WACO, Texas — Regions Martin Luther never knew have embraced biblical books the Protestant reformer never liked, author and educator Philip Jenkins said. “If Luther hated it, it goes down great in Africa,” said Jenkins, professor of humanities at Penn…
Diver searches for the Apostle Paul’s shipwreck
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (RNS) — Even long before the times of Jesus and the Apostle Paul, Malta was the rocky knob at the western edge of the Roman Empire, the place where the leftovers of the Mediterranean Sea washed up and…
Translators’ goal: Make the message clear & plain
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The preface to the King James Version of the Bible captures Barclay Newman’s respect almost as much as the holy words the translation contains. And the longtime translator for the American Bible Society is disappointed modern editions…
After 400 years, does King James still rule?
Supporters have called it “the book that changed the world.” Detractors have derided it as archaic and inaccurate. But few dispute the impact the King James Version of the Bible has made over the last four centuries. Arguably, no other…
King James-only adherents apply inerrancy to 1611 Bible translation
WACO, Texas — Like the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel’s “wheel in the middle of a wheel,” King James-only churches represent a resilient subculture within the subculture of American fundamentalist Protestants, some scholars insist. King James-only churches believe God preserved the…
Museum to feature treasure trove of biblical artifacts
WASHINGTON (RNS) — An evangelical businessman from Oklahoma has planned a multimillion-dollar, high-tech, interactive museum of the Bible. The plan was announced first amid 130 biblical artifacts exhibited at the Vatican Embassy and later at a conference at Baylor University…
Eunoia, the Baptist campus ministry at UVA, wins creativity award
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Eunoia, the Baptist campus ministry at the University of Virginia, is one of seven winners of a UVA competition that showcases the creativity and innovation of the university’s undergraduates, officials announced April 18. {youtube}BbfYf7at7k8{/youtube} To compete for…
Donors pledge $500,000 in matching gift campaign for BTSR relocation
RICHMOND, Va. — Five anonymous donors have pledged to match up to $500,000 in contributions to Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond over the next year, to assist the school as it begins a process of moving to a new location…
Tornadoes keep Virginia Baptists’ disaster relief ministries busy in April
RICHMOND, Va. — Tornadoes kept Virginia Baptists’ disaster relief ministries on its toes during the first half of April, as severe weather caused damage in two widely-separated parts of the state — along the Chesapeake Bay and in the mountains…
Contributions from BGAV churches drop 7.8 percent in first quarter
RICHMOND, Va. — The Baptist General Association of Virginia ended the first quarter of 2011 with almost 8 percent fewer contributions from affiliated churches than in 2010, a financial officer reported April 12. Congregations gave $2,667,089 to Cooperative Missions between…
Baptist lecturer at Wake Forest defends religious freedom for Muslims
GEORGETOWN, Ky. (ABP) — A Baptist church-state expert criticized arguments used by opponents of building mosques in the United States that Islam is not a religion and therefore undeserving of protection of the First Amendment. Melissa Rogers, director of the…
Tornado destroys sanctuary of Deltaville, Va., church
DELTAVILLE, Va. — The sanctuary of Zoar Baptist Church in Deltaville, Va., was destroyed by a tornado that touched down at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 16 — just hours before the building would have been full of worshipers. The tornado,…