Commentaries

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,…

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…

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…

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…

By Christopher Robertson Immigration reform has been mainly an abstract concern for many Americans for years. But now, the country has a chance to enact real reform for real people — the children of illegal immigrants. For nearly a decade…

By Jim Denison In the next five minutes while you’re reading this essay, 67 babies will be born in the United States. During that same time, 274 babies will be born in China, and 395 in India. The global landscape…

By David Wilkinson The Rev. Peter de Villiers got an answer to his prayers: he won the lottery. Some of his parishioners and denominational kinsmen, however, aren’t celebrating the pastor’s good fortune. My wife has her doubts, too. According to…

By Blake Hart Despite what many politicians and pundits may say, the United States is still deeply divided. Since the midterm elections several political analysts have said that “the American people” have spoken. Some claim the country spoke with one…

By Elizabeth Evans Hagan As a child, I would beam with delight when I was able to watch the beloved 1939 film adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz. There’s truly something magical about a story in which…

By Laura Rector The aftermath of a recent election brings tears to my eyes. No, it’s not from an elephant kick or donkey shakedown. It’s not a cry over spilt tea, and there’s not a Rand Paul or Barbara Boxer-shaped…

By Pamela Durso Growing up November was always my favorite month, and for two really good reasons: Thanksgiving and my birthday! But I now have another reason to like November. It is National Adoption Month. As an adoptive mother for…

  By David Gushee Augustine’s “Two Cities” theology of politics and history seems apropos today. The churches, motivated by love of God and neighbor, are called to join with their neighbors in pursuit of the contingent but significant common goods…