A week ago CNN's Wolf Blitzer interviewed Rebecca Vitsmun, a survivor of the tornado in Moore, OK. While doing so he asked a question that assumed religious belief: "You've gotta thank the Lord, right? Do you thank the Lord for that split-second decision?" In a polite and unassuming way, Vistum told Blitzer that she is an atheist. So What? Blitzer's seemingly innocent question and Vitsmun's honest response generated significant attention. The American Humanist Read More …
Christianity
Review of How the West Really Lost God (#1106)
Meet the Author Mary Tedeschi Eberstadt is a research fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and consulting editor to Policy Review, the Hoover Institution's bimonthly journal of essays and reviews on American politics and society. Her work considers issues related to American society, culture, and philosophy. Eberstadt's previous books include The Loser Letters: A Comic Tale of Life, Death, and Atheism (2010), and Home-Alone Read More …
The 32% (#1049)
As you celebrate Resurrection, consider that you are a part of the 32%. According to a 2011 study by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life, the percentage of the world's population that is Christian has not changed much in the last 100 years: 1910: 32%, and 2012: 35%. While the percentage remains stable, the number of Christians has increased dramatically during that period of time: 1910: 600 million, and 2010: 2.18 billion. So What? While the Read More …
Overcoming Misperceptions (#1048)
Tyler Ward recently shared what he wished he knew before he went to church for the first time. His article is birthed out of his many life experiences, including: growing up Presbyterian, serving as a Baptist youth pastor, living overseas on an evangelical mission, assisting a traveling prophet, serving the poor through a non-denominational ministry, promoting justice with emergents, and launching multiple house churches. Ward's short list of things he wished he Read More …
Review of Rise of the Time Lords (#1013)
Meet the Author Michael Belote is an engineer who has always been intrigued about blending his interests with his faith since becoming a born-again Christian as a young adult. More recently, he has written prolifically about his Christian faith on his blog: Reboot Christianity. Book Basics I rarely read, and even more infrequently review, self-published books. Occasionally, however, the content of an author's request for a review or the unique nature of her/his writing Read More …
The World’s Christians (#0953)
The latest report on the size and distribution of the world's largest religions was released less than a week ago by the Pew Forum. This report shows: 31.5% of the global population is Christian 87% of Christians live in countries where they are a religious majority Christians are a religious majority in 157 countries So What? On Christmas Eve, it seems appropriate to think about those among us who follow the way of Jesus. We are living at the moment in human history with Read More …
Review of When God Talks Back (#0939)
Meet the Author T. M. Luhrmann is a psychological anthropologist and the Watkins University Professor in the Stanford Anthropology Department. Her books include Persuasions of the Witch’s Craft (1989), The Good Parsi (1996), Of Two Minds (2000), and When God Talks Back (2012). Luhrmann was elected as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2003) and awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship (2007). Book Basics T. M. Luhrmann grew up in an environment that Read More …
Implied Messages (#0878)
Jim Palmer is the author of three books, including Being Jesus in Nashville (2012). Recognizing the wisdom of Marshall McLuhan's idea that the medium is the message, he recently constructed a list of ten implied messages given by the institutional church. Church is a place, a location, a building. Christianity happens in services, classes, meetings, events, and programs. What people need most is good information about God. "God’s work” needs organizational or corporate Read More …
Review of Unifying Truths of the World’s Religions (#0876)
Meet the Author C. David Lundberg grew up around religion as a part of his family's inspirational publishing business. Over forty years ago he realized that, for him, spiritual truth extended well beyond the biblical text. In response, he has spent most of his life exploring the world's many religious texts and traditions. Lundberg is a minister with the Spiritual Awareness Fellowship and Pathways of Light. Book Basics Unifying Truths of the World's Religions is a Read More …
Can Christianity Be Saved? (#0793)
As I read Ross Douthat's latest New York Times editorial, "Can Liberal Christianity Be Saved?," I knew I had to respond. In short, he suggests that the end could well be near for progressive or liberal Christianity unless something changes rather significantly as a result of decades of decline. While not proposing that other forms of Christianity have all fared well, he suggests that they have by way of comparison to progressive denominations. (For more on Douthat's perspective, read my review Read More …