Best College Reviews recently published a list of the 30Most Beautiful College Chapels/Cathedrals. While their list is presented in rank order and features sacred spaces with very different histories and architecture, the corresponding article contains no information about the criteria by which the spaces were selected or ranked. So What? I have visited several sacred spaces on college campuses and far more that have no link to an institution of higher education. I suspect most of my Read More …
Nonviolent Civil Disobedience (#0996)
John Dear, peace activist and the author of over 30 books, recently wrote these challenging words: If we want to follow the nonviolent Jesus, then we’ll want to make the journey from baptism to community, to understanding the Sermon on the Mount, to serving those in need, to working for justice and practicing nonviolence, and eventually, sooner or later, in such a world of war, empire and nuclear weapons, to crossing the line, engaging in nonviolent civil disobedience and risking the cross and Read More …
Super Stats (#0995)
Much has been written about the loss of productivity in offices around the country immediately following the Super Bowl. Rather than add to the conversation about the big game or the expensive commercials that aired during it, I offer statistics from two recent polls that suggest Americans bring together religion and sports in interesting ways. "Nearly 3-in-10 (27 percent) Americans believe that God plays a role in determining which team wins sports events" (Public Religion Research Read More …
Paging God (#0994)
Meet the Author Wendy Cadge is associate professor of sociology at Brandeis University. Her work focuses on religion in the contemporary United States with an emphasis in how such relates to healthcare, immigration and sexuality. Cadge is the author of two books: Heartwood: The First Generation of Theravada Buddhism in America (2005) and Paging God: Religion in the Halls of Medicine (2012). Book Basics Health-care is a near universal value in America Read More …
11 Minutes (#0993)
Today, along with a hundred million or so other viewers in the US, I will watch the Super Bowl. In recent years, I have shifted my focus from the game to more of a balance between the game and the commercials. While everyone knows it takes many hours to play a 60 minute long professional football game, it is a bit surprising to learn that the actual playing time amounts to just under 11 minutes (10 minutes and 43 seconds according to a recent Wall Street Journal study). So Read More …
Amenities Over Ministry? (#0992)
Tyler Kingkade's recent Huffington Post article considers a somewhat disturbing trend in higher education: increased investing in amenities like student services and activities, athletics and facilities. His article considers research by The National Bureau of Economic Research published earlier in January as "College as Country Club: Do Colleges Cater to Students’ Preferences for Consumption?" So What? The cost of higher education keeps climbing higher and higher as does student Read More …
Mega-Interest in Megachurches (#0991)
Warren Bird, research director at Leadership Network, recently shared the ten most popular blog posts on Leadership Network's blog during 2012. Interestingly, 40% of the posts on the list include the word megachurch in their titles: Youngest Megachurch Pastor World's First Megachurch How Many Megachurches? Biggest Megachurch Sanctuaries So What? Megachurches, congregations with worship attendance of at least 2,000 per weekend, have been growing in number and significance in Read More …
Lowest Birth Rate Ever (#0990)
Recently, the Pew Research Center released a report exploring the declining birth rate in the United States. In 2011, the birth rate reached an all time low. While birth rates have declined for all women in recent decades, the rate of decline is significant greater among foreign born women. Among all American women the change in birth rates by age group between 1990 and 2010 is Ages 15-19: -11% Ages 20-34: -8% Ages 35+: +18% Overall: -11% So What? Many factors, Read More …
Power of Thought (#0989)
"The Scientific Power of Thought" is a short (just under 3 minutes) video that highlights the significance and far reaching implications of thoughts. So What? In less than a week, this video was viewed over 1 million times. In a culture that often appears obsessed with measuring any and every aspect of human doing, understanding the power of imagination allows for a more robust appreciation of its value. How do you seek to develop your own use of imagination? Does your Read More …
Top Bible Minded Cities (#0988)
According to the American Bible Society and the Barna Group, America's top Bible minded cities (based on "highest combined levels of regular Bible reading and belief in the Bible’s accuracy.") are Knoxville, TN Shreveport, LA Chattanooga, TN Birmingham, AL Jackson, MS Springfield, MO Charlotte, NC Roanoke/Lynchburg, VA Huntsville, AL Charleston, WV So What? Bible minded isn't a phrase I have ever used nor one with which I claim any prior familiarity. Read More …