By Bill Leonard We recently purchased a new car, the first we’ve bought since 2005. “Sticker shock” is an understatement in 2014. That’s why St. Paul caught my attention with his advice to the Roman Christians: “Leave no debt outstanding,…
On first take, the latest U2 album still offers grace
By Steven Harmon I’d told myself I wouldn’t do it this time. Writing a theological review of the latest U2 album has been de rigueur for me since offering my two cents on How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. With increasingly…
Beware of addiction — and know its signs
“To be alive is to be addicted, and to be alive and addicted is to stand in need of grace.” Gerald May For reasons that go back a few generations, I am interested in addiction. I have studied it, and…
How I got here: The LGBT issue, part 17
By David Gushee Follow David: @dpgushee My mind and heart have changed on the LGBT issue. I am not the only one by any means–the trickle is becoming a flood. I could point you to a stack of thoughtful books…
Send a message — don’t watch the NFL
By Michael Parnell The Janay and Ray Rice video shows what happened that night in February. It is clear that Mr. Rice punched his then fiancée so hard it knocked her out. The first video showed the aftermath of what…
Wolfhart Pannenberg, R.I.P.
By Roger E. Olson One of the last theological giants passed away Sept. 5. Wolfhart Pannenberg was without doubt one of the most influential theologians of the 20th century. He was born in Stettin, Germany, (now part of Poland) in…
Monks and mediation: what some Benedictines taught me about conflict
Seventy-five miles north of Santa Fe there’s a high desert canyon so ancient, so primordial, I half-expected to see pterodactyls in the sky instead of hawks as I steered my rental car along thirteen miles of single-lane dirt road. The…
Leviticus, abomination and Jesus: The LGBT issue, part 10
By David Gushee Follow David: @dpgushee Not long ago I received a communication from a person identifying himself as John Calvin, quoting Leviticus 20:13 to me, suggesting that this text resolves the LGBT issue. Dr. Calvin’s concern was already on…
The worst of times … really?
By Bill Wilson It happens nearly every day for me. It’s the inevitable conversation about the demise of organized religious activities, specifically local church attendance and giving. The vultures are gathering to feast on the carcass of the local church….
Christian news site scrubs Islamophobic opinion
I opened Facebook this morning to read this headline, “Why I Am Absolutely Islamaphobic”. I clicked the link and read the opinion piece by Rev. Gary Cass and was disgusted by what I read. I posted the Charisma News article on my Facebook page only…
The end of church membership?
By John Chandler While visiting friends last spring, Mary and I were invited to worship at a Presbyterian church. Our friends were active and enthusiastic members, and their invitation reminded me of an old truth — that far and away…
I can do more: A lament
By Barrett Owen It’s been a bad month. People are angry. Humans are dying. Cultures are dividing. These are the talking points we have to discuss: Depression is a disease. Ukraine is in turmoil. ISIS just beheaded two American journalists….