By Patrick Hornbeck , Special to CNNPatrick Hornbeck is an assistant professor and associate chair for undergraduate studies at Fordham University. The Roman Catholic Church has long been a reliable source for one-dimensional storylines: Victims of sexual abuse call for justice. Parishes close as numbers of clergy plummet. Rosary-clad Catholics protest outside abortion clinics. Perhaps nowhere has the storyline seemed more clear-cut than with regard to the church’s treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and their relationships.... Read more

by Monica Coleman for Patheos I love teaching in theological education because I loved being a student. When I was in college, I was an active lay Christian. I didn’t major in religion and had no plans to be a minister or professor of religion. But I had some questions that weren’t answered in church or Christian campus organizations, so I decided to take a couple electives in biblical studies at my university’s divinity school. I learned midrash, biblical criticism... Read more

The survey of Americans’ attitudes by the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute found only one in five Americans would object to a candidate whose beliefs were different to their own. When asked about specific religious faiths and the presidency, 29 percent of Americans would be uncomfortable with an evangelical Christian in the job, 53 percent would be uncomfortable with a Mormon, 64 percent with a Muslim, and 67 percent would be uncomfortable with an atheist as president. Former Massachusetts Governor... Read more

This editorial was written by Mika Edmondson, doctoral student at Calvin Theological Seminary.  Don’t get me wrong. I love good pastors and there are many out there. We should do more to support and honor them. (see 1 Timothy 5:17) But you know the scenario. A local pastor is caught in some scandalous behavior (stealing money, committing adultery, or worse), the word spreads, a few fed-up members (including the whistleblower/s) leave, the “incident” is downplayed or swept under the rug,... Read more

On October 27, Albert Mohler and Jim Wallis debated the question “Is Social Justice an Essential Part of the Mission of the Church?”. If you missed the live webcast, the Henry Center has posted the media from the event: View or listen to the debate here Read more

by Skye Jethanifor the Huffington Post Megachurches are predominantly white, suburban, conservative congregations led by baby-boomer pastors. This is what an infographic about floating around the web lately has revealed. It’s based on research compiled by Forbes, The Christian Post, and Leadership Network. For the most part the stats look very positive for mega and gigachurches (yes, that is a term now being used). These massive congregations, unlike many other churches, are still growing. They’re expanding staff, seeing increasing budgets... Read more

By Phil Westfor the Memphis Commercial Appeal Mississippi voters will decide today whether their state will become the first in the nation to declare constitutionally that life begins at fertilization. If they do so, supporters of Initiative 26 say it could prompt a court challenge that seeks to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that established a legal right to abortion. Under the item, backed by Colorado-based Personhood USA and one of three initiatives on a crowded general... Read more

Rick Perry’s new church is not like his old church.At his new church, several hundred worshippers showed up in jeans on a recent Sunday to listen to high-decibel Christian rock from plush stadium-style seats. The crowd, mostly under the age of 40, raised their hands to Jesus in between sips of freshly brewed coffee from the java hut in the lobby. Outside Lake Hills Church – situated on 40 acres about half an hour’s drive from downtown Austin – a... Read more

The way gays are treated and perceived by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is an “atrocity,” an LDS bishop from Illinois told a group of gay Mormons Sunday. “If you leave here not remembering what I have to say, remember this: I’m sorry,” Bishop Kevin Kloosterman said at an interfaith service held at the First Baptist Church of Salt Lake City. Kloosterman spoke at the final event of a weekend-long seminar dedicated to exploring gay Mormon issues,... Read more

This conference, which is part of an on going Transatlantic Roundtable on Religion and Race, will bring together academics, church leaders, practitioners and community activists to explore the role that churches play in the construction of identities in societies where issues of race and racism are played out in the public sphere. We are particularly interested in exploring the role and place of black churches in transitional political, religious and cultural contexts. We welcome conceptual, practical and theoretical papers, individual case... Read more