By Robert Dilday When a church consultant recommended to Second Baptist Church in Liberty, Mo., that its senior minister needed an additional venue—other than the pulpit—to connect to its members, the church’s media minister pushed Pastor Jason Edwards to consider…
Obama appeals to ‘social gospel’
By Bob Allen President Obama denied March 12 that he is “waging a war on religion,” citing his own work as a community organizer before entering politics as part of the “social gospel.” Asked in a White House interview with…
The gospel according to Napoleon Dynamite
By Gary Furr Napoleon Dynamite. It’s been seven years and I still laugh at this movie. I have it on DVR so I can speed through to favorite moments. Not long ago a friend and I were laughing as we…
Politics & Media: Learn to recognize bias, determine reliability
By Bob Allen Voters want and need reliable and truthful information about candidates at all levels of government and from all political perspectives. But in an information age that overwhelms the electorate with sheer volume at breakneck speed, what factors…
Sound-bite salvation
By Bill Leonard Who is a Christian, who is not and how do you know? That question, as old as the church, lurks inside St. Paul’s confrontation with the “superlative apostles” in Corinth who challenged his Christian credentials. In defending…
Baptist Standard Publishing launches test phase of FaithVillage site
Associated Baptist Press The website is a new ministry of Baptist Standard Publishing, parent company of the Baptist Standard. The 123-year-old organization will continue to publish the newspaper and its digital news products. FaithVillage.com will provide Christian community and an…
Online spiritual resources for observing Lent available
By Robert Dilday Two resources to help observe the season of Lent are available online, one provided by the Birmingham, Ala.-based Passport Inc., the other by a Baptist congregation in Charlottesville, Va. Journey to the Cross, a Lenten devotional series…
Finding Christ in popular culture
By Robert Dilday When the Academy Award ceremony airs Feb. 26, an unusual film that has bemused some, exhilarated others and drawn wide-ranging comments tops the list of nominees. Brad Pitt and Laramie Eppler star in Terrence Malick’s film, Tree…
Looking for Christian themes in movies? Here are critics’ choices
By Robert Dilday Hollywood’s century-old repertoire of films offers a rich lode of Christian themes, say some observers who see value in mining for them. While the Oscar-nominated Tree of Life may be opaque, it’s “one of the most powerful…