Jesus, Christians believe, is God-with-us.  Thus, when someone insists Jesus was “white,” the theological implication is that God is white. In fact, doesn’t God, in our cultural stereotype, look a lot like Santa? Old white man with a long white beard? A great illustration of this point happened on Wednesday night when Megyn Kelly declared on her Fox News show that both Santa Claus and Jesus were white. Jesus and Santa are enormously powerful images for Americans and it is not surprising,... Read more

From North Park Theological Seminary North Park Theological Seminary and University mourn the death of alumna Darlene Kelley, a 2012 master of divinity graduate. Darlene hailed from the Boston area and began studying at North Park in 2008. While a student, she was involved with University Ministries working with commuter and transfer students to increase their sense of community belonging. She also worked with the Collaboratory for Intercultural Learning, participating in their events and leading workshops for the Student Diversity... Read more

Bishop Joseph Walker and the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International (FGBCF) launched a “new kingdom initiative and ministry paradigm” that focused on a “progressive agenda to promote church, social and political reform” via a “five point platform.”  This historic gathering was by “invitation only” and featured “prominent, new generation pastors and leaders” that came to Miami, Florida to “interact and to integrate their ideas on bold, powerful and world changing topics.” However, not lost on many was the omission of women... Read more

Reverend C. Edward Rhodes II currently is the Rector of Oakland Memorial Chapel and Director of Student Religious Life at Alcorn State University. Additionally, Rev. Rhodes served as pastor of the historic Mt. Helm Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi. He also serves in the Young Ministers Division and on the Education Committee of the General Missionary Baptist State Convention. He is also a popular instructor in the State Congress of Christian Education and serves as the Convention’s Liaison for Ecumenical and Civic Affairs. Rev. Rhodes... Read more

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This past Sunday in Miami, Bishop Paul S. Morton opened the Full Gospel’s ‘Generals of Faith’ event, Rebranding in the Body of Christ: The Ultimate Leader Shift, by announcing, “This room represents the movers and shakers of the kingdom.” Yet there was not a single woman in the room. According to the press release “by invitation only prominent new generation pastors and leaders filled a room…to interact and to integrate their ideas in bold, powerful and world changing topics.” The special invite from... Read more

In the past, the LDS Church has said history isn’t clear on why blacks were banned from its all-male priesthood for more than a century. Now it is. The reason, according to a newly released explanation from the Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is rooted in racism rather than revelation. “Race and the Priesthood,” posted Friday on the church’s website, lds.org, also jettisons any beliefs developed through the years to defend the prohibition. And those findings are drawing praise... Read more

Sen. Mark Pryor of Arkansas, a centrist Democrat facing a tough reelection campaign, launched a new political ad this month, and both the ad and the responses to it have highlighted the challenges of mixing religion and politics in ways that respect religious freedom, pluralism, and the spirit of the Constitution. In Pryor’s new ad, he doesn’t talk about political issues or his opponent; he just talks about the Bible. “I’m not ashamed to say that I believe in God and I... Read more

“From Emmett Till to Trayvon Martin”  On February 26, 2012, 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was shot dead by 28-year-old George Zimmerman, as he walked home through the gated community neighborhood in which he was visiting his father’s fiancé. Against the backdrop of Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, Zimmerman claimed he was threatened by the presence of the unarmed African-American high school student wearing a hooded sweatshirt. News of the shooting, and the racially-charged court case and media coverage that ensued —... Read more

Ask most people what happens to prophecies in the Bible, and the response will be that they get fulfilled. But that popular answer is based on a fundamental translation mistake. The Bible doesn’t say that prophecies come true. Here’s what led to that widespread misunderstanding. Greek has a verb plerow, commonly pronounced “play-ROH-oh.” It primarily means “fill,” and appears throughout the Bible. Romans 15:13, for example, reads, “May the God of hope fill [plerow] you with all joy.” In Matthew 13:48, the word refers... Read more