Hunter, James Davison. To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, & Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World. Oxford University Press, 2010. ISBN: 9780199730803. Meet the Author Since 1983, James Davison Hunter has been teaching at the University of Virginia and researching American culture. Currently, he is the LaBrosse-Levinson Distinguished Professor of Religion, Culture and Social Theory as well as the Director of the Institute for Read More …
Reconsidering Ambition (#0152)
Will Willimon (United Methodist Bishop, author of over sixty books and over six hundred scholarly articles, prolific blogger, and popular speaker) wrote a thought provoking article about ambition, which was posted earlier today on Leadership Journal. The brief article is worth reading, but the following excerpts are especially worth pondering: So I can't think of any reason why we clergy shouldn't admit ambition, shouldn't examine and strategize on the basis of our Read More …
The Future of Mainline Denominations (#0151)
The Future of Mainline Protestantism As a group, mainline Protestants have experienced ongoing decline in membership for multiple decades. In recent years some have replaced "mainline" with terms like "old line" or "sidelined." Looking forward, almost everyone agrees that unless something changes significantly the decline will continue. While some writers have focused on the decline including the likely causes and others are calling for the end of Read More …
Review of The Greatest Prayer (#0150)
Crossan, John Dominic. The Greatest Prayer Ever: Rediscovering the Revolutionary Message of the Lord's Prayer. Harper One, 2010. ISBN: 97800618575670. Meet the Author According to Harper Collins, John Dominic Crossan "is generally regarded as the leading historical Jesus scholar in the world." He has been a professor of religious studies at DePaul University since 1969 and currently serves that institution as professor emeritus. Over the last forty years Read More …
Review of Reframing Hope (#0149)
Merritt, Carol Howard. Reframing Hope: Vital Ministry in a New Generation. Alban Institute, 2010. ISBN: 9781566993944. Meet the Author Carol Howard Merritt is an ordained Presbyterian Church, USA pastor. She has served congregations in Louisiana and Rhode Island. Currently she serves Western Presbyterian Church – an intergenerational church in Washington D.C. Merritt is the author of Tribal Church: Ministering to the Missing Generation (2007) and Read More …
My Visit to Naples Church of Christ (#0148)
My Visit to Naples Church of Christ Naples Church of Christ moved into their new facility earlier this year. Since their new home is less than half a mile from my home as the bird flies or a short two mile drive and since they are seeking to reach out to the surrounding community, they have sent me multiple mailings in recent months. This morning, I visited their congregation and participated in their only morning worship service. As a first time visitor seeking to learn as Read More …
Religious Knowledge in America (#0147)
Religious Knowledge in America I encourage you to test your religious knowledge by taking a fifteen question multiple choice survey. Once you complete the survey you will learn how your religious literacy compares to those who participated in the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey. The results of the survey suggest the average American isn't very knowledgeable about religion. In fact, the average participant answered Read More …
Pulpit Freedom Sunday (#0146)
Pulpit Freedom Sunday ABC News reports that almost 100 pastors in the United States planned to take part in the so-called Pulpit Freedom Sunday on September 26. Participating pastors intentionally violated federal tax law by using their pulpits to support specific politicians. The offending pastors realize that their actions risk their church's tax-exempt status, but felt compelled to take these actions in an effort to reform the law. In accordance with the Alliance Read More …
Review of Unlearning Protestantism (#0145)
Schlabach, Gerald W. Unlearning Protestantism: Sustaining Christian Community in an Unstable Age. Brazos Books, 2010. ISBN: 9781587431111. Meet the Author Gerald W. Schlabach is an associate professor of theology and director of the Justice and Peace Studies program at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. He is the founder and currently serves as the executive director of Bridgefolk, which is a movement of Mennonites and Roman Catholics who come together to Read More …
Megachurches Shaping American Protestantism (#0144)
Leadership Network just released their bi-annual Large Church Salary and Benefits Report, which explores the results of their latest survey of many of the largest Protestant churches in America and Canada. For the purpose of the research "large churches" are those with 1000+ in average weekly worship attendance while "megachurch" status is reserved for those with 2000+ in weekly worship attendance. For those interested in more details, the full 31 page Read More …