Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who died on the morning of Dec. 31 at the age of 95, leaves a legacy that will be the subject of intense discussion and debate for decades to come. In the hours that followed the…
The story of Tamar and the epidemic of sexual violence in evangelical churches
Susan Shaw recently wrote an article for BNG titled “The Abusers in the Pews,” discussing how sexual violence runs rampant in Christian churches. She explained that churches rarely actively engage in the work needed to achieve gender justice, perpetuating the…
Jesus and Muslim students at prayer
Jesus took a whip and drove the money changers from the temple. This doesn’t suggest he would have interrupted Muslim students at prayer. A teacher at Franklin Academy Charter School in Pembroke Pines, Fla., however, interrupted Muslim students during prayer…
Will you take The Truman Challenge in 2023?
American presidents must be prepared to respond to whatever questions might arise at a press conference. Presidents have answered or dodged difficult questions, or snapped, “No comment. Next question!” In a 1949 press conference, Harry Truman made clear that as…
The spiritual and financial actions you take today will build your future
Editor’s note: Joshua Goocey teaches a faith and finance class at Wake Forest Divinity School. He is a former pastor and now runs a wealth management firm that advises individuals, families and small businesses on how to build generational wealth….
This year, view your church through the lens of a newcomer
A few weeks ago, I received a phone call from a friend seeking a reference for a place for him and his family to worship. His family is living in a suburb about half an hour from the capital city…
Sittin’ up with the dead at Bubba-Doo’s
Some regional traditions are tough to explain if someone isn’t already familiar. So many of the things folks do in any area are easiest learned when we simply grow into them. For instance, in many parts of the country horse…
The gospel as epiphanic moment
In her short story Revelation, Flannery O’Connor writes of the great judgment: Until the sun slipped finally behind the tree line, Mrs. Turpin remained there with her gaze bent to them as if she were absorbing some abysmal life-giving knowledge….
A New Year’s resolution from Gandhi and a three-word movie subtitle
Gandhi helped free me from prison. Now there’s some fun with syntax and the ambiguity of a preposition. That sentence has two potential meanings: Either Gandhi helped me get out of prison, or, while he was in prison, Gandhi helped…
2022 was a year of celebration
Throughout 2022, I spent the year learning about various holiday traditions and seeking to gain a greater understanding of what they teach us about God. My theme verse for the year was Psalm 145:7: “They celebrate your abundant goodness and…
How to show Greg Abbott and other Grinches the true spirit of Christmas
The governor of the state where I live proved himself to be a Grinch of the first order Christmas Eve — and apparently a coward too. Three busloads of migrants were delivered outside the door of Vice President Kamala Harris’…
This Christmas, the Holy Spirit sounds like an oxygen machine to me
Don’t let my name fool you. One of my most redeeming qualities is being a realist, often named by others as pessimist. In the spirit of that title, or misplaced naming, I am unsure how I will stomach Christmas this…