GETTYSBURG, Pa. (RNS) — When Confederate soldiers bore down on Gettysburg, Pa., in 1863, a quiet seminary building atop a ridge was transformed — first into a Union lookout, then a field hospital for 600 wounded soldiers. Now the structure…
Lutherans and Catholics bury the hatchet for Reformation’s 500th anniversary in 2017
VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Lutherans and Catholics have pledged to celebrate together the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation in 2017, with both sides agreeing to set aside centuries of hostility and prejudice. The Vatican and the Lutheran World Federation…
In spite of declining attendance and increasing costs, leaders say annual meetings have a future
’Tis the season for Baptist annual meetings. But will declining numbers, the expense of gathering people for face-to-face encounters and rapid advances in technology soon mean the demise of the rite? Not necessarily and probably not anytime soon. Fellowship and…
Denominations: Dying or transforming into something new?
Do Baptist annual meetings matter if denominations themselves are dying? Some leaders believe denominationalism isn’t dying, but rather is undergoing metamorphosis. Those willing and flexible enough to change still will need the community and networking annual meetings offer. “Denominationalism is…
Occult obsession not a passing phenomenon but a folk religion, say some experts
Many Americans love sinking their teeth into stories about vampires, and some fans live for the latest tales of the undead. But as vacationers pack their beach bags with “teen paranormal romance” novels and movie-goers await World War Z, what…
America exporting new religion, Australian theologian insists
Fascination with zombies and vampires reflects a global New Spirituality which America shapes through pop culture, said theologian Ross Clifford, author of The Cross Is Not Enough: Living as Witnesses to the Resurrection. Clifford, principal of Morling College in New…
Zombie apocalypse offers a secularized twist on Scripture, says educator
The Walking Dead, Doomsday Preppers and Left Behind may have more in common than meets the eye. Dramas about zombie apocalypse, TV reality shows about survivalists and speculation about end-times prophecy all grow from a desire for hope in the…
Study suggests bad World War II experiences led veterans to church
(RNS) — A new study has found that American veterans who had a negative experience serving during World War II attend church more frequently today than those who were less troubled by their service. The study also found that when…
Catholic rocker Matt Maher finds cross-over appeal among evangelicals
(RNS) — Growing up Roman Catholic in Newfoundland, Matt Maher never imagined that his childhood interest in music would lead to a career as a Grammy-nominated, chart-topping Christian rocker — let alone a crossover artist featured on Christian radio and…