In the April 2012 edition of Christianity Today, David Neff interviewed Amy-Jill Levine on the topic of "Jesus Through Jewish Eyes." Levine is one of three dozen Jewish scholars who contributed to The Jewish Annotated New Testament (2011). In addition to co-editing that work, she has written numerous volumes and teaches New Testament at Vanderbilt University. Her response to the question, "So, what was truly original about Jesus?" follows. He's the only person I can find Read More …
Discipleship
What is Faith? (#0685)
Each year Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams commissions a book for those in his fellowship, the Anglican Communion, to read during lent. Ruth Barrows, known as Sister Rachel in her Carmelite Community, was commissioned for the 2012 book. The April 4, 2012 edition of the Christian Century includes an interview of Barrows by Amy Frykholm. Q: What is faith? What does it mean to have it or to lack it? A: Faith is a profound mystery that we can never adequately Read More …
Jimmy Carter On Equality (#0682)
Former US President Jimmy Carter is a Baptist who spent many years teaching Sunday School and who takes his faith seriously. To help promote his new book, NIV Lessons from Life Bible: Personal Reflections with Jimmy Carter, he recently answered several challenging questions posed by Paul Brandeis Raushenbush for a Huffington Post article. When asked about what the Bible has to say about gay people's role in church and society Carter responded: Homosexuality Read More …
Why Are You Still in Church? (#0679)
Much is being written about why people are leaving church, especially those in younger generations. Emily Case, Associate Pastor at Kennesaw United Methodist Church in Kennesaw, GA, recently wrote about why she has chosen to stay: Why do I stay? Because I believe that just like I am broken, the church is broken, that we all are broken. But, I believe that God can often work best through brokeness. Why do I stay? Because I have seen lives changed because someone held their hand Read More …
Poverty Reality Check (#0674)
Sid Mohn is president of Heartland Alliance, the premier anti-poverty organization in Chicago and the Midwest. He recently wrote a Huffington Post article, "8 Facts About Poverty that will Blow Your Mind," based on a TEDx speech on the same topic. Mohn's facts follow in abbreviated form: Our kids are poor. At some point in their lives, half of all U.S. children will be on food stamps. Our adults are poor. Half of American adults will Read More …
Trusting in Trump (#0670)
Cathy Lynn Grossman's March 6, 2012 USA Today article explores a recent American Bible Society survey that finds "more Americans would follow Donald Trump's financial wisdom than the Bible's." Half of those surveyed (50%) would follow Trump's counsel while only around a third (32%) would take advice from the Bible. So What? The Bible, however, did receive favorable treatment from those who do not currently follow its teachings: roughly a quarter (24%) of those "who do not Read More …
The New Ten Commandments (#0669)
Evangelical preacher J. John is bringing his updated version of the Ten Commandments to the UK and the world through a new DVD: “just10 for churches.” Hannah Furness, in a piece for the Telegraph, reports that the new commandments use "short, simple language interspersed with slang." Additionally, some of the changes go well beyond simply updating language: The tenth commandment, for example, has altered the Biblical “thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou Read More …
Toward a Religiously Literate City (#0668)
Bill Tammeus, a Kansas City area author and religious blogger, recently shared a list of ideas to help increase religious literacy. He submitted these suggestions to the Greater Kansas City Interfaith Council in response to their desire to engage in a sustained effort that would last a year or longer. Tammeus' list included: Offer tours of sacred structures all over town — churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, etc. Put on a film festival Read More …
Review of I Am a Follower (#0666)
Meet the Author Leonard Sweet is the E. Stanley Jones professor of evangelism atDrew University and visiting distinguished professor of Evangelism at George Fox University, was voted one of the 50 Most Influential Christians in America, and continues to write and speak prophetically about the church. An ordained United Methodist pastor, Sweet has authored over 20 books and 600 articles, and is perhaps best known for his forward thinking ideas about the church. For Read More …
The Light of Lent (#0665)
Prolific author and progressive religious leader Sister Joan Chittister, recently shared an excerpt from her short book Journey into Light in a Lenten article for the Huffington Post. She concludes that article with these powerful words: The light of Lent is the beacon that enables us to see under the obvious, the systemic, the hypocritical in both state and church to the evil they mask from us. It is the path to integrity, to righteousness, to the Spirit of God. So What? Lent Read More …