Christianity
(OPINION) What happens with Pentecostalism today affects nearly everybody on Earth, not only spiritually but politically. Scholars and journalists usually point to the landmark 1906 Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles as the birth of Pentecostalism. That revival introduced long-dormant gifts of the Holy Spirit written about in the New Testament — including prophecy, healing and speaking in tongues — to contemporary Christianity.
A cross-denominational belief in believer’s baptism allowed Southern Baptist pastor Mark Brown and Pentecostal pastor Mark Francey to collaborate in sponsoring Baptize California, a statewide event that baptized more than 6,000 believers May 18-19.
I am old enough to remember when “60 Minutes” was must-watch television for journalists. In those days, this CBS News “magazine for television” had a crack research team that dug deep and found the documents and evidence needed to support tough questions for political, cultural and business leaders who granted interviews.
(ANALYSIS) Today, these new non-denominational churches are replacing older traditional forms, creating thousands of new island churches, unconnected form any larger sense of community or social vision. Can this new generation of non-denominational churches somehow work together to form new networks that provide some measure of community? Time will tell.
The Borbas never expected to become missionaries to their people in a foreign land. Yet three visas and almost 10 years later, Maikon Borba had graduated from Harding with a degree in Bible and missions and moved his family 36 miles north of Miami.
College students across the country are graduating this month. As is custom, famous people are invited to speak to students about the future. Sometimes, religion and faith comes up — especially at Christian colleges — and it’s not always something that resonates with the U.S.’s broader, more secular culture. Here are five that stood out this spring.
A Lifeway Research study of both U.S. Protestant pastors and churchgoers found most in both groups believe it’s OK to miss church occasionally for a kid’s game or travel sporting event, but those in the pews are laxer on the issue than those behind the pulpit. More than one in three Protestant pastors say it’s never OK to skip a weekly worship service for kid’s games or travel sporting events.
(ANALYSIS) The team's star placekicker stressed that “being Catholic alone doesn't cut it” while attacking many famous Catholics, including President Joe Biden, for, among other choices, making the sign of the cross during a Florida abortion rights rally. Butker spent most of his address criticizing many American bishops while also offering blunt defenses of Catholic teachings on sexuality.
(REVIEW) There are a lot of positive — dare I say “Christian” — values in the show. So much that I’d say anyone with a beating heart will find themselves weeping as they watch them play out — even if only despite themselves. Observing the cynical, broken Hellians that Charlie Morningstar finds and helps to reform and embrace being their better selves, can’t help but bring tears to your eyes.
(OPINION) In October 2007, I delivered a series of lectures on the subject of “Homosexuality, the Church, and Society.” The lectures were held at the Booth Playhouse in the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center in the heart of Charlotte, North Carolina, and they attracted considerable attention from the local media.
The African nation of Gambia was thrust into a national debate this spring after the country's parliament advanced a bill that would repeal its eight-year ban on female genital mutilation — a move that could make it the first country in the world to overturn a ban on the age-long practice. Christian leaders have been among the most outspoken against it.
Allen, who spent 10 years of his career reporting for ProPublica, was a fierce advocate for transparency and fairness in health care, guided by his strong faith and belief in honesty and integrity. He died died this past Sunday at a hospital in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He was 52.
A recent series of crosscurrents and eruptions remind us that Catholic voters may well decide this odd contest between unwelcome nominees. As with Americans in general, Pew Research Center polling shows they give fellow Catholic Biden an unfavorable rating of 64 percent and 57 percent unfavorable toward Trump.
(ANALYSIS) In my work as a religious history scholar, I’ve learned that throughout history artists created images of Christ that would speak to different communities. In 1915, Norwegian artist Emanuel Vigeland created an image of Christ with golden hair and fair skin despite a popular illustration showing Christ as Middle Eastern with dark hair.
(OPINION) Speaking for God can be a messy business. Very messy. No matter how sincere you are, you might turn out eventually to have been wrong. No matter how many Scriptures you cite to prove your point, those who disagree will trot out contrary passages to demonstrate why you’re tragically misguided — if not heretical.
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and members of Graham’s family joined the North Carolina Congressional delegation in unveiling the statue that replaces that of early 20th-century N.C. governor and staunch white supremacist Charles Aycock.
(OPINION) While a petition calling for the firing of Harrison Butker, one of the greatest placekickers in the NFL, has gained more than 100,000 signatures, sales of his jersey are skyrocketing. Why all the controversy?
Garbage City existed before its Coptic Christian residents, and they are the only ones willing enough to remain among the trash and help Cairo by sorting through it. The main issue, these days, is the lack of political representation and influence caused by a growing Muslim-Christian divide.
Tucked away in the mountain range of the Kenyan Rift Valley, amid flourishing forests overlooking the vibrant little town of Subukia lies a Marian shrine. This special Catholic site dedicated to prayer regularly hosts of thousands of pilgrims from many parts of the world. It is also the source of the legendary water of the Subukia Shrine.
Sometimes, an important high-level finding warrants some additional reflection. I have several of these rolling around in my head at any given point. The one I wanted to zero in on is from a post that ran over a year ago. Simply put, Catholic Mass attendance is way down. About half of all self-identified Catholics said that they attended Mass nearly every week in 1972. In the most recent data, it’s about half that rate.
The genocide that left more than 800,000 Rwandans dead and millions displaced during a 100-day period in 1994 demonstrated the depths of depravity found in hearts not redeemed by Jesus, former missionary Nik Ripken said. “When Billy Graham was asked what was the number one hindrance to the Kingdom of God, he said it was racism,” said Ripken, who served overseas for 37 years. “Racism is a sin in the human heart.”
Hall’s new book — “Who’s Afraid of Christian Nationalism” — shines a light on the debate around Christian nationalism following the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol, which is often characterized by unfounded claims, lots of name-calling and plenty of fear-mongering. Here’s our interview with Hall on the origin of the term and what it all really means.
Delaware Raceway Ministry is running strong after 31 years. And though the ministry techniques have evolved, the emphasis remains the same: sowing seeds, building relationships and sharing Jesus. Volunteers from area churches worked together to serve the raceway staff and thousands of NASCAR enthusiasts who camped around the track earlier this month.
The murder last month of a Catholic priest is the latest in a spate of attacks against Christian clerics. Overall, South Africa’s crime rate has spiked to its highest levels in two decades. At the same time, many see these recent attacks against clerics as an infringement on their religious freedom to worship since Christians are increasingly fearful of going to church as a result of the increased violence.
Is 15 minutes enough for a church service? It’s the question arousing interest within the U.K.’s Protestant community following the decision by a Welsh minister to offer 15-minute services on Monday evenings. “We’re trying to offer something new, something different for people,” he said.
A majority don’t see a moral or spiritual benefit to AI, the American Bible Society said on May 9 in the latest release from its 2024 State of the Bible. Most, 68 percent, don’t believe AI could be used to enhance their spiritual practices and thus promote spiritual health, while 58 percent don’t believe the technology could aid in their moral reasoning.
(ANALYSIS) While drama with the United Methodist Church continues to develop, the sexuality spotlight shifts to America’s Presbyterian Church (U.S.A)., which has already approved gay clergy and marriage but is heading into a different sexuality fuss that carries some risk of another church split.
In “Soul by Soul: The Evangelical Mission to Spread the Gospel to Muslims” Adriana Carranca follows the pilgrimage of a missionary family from Brazil as they move to Afghanistan. Carranca brings us on a harrowing journey through the underground passages of the global evangelical movement as it clashes with militant Islamic groups. What follows is an excerpt from Carranca’s new book.
Neighborly Faith studied academic publications addressing this issue and created a detailed, 14-point compromise definition stating, in part: “Christian Nationalism is a movement advancing a vision of America's past, present, and future that excludes people of non-Christian religions and non-Western cultures. Christian Nationalists romanticize Christianity's influence on America's development, attributing the nation's historical provenance to God's special favor.”
As a 15-year-old high school student in Nazareth, Arab Christian Yasmeen Mazzawi wanted to learn the history of the Jews she met volunteering as a paramedic with Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel’s national emergency medical services. Her decision to visit Auschwitz with a team of MDA volunteers challenged her friendships with Muslim and Christian classmates at Nazareth Baptist School, founded by Southern Baptist missionaries in 1935.