The Sunday Morning Divide I cannot count the number of times I have heard someone say that 11:00 a.m. on Sunday morning is the most racially divided hour of the week. I can, however, count the small number of occasions when I have been involved in a group discussion designed to move a given local congregation toward becoming intentionally multiracial and/or multicultural. Silence empowers the separation. Moving Forward or Standing Still? George Barna, author, researcher and Read More …
Ready, Set, Fail (#0111)
After a successful acting career, Blaine Hogan attended and graduated from Mars Hill Graduate School in Seattle, WA. He currently works for Willow Creek Community Church as a Creative Producer creating contexts and spaces for people to experience God using multimedia, movement, and performance art. To learn more visit his blog, follow him on twitter, friend him on facebook, or watch his videos. Recently, Hogan wrote about the important topic of failure: Please, for the love of Read More …
Happy Social Media Day! (#0110)
Mashable, one of the best known Internet news blogs, has proclaimed June 30 as the first Social Media Day and invites everyone to celebrate “the revolution of media becoming a social dialogue.” One way they suggest to celebrate is by participating in one of over 600 meet ups. According to blogger Vadim Lavrusik: Today we acknowledge and celebrate the revolution of media becoming social. A day that honors the technological and societal advancements that have allowed us to have a Read More …
Reading the Bible in Worship (#0109)
Most people take it for granted that Scripture reading is a part of any Christian worship service. Beyond that assumption, one must also struggle with the specific role of the reading or readings and how much reading is enough. Rev. Bosco Peters, a prolific contributor to online discussion about Christianity (follow him on twitter, like him on facebook, or read his blog) considered this topic in a post earlier today. He began with a challenging question designed to help Read More …
Review of New Ecclesiology & Polity (#0108)
Steckel, Clyde J. New Ecclesiology & Polity. Pilgrim Press, 2009. ISBN: 9780829818574. Meet the Author Clyde J. Steckel is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. From 1970 to 1993, he was on the faculty of United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities as associate professor of theology and psychology and then as academic vice president. In retirement he retains the position of emeritus professor of theology. Additionally, he has served Read More …
Denominational Decline, Death, or Reform (#0107)
Denominational Realities I recently wrote a series, One Faith: Many Traditions, outlining how my Christian faith has grown as a result of my experiences in several traditions. By focusing on the positives from seven of these groups, I sought to share part of my journey of faith and to encourage my readers to treasure the contributions of the traditions they have experienced. I struggled to limit my list as there are many other movements that have influenced me. I was also very Read More …
Reflections on 50 Recently Published Books (#0106)
Over the last year, I have posted my reflections on 50 recently published books (all but a handful were published between 2007 and 2010). I encourage you to browse the list. By clicking on a title, you will be linked to my review. Title Author Year A Multitude of Blessings: A Christian Approach to Religious Diversity Cynthia M. Campbell 2007 After the Baby Boomers: How Twenty- and Thirty-Somethings are Shaping the Future of American Religion Robert Read More …
The First MultiFaith Seminary (#0105)
In a bow to the growing diversity of America's religious landscape, the Claremont School of Theology, a Christian institution with long ties to the Methodist Church, will add clerical training for Muslims and Jews to its curriculum this fall, to become, in a sense, the first truly multi-faith American seminary. Those words begin Mitchell Landsberg's article in the Los Angeles Times that explains the school's recent announcement. Claremont School of Theology (CST) has been affiliated Read More …
Review of God is Not One (#0104)
Prothero, Stephen. God is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World - and Why Their Differences Matter. HarperOne, 2010. ISBN: 9780061571275. Meet the Author Stephen Prothero is professor of religion at Boston College and the author of six books including God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World - and Why Their Differences Matter and Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know - and Doesn't. He writes and reviews for the Read More …
Review of Putting Away Childish Things (#0103)
Borg, Marcus. Putting Away Childish Things: A Tale of Modern Faith. HarperOne, 2010. ISBN: 9780061888144. Meet the Author Marcus Borg is Canon Theologian at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Portland, Oregon. He is also professor emeritus in the philosophy department at Oregon State University, where he was the Hundere Chair in Religion until his retirement in 2007. Borg is among the most widely known and influential voices in progressive Read More …