Jesus
Conservative Christians’ new scare word (COMMENTARY)
By Jonathan Merritt — September 2, 2015
(RNS) To resist the normalization of LGBT couples means working to push them to the margins, outside of circles of respectability.
Conservative Christians’ new scare word
By Jonathan Merritt — August 31, 2015
In the fight over gay rights, conservative Christians have a new enemy. No, it isn’t a politician or activist or organization. It isn’t a noun at all, in fact, but rather a verb: normalize.
Post-traumatic church syndrome? Yep, it’s a thing.
By Jonathan Merritt — August 24, 2015
In her hilarious and raw memoir, "Post-Traumatic Church Syndrome," Reba Riley describes her struggle to heal from wounds inflicted by institutional Christianity. Here she talks about healing.
Carl Lentz on how Hillsong Church is becoming ‘gay welcoming’ without compromising their convictions
By Jonathan Merritt — August 10, 2015
Hillsong Church says they are a "gay welcoming" congregation, even though they are not gay affirming. Hillsong pastor Carl Lents explains how they are attempting to think through and navigate this difficult issue.
Brothers and sisters, you are not professional journalists
By Jonathan Merritt — July 28, 2015
When Christians speak ignorantly about journalism, they compromise their credibility on more important matters.
Some say Apostle Paul was sexist, but this mainline mega-pastor calls him ‘an exemplar’
By Jonathan Merritt — July 21, 2015
Pastor of America's most influential mainline Protestant church wants Christians to give the Apostle Paul a second look. "Paul gives us an exemplar for the way in which God calls all believers to live," he says.
The Egg-‘Splainer: What is Holy Week and Easter all about?
By Kimberly Winston — April 1, 2015
(RNS) Happy Holy Week! Why is Good Friday "good," and how did Jesus stretch 36 hours from the crucifixion to his resurrection into three days? And what's up with the colored eggs? Let us 'Splain.
Jesus is all over the small screen, and that’s no accident
By Patrick Ryan — March 30, 2015
"We didn't make Sunday-school programming," says Hollywood producer Mark Burnett. "We made stuff that was accurate to the Bible, but realistic, and didn't feel like it had been made on a shoestring budget."
Meet the Muslim actor playing Jesus in Bill O’Reilly’s ‘Killing Jesus’
By Jonathan Merritt — March 24, 2015
(RNS) Haaz Sleiman says he -- and other Muslims -- have much to learn from Jesus' example.
3 ways relics and artifacts can help us ‘find Jesus’
By David Gibson — February 26, 2015
(RNS) Despite the overblown claims and dodgy artifacts floating around out there, genuine artifacts and solid historical research still provide the best window into a long-ago world and the best chance to figure out who Jesus really was, and what he meant.
Ewan McGregor pulls off a convincing Jesus in ‘Last Days in the Desert’
By Dick Staub — January 30, 2015
PARK CITY, Utah (RNS) McGregor delivers a stand-out performance, and quipped that “somehow playing Satan came more naturally to me then playing Jesus."
Jordan welcomes throngs of tourists at site where believers say Jesus was baptized
By Dale Hanson Bourke — January 5, 2015
AMMAN, Jordan (RNS) While Israel has long claimed that Jesus was baptized on the Israeli side of the river, increasingly, scholars are lining up to support archaeological research showing the baptism site is actually in Jordan.
Jesus may have been tried here: Archaeologists uncover Herod’s palace
By Michele Chabin — January 5, 2015
JERUSALEM (RNS) Discovered under an abandoned prison building that is part of the Tower of David Museum grounds, the trial site is one piece of a vast excavation undertaken by archaeologists from 1999 to 2000 but sealed off for the past 14 years.
Believers pray to ‘Our Lady of the Milk’ in this ancient Bethlehem spot where Mary nursed Jesus
By Michele Chabin — December 19, 2014
BETHLEHEM, West Bank (RNS) “We estimate that in the past dozen years at least 3,000 babies have been born to mothers who prayed in the grotto,” said the Franciscan brother who guards it.
Why Christmas is not simply a source of happy news (COMMENTARY)
By Tom Ehrich — December 16, 2014
(RNS) I understand why my reader wants her religious readings to take a break from "I can't breathe" protests. But reality is what it is. And if we can't bear to see reality, what relationship can we possibly have with God?
