Features
Reports of heaven
With some reluctance, I decided to read Proof of Heaven. I was surprised when my first reaction was positive.
Seating chart
In the fifth row first seat there was a slight boy named Matthew. He could not sit still under any circumstances whatsoever.
Highly evolved questions: What scientists and theologians talk about
We can learn a lot from interdisciplinary conversation. But we are sometimes puzzled by how our colleagues know what they seem to know.
Samaritans at Heathrow: Encounters at an airport chapel
In the pristine white glare of the airport corridor, the linoleum became my prayer rug. But my solitude was short lived.
Discriminating force: Just war and counterinsurgency
Drones expose the deficiencies of seeing war as a matter of annihilation. The rules of just war are more crucial than ever.
Dying in community: The black church and hospice care
The American hospice movement is thriving. But its growth has tended to neglect African Americans.
Books
Discernment, by Henri Nouwen, with Michael J. Christensen and Rebecca J. Laird
This is the third in a trilogy of posthumous works reconstructed from Nouwen’s journals and lectures....
Leading God’s People, by Christopher A. Beeley
Clergy need reminders about the core purpose of their work. Christopher Beeley draws on the works of early church leaders to deliver one.
Historian with a cause
Martin Duberman delivers the first biography of Howard Zinn since Zinn’s death in 2010. He treats Zinn with kid gloves but does not completely shy away from criticism.
Prayers of a Young Poet, by Rainer Maria Rilke
Rilke is best known for Letters to a Young Poet, which encourages readers to “love the questions [of life] themselves . . ....
Eat with Joy, by Rachel Marie Stone
When Rachel Marie Stone offers homilies of food redemption rather than damnation, it may feel like a lovely if disorienting kind of grace.
Departments
Christian humanists
Religious communities have long helped cultivate humanistic practices. We don't often think of ourselves in this way—but what if we did?
The cross and the lotus
It's ironic that multicultural approaches to Christianity are dismissed as novel or “politically correct.” They are deeply rooted in our past.
Victims in collars
Lloyd Rediger's "clergy killer" premise is, in some senses, indisputable. Yet put so baldly, the kvetch seems odd.
African Exodus, by Margaret Adams Parker
Margaret Adams Parker’s woodcuts often present refugees and sojourners, as does African Exodus, which refers to refugees of the Rwandan genocide....
Same old slander
In this world of constant change, one thing remains predictable: the WSJ will never miss an opportunity to bash mainline churches.
Law v. justice
The verdict in the Trayvon Martin case shows that a trial can be fair as far as the law goes, while the nation falls far short of offering justice to all.
News
UCC has been progressive pacesetter
Two days after the U.S....
Church of England aims for women bishops before 2016
The Church of England’s governing body reaffirmed its commitment to consecrate women bishops with the aim of reaching final approval on the issue no later than November 2015....
Joel Hunter pays a price for his political activism
There’s a price to pay for becoming the voice of moderate conservatism and coalition politics. Even more so for refusing to march in lockstep with the Republican Party....
Africans irked by Obama’s call to treat gays fairly
Religious leaders in Africa strongly rebuked President Obama’s call to decriminalize homosexuality, suggesting it’s the reason why he received a less-than-warm welcome during a recent trip to the continent....
U.S. can’t list Westboro Baptist as a ‘hate group’
In response to five “We the People” petitions, the White House condemned the actions of the Westboro Baptist Church but said it is powerless to list the Kansas church as a hate group and remove its tax-exempt status....
Carter says faith still used against women
The abuse of women is “the most pervasive and unaddressed human rights violation on Earth” and too often justified in the name of religion, former president Jimmy Carter said at a June 27–29 conference at the Carter Center in Atlanta....
Public school yoga classes not religious, says judge
A California judge has ruled that the teaching of yoga in public schools does not establish a government interest in religion....
Pastor in Oklahoma pursues suit against ‘pagan’ license plate
A Methodist pastor of a suburban Oklahoma City church is suing the state, claiming its license plate image of a Native American shooting an arrow into the sky violates his religious liberty....