A law professor shares lessons on respectful disagreement in the classroom, the church, and the wider culture. Law schools can function as microcosms of society, gathering people from diverse backgrounds to debate highly charged issues of politics, morality, and religion. John Inazu, an evangelical constitutional scholar and professor of law and religion at Washington University…
Church movements need magnetic leaders. But the best leaders need more than charm. Emad is an exception in many says. He grew up in a massive slum but rose to be the branch manager of a bank in a capital city. Most people in his area are Muslim and animist, but Emad’s devout Christian mother…
But let’s not mistake it for calling. Charisma has fallen on hard times in the church. Or at least some of us have become suspicious of it. The cracks have been showing for a while. Nine years ago, long before Oxford University Press crowned rizz (slang for the kind of charisma that inspires romantic attraction)…
One of England’s finest writers surveys the past and present of English faith. In the Western world today, Peter Ackroyd is one of the finest writers of biography, history, and fiction. His most recent project turns attention to the field of religion, setting out to describe what he calls the “spirit and nature of English…
And other brief news from believers around the world. Two Christian brothers have been acquitted of charges of blasphemy. Umar and Umair Saleem, known as “Rocky” and “Raja,” respectively, were accused by other Christians of defiling the Quran and making derogatory remarks about Muhammad, “deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings.” The accusations…
Our message cannot be market tested or manufactured. For some time now, I’ve been intrigued by who whispers what behind closed doors. When I am with right-wing groups, inevitably someone will look around to make sure we’re alone before voicing concern about the increasing extremism demanded by “the base”—especially regarding white nationalism. When I’m with…
Pastors help widows take on delayed pensions and negotiate peace amid violent labor disputes. Like other widows of South African mine workers, Jane Anele was doubly wronged by the industry. The 58-year-old lost her husband to coal mining a decade ago, and his employer never paid the family his dues. “My husband died of lung…
Christians with neurodivergence are exploring other options for devotions and Bible study. Emily Hubbard recalls a trend in women’s discipleship that urged women to rest in Jesus and “stop trying to do it all.” The problem was, Hubbard wasn’t trying to do it all. She just wanted to remember to run the dishwasher. “All discipleship…
The Grammy-winning artist was found dead at her home in Nashville at age 47. Grammy Award-winning contemporary Christian singer Mandisa Lynn Hundley, a former Lifeway Christian Resources employee and top-10 American Idol finisher, was found dead Thursday at her Nashville home, her publicist announced on social media. No cause of death was given. “We can…
President William Ruto commissioned church leaders to meet with Haitian law enforcement, military representatives, and a gang leader to discuss Kenya’s security mission. Kenya’s leaders aren’t saying much publicly about the security force they plan to send to gang-embattled Haiti. But they’re talking a whole lot with God. Last month, as armed groups escalated their…
