c. 2007 Religion News Service

Christian Worship Expert Robert E. Webber Dies at Age 73

(RNS) Robert E. Webber, an expert on Christian worship, died April 27 in Sawyer, Mich., after suffering from pancreatic cancer. He was 73.

Webber, a professor of ministry at Northern Seminary in Lombard, Ill., was known for his expertise in the early church. He edited The Complete Library of Christian Worship, an eight-volume series published in 1995.

The son of Baptist missionary parents, Webber authored more than 40 books, including “Evangelicals on the Canterbury Trail,” “Worship Is a Verb,” and “Ancient-Future Faith.”

“Robert Webber influenced many thousands of Christian leaders through his speaking and writing,” seminary dean Charles Hambrick-Stowe said in an announcement of Webber’s death. “Two qualities are at the heart of his teaching ministry _ authenticity and accessibility.”

Webber worked at the seminary for seven years. He previously spent 32 years as a professor of theology at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill., where he remained professor emeritus.

In 1998, he founded the Institute for Worship Studies, now known as the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies, in Orange Park, Fla.

“Bob Webber significantly influenced many in our generation with the understanding that worship is the key to the renewal of the church,” James R. Hart, the institute’s provost, said in a statement.

_ Adelle M. Banks

Study Says a Dog May Not Be a Catholic Priest’s Best Friend

LONDON (RNS) Having a pet may seem an ideal way to relieve stress. After all, what better way to unwind than sitting down with a cat purring on your lap, or taking your dog for a leisurely walk?

But not if you are a Catholic priest, according to a new study.

Earlier research found that companion animals could improve physical and psychological health, particularly among the elderly. A team from the University of Wales, Bangor, wanted to see if that held true for Catholic priests, whom previous studies had shown were more prone to professional burnout than their Anglican colleagues.

Researchers led by Leslie J. Francis, an Anglican priest, surveyed 1,482 Catholic parochial clergy in England and Wales. The research team included a Catholic priest.

“Contrary to expectation, there was no evidence of improved work-related psychological health among the priests who lived with a companion animal,” they concluded. Their findings have been published in the international journal Mental Health, Religion and Culture.

One lesson was the danger of generalizing from one field of research to another: Studies on the benefits of pet ownership had been conducted largely among the elderly, the sick or the socially isolated. Catholic priests, it turns out, didn’t fit the pattern.

Having a dog _ and taking it out for a walk _ encouraged interaction with other people. But Catholic priests probably already had “all the access they need _ and perhaps more than they really want _ to social interaction,” the new study found.

Similarly, Catholic clergy probably already experienced all the distraction they needed, Francis and his team noted. Because of increased pressure due to the increasing shortage of priests, the study found priests might not have enough leisure time to benefit from having a pet in the rectory.

Commenting to the Irish Times, Francis said the study reflected the stress facing clergy. For many people, companion animals helped them unwind after a day’s work, but many clergy were “so severely overworked” that having a companion animal simply added to the pressure.

“Walking, feeding, caring for the dog,” he said, “can be the last straw that breaks the camel’s back.”

_ Robert Nowell

Gay-Rights Group Shows Up Unannounced and Unwelcome at Campus Chapel

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (RNS) An unannounced _ and unwelcome _ appearance by a gay rights group at a Cornerstone University chapel service here ended with activists arrested and the chapel service canceled.

The surprise chapel visit on April 23 from the Soulforce Equality Ride capped an encounter more confrontational than the Virginia-based group’s peaceful visit the following day (April 24) at nearby Calvin College.

Soulforce defied Cornerstone’s request to stay off campus, resulting in two riders being arrested. The group is touring Christian college campus to promote tolerance for gay and lesbian students, and activists insisted their action was justified.

“We have a responsibility that is much deeper than physical boundaries, a responsibility to the students to stand up for them,” said Katie Higgins, Equality Ride co-director.

Students and staff were divided on whether Cornerstone did the right thing by barring the group. Randy Burghart, an assistant professor of music, disagreed with the university’s decision.

“I see no reason not to speak with them,” Burghart said. “A lot of the students would have liked to have a more hospitable interaction.”

But student Caleb Hartung backed the administration, saying Soulforce disregarded Cornerstone’s property rights.

“It’s like, `I’m going to go watch the football game at that guy’s house tonight. If they say no, I’ll just go anyway,”’ said Hartung, 19, a business management major from Rockford.

A Cornerstone official said he did not second-guess the decision, adding off-campus response was overwhelmingly supportive.

“We chose the (option) that seemed to work best for who we are and how we meet our mission,” said Tom Emigh, vice president for student development.

Though Soulforce members insisted they just wanted to worship with students at chapel, school officials charged they came to disrupt it.

Cornerstone chapels generally are closed to non-students or staff, though visitors sometimes are invited. The difference this time, Emigh said, was Soulforce came as a group with identifying jackets and a video camera, creating a “perhaps intimidating and unwelcome presence.”

Emigh said the chapel was meant to be a time for students and staff to discuss Soulforce’s April 23 visit.

“We’re not a church,” Emigh said. “This is a chapel we use for teaching.”

_ Charles Honey

Quote of the Day: Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney

(RNS) “I’m not in favor of his religion by any means. But he wrote a book called `Battlefield Earth’ that was a very fun science-fiction book.”

_ Presidential candidate Mitt Romney, when naming his favorite novel _ “Battlefield Earth” by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard _ in an interview with Fox News. Romney, who said his favorite book was the Bible, was quoted by The New York Times.

KRE/PH END RNS