WASHINGTON (ABP) — The Obama administration proposed a broader opt-out Feb. 1 for religious organizations that object to mandated coverage of contraceptives in employee health care plans, an effort to alleviate religious-liberty concerns behind a number of lawsuits challenging the…
In faith-infused event, Obama extols a biblical vision of equality for all in second inaugural
WASHINGTON (RNS) — A presidential inauguration is by tradition the grandest ritual of America’s civil religion, but President Obama took the oath of office on Jan. 21 in a ceremony that was explicit in joining theology to the nation’s destiny…
Religious leaders laud MLK in memorial service
WASHINGTON (RNS)—An earthquake and a hurricane interrupted plans to honor Martin Luther King Jr. in the nation's capital, but religious leaders and civil rights veterans said King's legacy is unshakable. The Aug. 27 interfaith service was the last official event…
Religious leaders laud MLK in memorial service
WASHINGTON (RNS)—An earthquake and a hurricane interrupted plans to honor Martin Luther King Jr. in the nation's capital, but religious leaders and civil rights veterans said King's legacy is unshakable. The Aug. 27 interfaith service was the last official event…
Speakers urge WMU to ‘Proclaim’ the gospel message
PHOENIX (BP)—Missions leaders from across the nation proclaimed the good news of Jesus Christ during the 2011 National Woman’s Missionary Union missions celebration and annual meeting in Phoenix. “Proclaim!” was the theme for the June 12-13 celebration, based on Luke…
At prayer breakfast, Obama discusses personal faith
WASHINGTON (RNS)—President Obama spoke at length Feb. 3 about the daily contours of his Christian faith, brushing off the skeptics who question the authenticity of his beliefs. “My Christian faith … has been a sustaining force for me over these…
Skateboarder an overnight sensation after rescuing Quran
(RNS) At the end of a summer characterized by unprecedented levels of Islamophobia, Muslim Americans and their allies have found an expected reason to smile: Jake Isom, a skateboarder with a rat-tail from Amarillo, Texas. Last Saturday (Sept. 18), Isom,…
Soul-searching evangelicals look toward nonpolitical future
SOUTH HAMILTON, Mass. (RNS) — Repentant for having spent a generation bowing at the altars of church growth and political power, concerned evangelicals gathered recently to search the soul of their movement and find a new way forward. That evangelicals,…
Through a glass darkly: Churches struggle to know how to respond to people with mental illness
Living with depression — or any other form of mental illness — is like viewing life “through a glass darkly,” according to Jessy Grondin, a student in Vanderbilt University’s Divinity School. “It distorts how you see things.” Like one in…