Monthly Archives: February 2007
COMMENTARY: Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa, Mea Maxima Culpa
By James Rudin — February 16, 2007
c. 2007 Religion News Service (UNDATED) It seems each week well-known entertainers or politicians rush forward to say they are “sorry” for their actions or words that have hurt others. They then contritely announce they are seeking spiritual and emotional rehabilitation because of substance abuse, ugly bigotry, uncontrollable anger, marital infidelity or a host of […]
Big Hats, First Ladies and Co-Pastors
By RNS Blog Editor — February 15, 2007
In Black Churches, Pastors’ Wives Take on New Roles RNS’ Adelle M. Banks looks at the expanding role of pastor’s wives in black churches, in this week’s full-text RNS article, linked above. Quote: “The role is changing-no longer sitting in the front row with a big hat, but getting involved,” [Pastor June] Robinson, a “30-something” […]
RNS Daily Digest
By RNS Blog Editor — February 15, 2007
c. 2007 Religion News Service Church Leaders to Visit Tehran in Hopes of Defusing Nuclear Tensions WASHINGTON (RNS) A delegation of 13 U.S. Christian leaders will travel to Iran to meet with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Feb. 17-25 to foster dialogue between Iran and the U.S. and promote a diplomatic solution to tensions between the […]
COMMENTARY: Boomerizing American Religion
By Frances Kennedy — February 15, 2007
c. 2007 Religion News Service (UNDATED) The baby boom generation has changed every institution, tradition, folkway and just about every cultural “given” encountered on their journey toward maturity. They not only have altered the kinds of houses in which we live, but are now busily transforming the churches in which we worship. Demonstrating their need […]
Think Tank Offers Guidance on Islamic Investing
By Nancy Haught — February 15, 2007
c. 2007 Religion News Service PORTLAND, Ore. _ Ethical investing caters to potential investors who want their money to earn a fair return and accomplish something good at the same time. Islamic investing goes a step further. In the seventh century, the Prophet Muhammad, a businessman himself, saw the harmful effects of usury, the charging […]
New Film Explores Life, Legacy of Wilberforce
By Sara Shereen Bakhshian — February 15, 2007
c. 2007 Religion News service (UNDATED) Chances are many Americans haven’t heard of him. But if U.S. evangelical leaders and others have their way, the 19th-century evangelical and abolitionist William Wilberforce soon will become a household name. A new film, “Amazing Grace,” opens nationwide on Feb. 23 to mark the 200th anniversary of the end […]
10 Minutes With … Chris Hedges
By Ron Csillag — February 15, 2007
c. 2007 Religion News Service TORONTO _ A hard-core minority of evangelicals is actively working to create an American theocracy and to eliminate non-believers. Mainstream Christians _ even some evangelicals _ governments and the media stand by and watch in the name of tolerance. So says Chris Hedges, a former New York Times correspondent, who […]
RNS Weekly Digest
By RNS Blog Editor — February 14, 2007
c. 2007 Religion News Service Study Finds U.S. Jewish Population Higher Than Expected Editors: In 4th graf, `birthright israel’ is cq (RNS) The American Jewish population is 20 percent higher than previously reported, according to a new study released by the Brandeis University Steinhardt Social Research Institute. The institute estimated there are 6 million to […]
RNS Daily Digest
By RNS Blog Editor — February 14, 2007
c. 2007 Religion News Service Beliefnet Names `Most Influential Black Spiritual Leaders’ (RNS) Seventeen African-American religious leaders _ ranging from megachurch pastors to spiritual advisers _ have been named the nation’s “most influential black spiritual leaders” by Beliefnet. “Whether inspiring their congregations to stand up against social injustice or urging a focus on God-centered family […]
N.J. Bishop Boldly Goes Where No Bishop Has Gone Before
By Jeff Diamant — February 14, 2007
c. 2007 Religion News Service NEWARK, N.J. _ How’s this for an eclectic resume? John J. Myers: archbishop of Newark and co-author of “Space Vulture.” Myers, the 65-year-old conservative spiritual leader of 1.3 million Roman Catholics, achieved every aspiring author’s dream by landing a book contract. He co-wrote a science-fiction novel with longtime friend and […]
Exhibit Traces 20th Century Impact of Modern Religious Art
By Christ Herlinger — February 14, 2007
c. 2007 Religion News Service NEW YORK _ The artistic giants of the 20th century _ the Andy Warhols, Jackson Pollacks and Pablo Picassos of the art world _ were known more for their modernist and abstract impulses than their depiction of religious themes. But does that tell the whole story of art in the […]
COMMENTARY: Customer Service: Who’s Serving Whom?
By Tom Ehrich — February 14, 2007
c. 2007 Religion News Service AMES, Iowa _ I like hotels. Whether it’s Manhattan vertical or roadside horizontal, I enjoy checking into a new room and discovering amenities, such as ample lighting, high-speed Internet access, coffee makers, even those little shampoo bottles. These amenities suggest they know what I need and have taken steps to […]
RNS Daily Digest
By RNS Blog Editor — February 13, 2007
c. 2007 Religion News Service Christian Leaders Commit to Tackling `Scandal’ of Poverty (RNS) Christian leaders from the country’s broadest-ever ecumenical group have issued a statement condemning the “scandal of widespread poverty” and calling for action by the public and private sectors to combat it. “As leaders in Christian Churches Together, we believe that a […]
For Many Americans, Religious Identity Is No Longer a Given
By Andrea Useem — February 13, 2007
c. 2007 Religion News Service (UNDATED) When Aurora Turk was growing up in Mexico City, being Catholic was a given. “It was taught to me by the nuns at school and my mother at home,” she recalled. “My whole world was Catholic.” But Turk’s adult life has been marked by religious exploration. Married to a […]
Sexuality Is About Spirituality, Pastor Says
By Charles Honey — February 13, 2007
c. 2007 Religion News Service GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. _ About halfway through his new book, “Sex God,” the Rev. Rob Bell recalls a scene of exquisite torture at a middle school dance. He was 12, lined up with all the boys on one side of the cafeteria while all the girls were lined up on […]
