NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (RNS) — Sue Fritz tended to the sick for more than two decades as a nurse at St. Peter’s University Hospital. By the time she left for another job in 1999, she was vested in the hospital’s…
Shhh! Pope praises value of short tweets, silence
VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Pope Benedict XVI praised new communications technologies like Twitter on Jan. 24, saying that even “concise phrases, often no longer than a verse from the Bible,” can convey “profound thoughts.” Benedict did not explicitly refer to…
‘A miniature Christian bookstore’ in your palm
NEW YORK (RNS) — God may hold the whole world in his hand, but persecuted Christians can now hold an entire seminary library on a fingertip. Bible League International is working with the Digital Bible Society to carry the thumbnail-sized…
COMMENTARY: Competing in the free market
NEW YORK (RNS) — If local newspapers are dying, where will we get the trustworthy news we need to be responsible citizens, neighbors and economic contributors? It’s a good question. Here’s another. If slow-moving, complacent old-economy enterprises like Kodak continue…
‘A miniature Christian bookstore’ in the palm of your hand
NEW YORK (RNS) — God may hold the whole world in his hand, but persecuted Christians can now hold an entire seminary library on a fingertip. Bible League International is working with the Digital Bible Society to carry the thumbnail-sized…
Pressler confab evokes bad memories for former SBC leader
By Bob Allen An interfaith leader and Baptist minister said a recent meeting of conservative evangelicals aimed at coalescing support for a Republican presidential candidate is part of a larger movement by individuals and groups that are attempting to “dominate…
African-American Texas Baptist pioneer dies
By Ken Camp Harold Branch, the first African-American officer of the Baptist General Convention of Texas died Jan. 20 in Corpus Christi, Texas, a community he served in various capacities since 1956. He was 92. Branch was pastor of St….
Muslim men convicted of advocating death for gays
LONDON (RNS) — In the first case of its kind, a British court has convicted three Muslim men — who claimed they were acting under teachings of their religion — of openly advocating the execution of gays. Jurors in Derby,…
Megadeth star takes thrash metal — and seminary — on tour
CLAYTON, Mo. (RNS) — As new students wandered onto the campus of Concordia Seminary last September, they were joined by another group of theological rookies — mostly midcareer types — joining the school’s program that allows students to train for…
Bodily desecration is disturbing — but why?
NEW YORK (RNS) — The recent outrage over a video allegedly showing U.S. Marines urinating on dead Taliban fighters provided Americans with a disturbing reminder that war can reduce men to revenge-seeking brutality that defies human norms. It’s nothing new:…
Poll: Preachy politicians turn off many voters
NEW YORK (RNS) — If there’s one thing the fractious Republican field agrees on, it’s that personal religious devotion is central to their campaign message. Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney and even Ron Paul stress their faith on the…
Megadeth star takes metal — and seminary — on tour
CLAYTON, Mo. (RNS) — As new students wandered onto the campus of Concordia Seminary last September, they were joined by another group of theological rookies — mostly midcareer types — joining the school’s program that allows students to train for…