'Best of Enemies': Real faith and racial reconciliation on the big screen
(RNS) — A true-to-life, if farfetched, buddy movie demonstrates the possibility of racial reconciliation forged through a shared Christian faith.
Joel Hunter to step down from Orlando megachurch
ORLANDO, Fla. (RNS) — For the past two decades, Hunter urged his fellow evangelicals to move toward more moderate, center-right positions on issues such as climate change, immigration and LGBTQ people.
Did soon-to-be-saint Junipero Serra meet his era's highest moral standards? (COMMENTARY)
(RNS) Pope Francis' canonization of Junipero Serra highlights the Vatican’s sometimes contradictory standards for sanctity when it comes to European missionaries.
25 years later, houses of worship living up to spirit of Disabilities Act (ANALYSIS)
(RNS) Although the the law didn’t require accommodation and accessibility in places of worship, many went ahead and did it anyway.
Martin Scorsese directs movie about Jesuit mission to 17th-century Japan
(RNS) The historical drama “Silence,” stars Andrew Garfield and Liam Neeson and begins shooting in Taiwan later this year. Based on Shusaku Endo’s 1980 novel of the same name, it's a dark, true tale set in 17th-century Japan.
Tim Chey's 'Final: The Rapture' adapts 'horror movie' label
(RNS) In an interview outside the Orlando multiplex where his film, "Final: The Rapture" is playing, Tim Chey said he’s comfortable with the Christian horror movie label, or even “Christian disaster movie.”
COMMENTARY: War on Poverty anniversary recalls religion's role in Appalachia
HOT SPRINGS, N.C. (RNS) On the 50th anniversary of the launch of President Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty, it is worth recalling that Appalachia was a magnet for missionaries, both religious and secular. They failed, in part, because they did not respect the strong beliefs and culture of the region.
U.S. nuns strike a positive note on Vatican investigation
(RNS) After its four-day annual assembly, the board of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, which represents 80 percent of the nation’s 57,000 sisters, emphasized the positive and remained tight-lipped about negotiations over the doctrinal investigation launched by the Vatican two years ago.
Assemblies of God defies denominational decline
(RNS) At its General Council meeting this week, the Assemblies of God touted its formula for defying the seemingly irreversible decline of other religious groups: contemporary music, arts and high-tech quality communication, outreach to young people, immigrants and ethnic minorities.
COMMENTARY: Concealed handguns a form of white social control
(RNS) Part of the problem lies with with the lunatic -- and, I would argue, racist -- manner in which the Florida legislature has defined self-defense. You can start a fight for any reason, and if you begin to lose the altercation, and feel you are about to suffer grave body harm, you can kill the other person with totally immunity.
Joel Hunter pays a price for political activism
(RNS) Over the past decade, Hunter and a cohort of younger, evangelical leaders have called on others to lower their voices and shift the political center of gravity from the far right to the pragmatic center-right. Ten percent of his church members left.
COMMENTARY: NBC's 'Save Me' may need rescuing
(RNS) "Save Me," NBC's new prime time sitcom, may not be religious enough, neglecting its potential core supporters.
SIDEBAR: Military chaplains who died in the line of duty
(RNS) At least 10 military chaplains died in the line of duty in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Computer simulator preps military chaplains for the battlefield
ORLANDO (RNS) Nothing short of the real thing prepares someone for serving under fire, veterans say, but a computer simulation company here has won a $100,000 development contract to develop a program designed to help prospective military chaplains.
GUEST COMMENTARY: Learning from (dis)ability
(RNS) The good news is that some churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples are already welcoming people with disabilities and preparing for the coming influx of wounded vets and creaky boomers. The bad news is that some congregations still resist making themselves welcoming, accessible and inclusive. By Mark Pinksy.