What They Really Meant When They Signed That Statement of Faith

Last updated on: February 28, 2014 at 4:51 pm By Jim Burklo

I dedicate this “musing” to sincere Christian colleagues, friends, and acquaintances who work for evangelical and fundamentalist churches, colleges and other organizations which require signing a standard statement of faith as a condition of employment. I’ve learned that many of them never were, or no longer are, comfortable with these statements. Many of them silently re-interpret the faith statement for themselves in an effort to make peace with it. Thousands of staff members and professors at Christian colleges have become... Read more

Scandalized by Gangs: A Live Chat with Rev. Romal Tune

Last updated on: February 24, 2014 at 7:37 pm By Suzanne Ross

Before we chat with Rev. Romal Tune at Teaching Nonviolent Atonement this Wednesday, February 26, I need to make a confession: I wish that the young people who join gangs would go to church instead; if there’s a God in heaven, then gangs should wither and die and church youth programs take their place. It doesn’t sound like much of a confession, does it? Before I met Rev. Tune, author of God’s Graffiti founder and Executive Director of Faith for... Read more

What Jesus Said to the Transgender Woman

Last updated on: February 20, 2014 at 6:46 pm By John Stonecypher

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“Hi Jesus, I’m a transgender woman. What do you think about that?” I knew this moment would come. I was one year into a 4-year project — an interactive drama of Jesus’ ministry years, played out on the social media stage. My “Jesus Benyosef” character was posting status updates about the kingdom of God, friending disciples, getting blocked from fundamentalist Facebook groups, and tweeting his desert encounters with Satan (yes, of course the wilderness has Wi-Fi). Jesus was making lots... Read more

Transform 2014: A Q&A with Steve Knight

Last updated on: February 19, 2014 at 5:05 pm By Deborah Arca

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“TransFORM will challenge you to explore overcoming Empire, cultivating alternatives and building deep solidarity. This is the closest thing to an Emergent Theological Conversation happening in 2014.” — Steve Knight Next month, a couple hundred folks will head to San Diego for TransFORM 2014, a gathering aimed at “transforming the language, culture, and practice of the missional church to broader movements for change.” We caught up with TransFORM’s Steve Knight to find out more about what to expect from the gathering... Read more

Here Comes Lent…

Last updated on: February 17, 2014 at 11:38 pm By Deborah Arca

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This past week, I’ve been reading a powerful little book for the Patheos Book Club called Mercy in the City: How to Feed the Hungry, Give Drink to the Thirsty, Visit the Imprisoned, and Keep Your Day Job. It’s by Kerry Weber, a young Catholic woman (and Managing Editor at America magazine), and it chronicles her experience of attempting to live out the Corporal Works of Mercy for the 40 days of Lent. You know the Works of Mercy, right? (I... Read more

Happy St. Valentine’s Day

Last updated on: February 14, 2014 at 8:02 pm By Shane Claiborne

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Happy Saint Valentine’s Day. As much as I like the chocolate — and hope my wife gets me some today (fair-trade organic chocolate, of course) — Valentine’s Day wasn’t always about chocolate, hearts, and roses. He was a priest in Rome in the 3rd century — who was brutally executed. Valentine was known for assisting Christians persecuted under Claudius II. After being caught marrying Christian couples and helping Christians escape the persecution, Valentine was arrested and imprisoned. One of the... Read more

What Does Valentine’s Day Have to Do with Spanking?

Last updated on: February 7, 2015 at 12:07 am By Kelly Pigott

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The short answer: a lot. And I’m not joking, a least when it comes to the original way it was celebrated. We often associate Valentine’s Day with St. Valentine, which on the surface sounds quite reasonable. But there is a huge disconnect between this saint and what we typically associate with Valentine’s Day, that is, romantic dates, cards, candy, kissing, and, well, you get the idea. To begin with, it’s actually difficult to know who St. Valentine was. One tradition... Read more

Attacks on Moral March Miss Their Mark

Last updated on: February 7, 2015 at 12:08 am By Guest Contributor

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As we commemorate the 54th anniversary of the Greensboro sit-in that sought to end legal segregation, let’s never forget that the Civil Rights movement was a religiously inspired, prophetic movement led by pastors and diverse people of faith. Read more

Spiritual Practices to Eradicate Racism

Last updated on: February 12, 2014 at 5:14 pm By Guest Contributor

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By Michael W. Waters Author, Freestyle: Reflections on Faith, Family, Justice, and Pop Culture Metaphors for American Diversity: Salads, Melting Pots, Tapestries, and Mosaics On October 27, 1976, Georgia governor and then presidential candidate James Earl Carter Jr. offered one of his final campaign speeches in Pittsburgh. In this speech, Carter stated, “We [America] have become … a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams.” Over the course of American history, many metaphors have been employed... Read more

Valentine’s Day: The Myth of Love and Desire

Last updated on: February 7, 2015 at 12:08 am By Suzanne Ross

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The most recent short lived celebrity marriage lasted only two weeks: Rachel Snider is filing for divorce from Terrell Owens, claiming he only married her for her money. Yet, in announcing her plans to divorce Terrell, Rachel says this of their relationship: “I really valued his love and friendship for 5 years. Out of the love in my heart, I tried to help him. We had a secret relationship for 5 years and I married him for love.” We can’t... Read more