The future of public education will depend on the church. A new administration’s nominee for Secretary of Education doesn’t usually steal the show. Betsy DeVos made headlines during her prolonged and contentious nomination process which ended in approval today. While some evangelical supporters of homeschooling, private school, and charter school options are celebrating a school …
What to think of the 45,000 denominations that rose from the Reformation. Not every Christian is celebrating the Reformation’s anniversary this year. It’s not just Catholics who have reservations; many Protestants do as well. Our enthusiasm for the Reformation’s emphasis on Scripture as the highest and final authority does not mean we can ignore how …
Why slaves adopted their oppressor’s religion—and transformed it. Peter Randolph, a slave in Prince George County, Virginia, until he was freed in 1847, described the secret prayer meetings he had attended as a slave. "Not being allowed to hold meetings on the plantation," he wrote, "the slaves assemble in the swamp, out of reach of …
The church-friendly comedy aims to replace cringes with laughs—but does it succeed? Like many faith-based films, The Resurrection of Gavin Stone, the newly released comedy created by Dallas Jenkins, Walden Media, Vertical Church Films, and WWE Studios (yes, that WWE) occasionally made me wince. The film’s premise is standard fare for a Christian audience: a …
The Affordable Care Act put Christian insurance alternatives on the map. What happens to them when it goes away? Despite President Donald Trump’s executive order to begin dismantling Obamacare, a record number of Americans signed up for marketplace plans during the 2017 enrollment period, which ended Tuesday. Meanwhile, the number of Christians taking advantage of …
Four Christian experts offer their take on Trump’s controversial plan. Under President Donald Trump’s new executive order, religious minorities claiming persecution will take priority over other applicants once the refugee program resumes. Last weekend on the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), Trump indicated that the policy will particularly advantage persecuted Christians from the Middle East: They’ve …
How a gifted, high-achieving spiritual guide learned to share his wounds with others. Over 30 years ago, a Catholic priest and sought-after spiritual guide wrote the following in a letter to an inquirer: “I have been increasingly aware that true healing mostly takes place through the sharing of weakness.” Pressing beyond generalities, he made his …
Protestants and Orthodox alike are mostly hopeful about America’s new president. Russian evangelicals would have loved to listen in on the first phone call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin this past weekend—but for opposite reasons from many Americans. As the recent presidential campaign turned US attention to Russia—with reports of Trump’s alleged ties to …
Middle East believers appreciate the sentiment of the new president’s executive order. But not its strategy. Married in December to a Syrian woman with American citizenship, Fadi Hallisso went to Beirut to apply for a green card. A Syrian Christian, Hallisso has worked with refugees in Lebanon since 2012. Funded by different American agencies, he …
When our government is wrong, the church responds by doing what is right. A funny thing happened to me on the way to waking up today. Imagine my surprise when the first reading of the morning (in the Revised Common Lectionary) was from Psalm 37: Do not fret because of those who are evil or …