Harriet Beecher Stowe famously said that she did not write “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” God did. Stowe’s blockbuster anti-slavery novel had its origin in what she described as “almost a tangible vision.” Although a nationally recognized writer, up until this point Stowe had been for the most part a passive spectator to the anti-slavery agitation that had been roiling the United States. But as she wrote to her editor, the nation was in such peril that “even a woman or a... Read more

Members of the La Crosse, Wisconsin and surrounding communities are invited to attend the annual Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 21 in the Viterbo University Fine Arts Center Main Theatre.Keynote speaker Rev. Andre Johnson, Ph.D., will present “From a Dream to a Mountain Top and Beyond: Martin Luther King Jr. and the African American Prophetic Tradition.” Johnson is the Dr. James L. Netters Assistant Professor of Rhetoric and Religion and African American Studies... Read more

by Tony Peterson R3 Contributor “History reverberates with testimonies of a shameful tragedy. Centuries ago a sage named Socrates was forced to drink hemlock. The men who called for his death were not bad men with demonic blood running through their veins. On the contrary they were sincere and respectable citizens of Greece. They genuinely thought Socrates was an atheist because his idea of God had a philosophical depth that probed beyond traditional concepts. Not badness but blindness killed Socrates.... Read more

When the Red Letter Christian movement got underway, there was a sense that the Evangelical community, in general, had become overly focused on the theological issues raised in the Pauline Epistles.  Without any desire to diminish the significance of theology, we recognized that the time had come to create some balance to this overemphasis on theology by taking more seriously the things that were written in the Gospels—especially in those red letters which emphasize the words of Jesus.  There was a growing... Read more

President Barack Obama on Tuesday, January 9, 2013, tapped the Rev. Louie Giglio of Atlanta’s Passion City Church to deliver the benediction during his second inauguration overlooking the Mall of the U.S. Capitol Building later this month. However, less than 48 hours later, with the controversy surrounding Giglio’s past statements about homosexuality, Giglio decided to withdraw from giving the address stating: “It is likely that my participation, and the prayer I would offer, will be dwarfed by those seeking to... Read more

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In Stepping Stones to Other Religions, Dermot Lane offers an entry into interreligious engagement for Christians (particularly Roman Catholics) in the twenty-first century. It serves as a commendable introduction to the topic and makes the basic argument for why the Catholic faith mandates engaging other traditions in a respectful way while striving for mutual learning. The text is rigorously organized, yet does not delve into any one particular theme in too great of detail. The main thrust of the work surfaces in... Read more

Several years ago a young bright couple began to attend the church I serve. As I got to know them, I learned that she had been sent to Eastern Europe as a missionary from a nearby mega-church, one nationally known for its leadership among the religious right. Her husband was a Bulgarian Baptist minister. When they moved to the states they began to attend the church that had sponsored his wife. But soon he discovered that he could not worship... Read more

Quentin Tarantino’s (QT) new film, Django, has elicited many responses across the spectrum on race, gender, class, and even God. The film has created a type of blog/ essay sensation and many were talking about it long before it was even released. QT is no rookie to controversy; critics have railed on QT for too much violence, use of the word “nigger,” sexism, and a litany of other issues with his films. Since Reservoir Dogs, QT has become accustomed to... Read more

Daniel White Hodge, PhD, is an expert in religion and popular culture, race, & Hip Hop studies. His first book, Heaven Has A Ghetto: The Missiological Gospel & Theology of Tupac Amaru Shakur wrestles with the profane and sacred socio-theological messages within Tupac’s life, his second book, The Soul Of Hip Hop: Rimbs, Timbs, & A Cultural Theology engages a new arena of theological studies by examining what Hip Hoppers espouse to be God and the quest for spirituality within the Hip Hop community.... Read more