“In this fascinating and sometimes magisterial guided exploration of an eighth-century hymn that is central to Lenten religious practice for the Eastern Orthodox, Mathewes-Green encourages her readers not only to examine but also to personally apply fundamental Christian concepts like repenting, understanding the nature of sin and experiencing God in prayer. A skilled interpreter of the theology and history of the Orthodox tradition, Mathewes-Green arranges the Great Canon of St. Andrew, bishop of Crete, into 40 readings accompanied by scriptural... Read more

Parents do not have a right to control when, where, and how their children are taught about sex. So rules the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. H/T: Deacon RaphaelThis all stems from parental outrage over a survey given to 1st, 3rd, and 5th graders. Hello! Here’s a sample: Kids ages 7 through 10 were asked, for example, to rate the following activities according to how often they experienced the thought or emotion: “Touching my private parts too much.” “Thinking about... Read more

THE Vatican has issued a stout defence of Charles Darwin, voicing strong criticism of Christian fundamentalists who reject his theory of evolution and interpret the biblical account of creation literally. Cardinal Paul Poupard, head of the Pontifical Council for Culture, said the Genesis description of how God created the universe and Darwin’s theory of evolution were “perfectly compatible” if the Bible were read correctly. His statements were interpreted in Italy as a rejection of the “intelligent design” view, which says... Read more

The ruins of the church include a mosaic tile floor with inscriptions in ancient Greek containing a reference to “The God Jesus Christ” and could shed light on early Christian practices. Thanks to James.(Other than calling it the Book of Spells the Book of Revelations, it’s a good read.) Also, OrthodoxyToday. Read more

Our first camping trip in Texas was wonderful! I would say it was “cool,” but that would be an imprecise term 🙂 Here’s a few pics: Unlike Western North Carolina, we were the only vehicle on the road with a canoe atop. But when camping, don’t leave home without it. (That’s me, Basil, and Mary Catherine inspecting the rock.) Roots anyone? Fabu! We pretended this rock was the iceberg and we were the Titanic. Our story had a happier ending.... Read more

God moves in a mysterious wayHis wonders to perform;He plants His footsteps in the seaAnd rides upon the storm. Deep in unfathomable minesOf never failing skillHe treasures up His bright designsAnd works His sovereign will. Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;The clouds ye so much dreadAre big with mercy and shall breakIn blessings on your head. Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,But trust Him for His grace;Behind a frowning providenceHe hides a smiling face. His purposes will ripen fast,Unfolding... Read more

The rare Christian religious structure, possibly the largest church ever found here according to reports, was found during an Israel Archeological Association (IAA) excavation at the site, discovered thanks to the help of, among others, 60 prisoners who worked on the dig. Found on the floor of the structure was an inscription written in Greek dedicating the monument to the Lord Jesus Christ. In addition to the dedication to Jesus, three other inscriptions were found on the mosaic floor. One... Read more

It is my hope that Pope Benedict XVI will reflect on the example of Jesus, Mary and the early Christian women who lived the Gospel of inclusion and mutual service. Pope Benedict XVI could follow the example of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and treat women as equals and partners, capable of reflecting fully the image of Christ. A good first step would be to open the priesthood to women, reminding us that women are equal symbols of the sacred. In... Read more

“The President of the United States George Bush forbade the American Ambassador to Ukraine, John Herbst, to attend the Holy Protection Monastery in Kiev. This was reported to correspondents of New Region by parishioners of St. Nicholas Church, which is found on the territory of the monastery. The ambassador told the believers that the American leadership is unhappy with his visits to the monastery, which belongs to the “Moscow Church.” Earlier, Kievites regularly saw Herbst praying in the Nikolsky Church... Read more

(Plus, maybe he’ll plug mine when the time comes 🙂 Read more