Muckraking Is Biblical: Welcome To The Summer Of Exposés

(ANALYSIS) Why rake muck? For one thing, it’s biblical. Recall Scripture’s narratives about the venerated King David’s adultery and homicide or St. Peter’s multiple denials of Jesus Christ. It encourages healthy reflection on the forgiveness of sins, the ways power is misused, the dangers of celebrity worship, the ongoing impact of racial evil and the value in continually taking fresh looks at our own attitudes rather than remaining captive to the cultural assumptions in which we were born and raised.

How ‘The Convert’ Replaces One Tired Trope With Another That’s Just As Bad

(REVIEW) What “white savior” and “white guilt” movies both do is create a fantasy about Christian history that makes us comfortable. In reality, Western Christian history is far more complicated. Filmmakers like Tamahori simply replace one fantasy with another. And, ironically, miss out on a much better movie. “The Convert” has enjoyable pacing and individual performances, but its shallow treatment of its well-worn cliches will make few believers.

How A New Online Platform Called BibleDojo Integrates Faith With Technology

BibleDojo, an interactive online platform, merges faith and technology in an effort to increase biblical literacy and fluency among Christians. Launched this past January, the program features click-through, dojo-themed lessons that aim to strengthen Christians’ reading skills for different genres of the Bible.

Drag Queen ‘Last Supper’ At Olympics Opening Ceremony Sparks Outrage

A dance troupe performing at the Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympics drew the ire of Christians around the world after they appeared to mock Jesus and the Last Supper. The festivities drew controversy when a group of performers — including drag queens — struck poses behind what looked like a long table.

IHOPKC Cancels Plan For New Church, Says Prayer Room Will Continue

Plans for a new church connected to the embattled International House of Prayer Kansas City (IHOPKC) have been canceled, according to an email sent to the IHOPKC community Wednesday morning. Also, former IHOPKC Executive Team member Isaac Bennett and his wife, Morgan, who were planning to pastor the new church, have left the 24/7 prayer ministry.

Judge Rules Colorado Town Can’t Prohibit Church From Sheltering The Homeless

A Colorado church will continue to house homeless people in RVs on its church property, thanks to a judge’s preliminary injunction. In an 18-page order, Justice Daniel D. Domenico temporarily blocked the community of Castle Rock, Colorado, from enforcing zoning regulations, prohibiting The Rock Church from housing people on its property.

Baptist Mission Teams Use Paris Olympics To Connect And Evangelize

With the Olympic Games opening in Paris later this week, Southern Baptists have already been working in and around the city, capitalizing on the event as a bridge to spread the Gospel.

‘Sing Sing’ Reveals An Intimate, But Undercooked, Prison Redemption Story

(REVIEW) “Sing Sing” — the latest film from celebrated independent film studio A24 — tells the story of Divine G, imprisoned at a maximum security prison (Sing Sing) for a crime he didn't commit. He finds purpose by acting in a theater group alongside other incarcerated men. The film is based on the book, “The Sing Sing Follies,” which tells the true story of Divine G and the theater program he founded while incarcerated.

Worship Training For Smaller Churches Aims To ‘Amplify Excellence And Collaboration’

As a first-time lead pastor who formerly served as a worship pastor, Aaron Petre is bringing both experiences together to the benefit of small churches in his city and state. Petre’s background spans that from large congregations to his current role leading Enchanted Hills Baptist in Tucson, which averages 50-70 for Sunday worship. He has led cross-denominational worship conferences for 500 attendees as well as similar, smaller gatherings on behalf of the Arizona Mission Network.

Christianity, News, North AmericaScott BarkleyJuly 25, 2024Scott Barkley, news, Secondary feature, churches, ChristianityComment

Adventurous, Dangerous And Revolting: Seeing ‘The World Through Medieval Eyes’

(REVIEW) Adventurous, dangerous, fabulous, redemptive and revolting: Medieval travel was all of this and more, as Bale describes, drawing upon a host of period narratives to paint a vivid picture of the experience during an era dominated in the West by pilgrimage. The reasons that pilgrims embarked for places like Canterbury, Santiago de Compostela, Rome and Jerusalem (the holiest and most desirable of all) were manifold.

On Religion: JD Vance And ‘Wisdom From The Book of Mamaw’

(ANALYSIS) Mamaw was a lifelong Democrat who distrusted organized religion, including “holy rollers” and snake handlers, cursed like a sailor and, when she died, her house contained 19 loaded handguns. But the soft heart and steel spine of the family’s “hillbilly terminator” provided stability when needed.

‘God’s Gang’: Animated Series Offers Up Interfaith Love In A Polarized World

“God’s Gang,” which follows a Christian, a Jew, a Muslim and a Hindu in their efforts to, as the show’s publicists put it, “unite the world through peace and adventure,” has a global team behind it. Its creators are spread across 15 countries and its audience boasts an even bigger reach. The first episode alone, which dropped last November, attracted over 10 million views.

Historic Pulpit Survives First Dallas 4-Alarm Fire

A pulpit used by Southern Baptist notables like George Truett and W.A. Criswell emerged intact after surviving a fire that gutted the historic sanctuary at First Baptist Church over the weekend.

ERLC Executive Committee Tries To Clarify Leadership Confusion

Members of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission’s executive committee acknowledge the events of the last 24 hours have brought confusion and frustration as conflicting press releases have tried to clarify that Brent Leatherwood is still at the helm of the SBC entity.

Can Struggling Houses Of Worship Be Turned Into Housing?

(OPINION) The trend of converting underused houses of worship into affordable housing is sweeping America. The state of California last year passed a law rewarding faith-based organizations that use their surplus properties to build 100 percent affordable housing. Maryland, New York and Virginia are considering the same, and the cities of Atlanta, Pasadena, San Antonio, San Diego and Seattle have passed similar legislation.

Christianity, News, North America, OpinionRick ReinhardJuly 23, 2024rick reinhard, opinion, christianity, real estate, newsComment

Most Southern Baptist Churches Effectively Using Background Checks

According to the 2023 Annual Church Profile, most Southern Baptist congregations, like New Vision, use background checks for volunteers. Fewer, however, say they have been trained in reporting sexual abuse or caring for sexual abuse survivors.

Offering Up A Prayer For President Biden

(OPINION) In the immediate aftermath of President Biden’s major announcement on Sunday, stating that he was dropping out of the presidential race, a flood of responses was quickly posted online. Political pundits were weighing in. Cultural commentators were sharing their perspectives. Social media influencers were having their say.

What The Catholic Church Says About Political Violence And The Need To Forgive

(ANALYSIS) As a specialist in medieval Christianity, I know that Catholic views on the morality of killing have evolved over time. And while Christianity eventually came to defend the idea of warfare for self-defense and the common good, it has also emphasized the value of forgiveness of enemies.

Erskine College Sues For Loan Repayment, Faces Own Financial Issues

Erskine College, a small Christian college in South Carolina that has faced its own financial challenges in recent years, has filed a lawsuit in a South Carolina state court against Icelaven Development Group for failing to repay a $1 million loan.

First Baptist Dallas Meets In Convention Center Following Devastating Fire

Two days after a four-alarm fire ripped through the historic sanctuary at First Baptist Dallas, the church gathered for worship services in the nearby Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center on Sunday morning.

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