tide of young Americans is drifting away from the religions of their childhood—and most of them are ending up in no religion at all. One in four young adults choose “unaffiliated” when asked about their religion, according…
New Bible translation, The Voice, focuses on dialogue
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS)—The name Jesus Christ doesn’t appear in The Voice, a new translation of the Bible. Nor do words such as angel or apostle. Instead, angel is rendered as “messenger” and apostle as “emissary.” Jesus Christ is “Jesus the…
CBF council reviewing revised 2012 Task Force report
By Bob Allen A two-year study charting the future for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is now in the hands of the group’s Coordinating Council, which votes May 1 on the final report in time for it to be published and…