This Summer, the Lutherans, or at least the Swiss-based Lutheran World Federation, apologized for persecuting pacifist Anabaptists 400 years ago. But given the ascendancy of Anabaptists among many U.S. evangelicals, their days as a small, persecuted minority are clearly long over. for the rest of the article, click here: http://spectator.org/archives/2010/10/04/mennonite-takeover Read more

Until a few months ago, I’d have thought what most other readers probably think about the wild side of Greek life – boys will be boys, let them sow their wild oats, they’re just blowing off steam, everything we adults say when we’re not paying attention to things we don’t want to know anyway.  For more, see http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2010/should-christian-boys-join-fraternities.html Read more

Here’s the best deal on that Christmas present to yourself: http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=369441&item_code=WW&netp_id=823052&event=ESRCN&view=details Read more

by Todd Hartch November 10, 2010 It is difficult to speak up and defend certain unpopular truths on today’s college campuses. But it is also urgently needed and greatly rewarding. One woman said that my ideas reeked of Nazism. A young man said that I didn’t understand the concept of moral reasoning. Another man suggested that, since I hadn’t served in the military, I had no right to tell those who had served how to run their lives. Except for… Read more

Israel and the Vatican First Things-On the Square Nov 11, 2010 Gerald McDermott “Why in the world is the Vatican attacking Israel and reverting to radical supercessionism?” asked a theologian who knows I am involved in Jewish-Christian dialogue. Supersessionism, at least in its radical form, states that the church has replaced Jewish Israel so that the Jewish covenant no longer has continuing significance. Since the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church has rejected this view. The theologian was referring to… Read more

Want to hear from some of the best evangelical thinkers in the world? Such as Mark Noll, Alister McGrath, Kevin Vanhoozer, Craig Keener, and John Stackhouse? This new volume boasts 32 essays on the most pressing topics in Christian theology today. It isn’t cheap. But it will provide resources for your thinking and writing and teaching for years to come. Tell your family and friends you want this for Christmas: http://www.amazon.com/Oxford-Handbook-Evangelical-Theology-Handbooks/dp/0195369440/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1289437860&sr=1-1 Gerry Read more

Singling Out Israel Isn’t Christian First Things Oct 26, 2010 William Doino Jr. Several days ago, an article from the Associated Press appeared, with the provocative headline, “Vatican Meeting of Mideast Bishops Demands Israel End Occupation of Palestinian Lands.” Concerned that headline might be a little-one-sided, I read on, only to find this: In a final joint communiqué, the bishops also told Israel it shouldn’t use the Bible to justify ‘injustices’ against the Palestinians. . . . While the bishops… Read more

Papal Humor By George Weigel Posted: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 THE CATHOLIC DIFFERENCE Publication Date: October 20, 2010 Despite the world’s fascination with All Things Papal, there isn’t much out there about papal humor. Which is, in a sense, entirely understandable: it takes a certain breadth of imagination, shall we say, to imagine Gregory XVI or Pius XI telling a joke (much less telling one on himself). Blessed John XXIII is an exception, as he was in many other ways,… Read more

Fighting for Life For four years, twenty-two-year-old Lila Rose has waged war against Planned Parenthood First Things, October 2010 Lila Rose 140 COMMENTS » One cold, wet day in San Jose, California, I was stuck inside my childhood home, looking for a book to read. Because I was homeschooled, the daughter of passionate book lovers, and one of eight children, our home was full of books of all kinds. It was my goal, at the age of nine, to read… Read more

Culture Matters More Than Politics Oct 28, 2010 R.R. Reno Ours is the age of misplaced priorities. Instead of art and culture, we focus on politics and punditry. Chatting over lunch, we talk about the upcoming elections or Sarah Palin’s significance for the conservative movement or the effects of the Chinese trade surplus. Imitating news analysts, we speculate about what it will mean for the future. These days, the ability to talk about politics in a knowing way is treated… Read more