I love police, lawyer, and political dramas on television and the big screen. Not sure I always like the violence or murders, but I like how the drama is weaved together. The West Wing, about the presidency of Jeb Bartlett,…
Reflecting on the contributions of Martin Luther King Jr.
By David Gushee Follow David:@dpgushee American life offers us very few heroes today. Certainly there are few people that everyone admires. Instead, our semi-heroes come in shades of red and blue, like the rest of our public life. Martin…
Inclusion reflex
By Jason Coker Last summer I was at a conference in Italy with people from all over the world, and there were a handful of us who became very good friends. We would eat together, sit together during the conference,…
Redemption at Duke Chapel
Admittedly jarring in light of the recent tragedies in Paris and Nigeria was the news that on Fridays at noon the Muslim call to prayer will be chanted and broadcast from atop the Duke University Chapel bell tower. Having travelled…
Once again the pen is mightier than the sword
I have a mighty pen I prefer over any other pen. I carry it with me always. When someone offers me a pen to sign a document or a payment slip, I pull out my mighty pen and sign it….
Adhan at Duke Chapel: A call for hostility or hospitality?
After coming home from my classes at Duke Divinity School yesterday, I noticed that Duke Chapel would be hosting a Muslim call to prayer every Friday afternoon beginning this week. The adhan is an integral part of Muslim worship practice…
Our hidden addiction
By Bill Wilson You know all too well that our society is prone to addictions. We do nearly everything to excess. Not just the obvious culprits — alcohol, gambling, pain-killers, sex, work. There are a multitude of things which, done…
We need covenant parenting in covenant communities
Often, as we discuss sexuality and marriage, the word covenant comes up—specifically whether marriage should be a covenant between a man and a woman or whether LGBT friends have the right to enter into such a covenant. When we limit…
Tasting the Kingdom
By Bill Leonard Each January for the last three years I’ve joined a group of students in visiting the Haywood Street Congregation in Asheville, N.C., and each time we’ve gotten a taste of God’s New Community (aka the Kingdom of…