By David Wilkinson Americans’ obsession with celebrities seems inexhaustible. The ubiquity of the Internet and the rise of social media have added a whole new dimension to this social phenomenon. Today, one can read about, watch and “follow” a favorite…
Getting burned
By Amy Butler On Saturday evening after Thanksgiving, I stood at my stove. I’d decided to mix things up a bit — no leftovers that night — so the spicy dish I was cooking was, if I do say so…
More than a spiritual eraser comes at Advent
By R. Kevin Johnson My friend Ray is a pastor who tells a story about an encounter he had with a visitor to his church office. The man started with, “Pastor, I need your help. I think I’ve made a…
Empty hands sometimes mean content souls
By Carra Hughes Greer I was 13. While my friends were ecstatic about all the new clothes and other stuff they would be getting for Christmas, I was facing the very real fact that we would not be exchanging any…
Sharia and the Constitution
By Jim Denison In last month’s midterm elections, voters in Oklahoma overwhelmingly passed an amendment to their state constitution prohibiting state courts from considering Sharia law when deciding cases. U.S. District Judge Vicki Miles-LaGrange then issued a temporary restraining order,…
Introducing the Christian year
By R. Kevin Johnson Late November is time to make a figurative turn to the beginning of the Christian storybook and another year in God’s service. The calendar I follow all year begins four Sundays before Christmas and sets me…
Becoming thankful for Thanksgiving
By Sarah Holik I think about what I’m thankful for, I enjoy spending time with my family and I love having a few days off, but beyond that I really don’t like Thanksgiving. I would be happy without the foods…
No winners
By Bill Wilson One of the most painful parts of our political process is the heated rhetoric of the campaign season. Most of us are so disgusted by the vitriol of political ads that, by election day, we are willing…
Surprising debate on torture
By David Gushee It was an odd reunion last Wednesday at the Evangelical Theological Society meeting in Atlanta. I had reluctantly agreed to engage Dan Heimbach of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and Keith Pavlischek of the Ethics and Public Policy…