It really gets old, doesn’t it?  Every election cycle, the story is the same.  This Christian says that Christian is not really a Christian.  And why is that? Is it because they differ on critical issues relating to the content of the Christian faith?  Is it because of doctrinal or ecclesial disputes?  No, the reason for this inability to recognize and respect each other as Christian sisters and brothers is because those Christians belong to a different political party and support... Read more

You know the difference. You go to a clothing store and visit the shoe department. The sales person greets you warmly and asks how she can help you. She brings you the shoes you want to try on, patiently shuttling between your seat and the back storage room as you go through several pairs, none of which is quite right. Gently she asks if you have any special needs or preferences. You are torn between shoes that are comfy and... Read more

Here I offer a set of assumptions and suggestions for reading, understanding, and making creative spiritual use of the Bible. 1) The Christian Bible includes the Jewish Torah and prophetic and other scriptures, along with a selection of Christian texts, assembled in roughly its present form in the 4th century AD by the emerging Catholic Church as it became the state religion of the Roman empire. It is the work of many human beings over thousands of years, dating back... Read more

With the second annual Wild Goose Festival — a 4-day gathering of thousands of progressive Christians and others in the woods of North Carolina celebrating justice, spirituality, music and art — just a month away, we checked in with festival executive director Gareth Higgins to find out what’s new this year, what he’s most excited about, and why all of us should be there. (And should you need any more incentive for attending after reading Gareth’s beautiful responses, Patheos is running a... Read more

Several years ago, before I moved to Denver and began working at Patheos, I had the great privilege of serving as the Program Manager for the Programs In Christian Spirituality at the San Francisco Theological Seminary in Northern California. Among the many life-giving (and life-changing) programs we hosted was a continuing ed event called Before the Cradle and Beyond the Cross: A Lectionary Retreat for Preachers. Every summer for a week, pastors from all across the country would come together... Read more

Song on the Mount Every hair on your head is counted Every bird on the wing Is fed by the hand of the One who loves us And gives us voice to sing Grass in the field Lilies will yield Birds needn’t store any seed Trust in the One whose Word moves mountains And answers every need Love enemies Answer their pleas Justice will only be done When judgment is left to the One who made us And wants us... Read more

a review by Jim Burklo of “Twice Tested by Fire: A Memoir of Faith and Service” by Rev. Cecil “Chip” Murray (Figueroa Press – 2012) It’s no accident that Chip Murray’s autobiography comes into print at the 20th anniversary of the 1992 LA riots. At that time, he was the pastor of First African Methodist Episcopal Church, still the epicenter of black religious, political, and cultural life in Los Angeles. He and his church strove to keep the peace and... Read more

By David Swartz Graduation, the goal, the dream…in some cases, the miracle. When I speak on campuses, I can’t help but notice  that some people have been there for a long time. “When do you plan to make your escape (graduate)? They just grin. To brutalize Ecclesiastes a little, “There is a time to grin…” And graduation is one of those times. In an earlier post in tribute to the professors who survived me, I recalled my own from Clarion University. ... Read more

By Jeff Fulmer I should confess right off that I voted for George W. Bush in 2000 because, in part, he was a man of faith.  He called himself a “compassionate conservative,” which was how I liked to think of myself.  After a couple of years, I realized the man I had voted for wasn’t very compassionate or conservative, at least not fiscally.  By the end of his second term, I was ready for someone totally different.   Yet, even though my politics had shifted,... Read more

While churches have a great deal of liability in matters of “clergy killing,” I think it is important that pastors say out loud to our congregations: you are not entirely the problem. We are. Read more