Recent Articles
Charitable Giving Increased, Volunteering Decreased in 2021
Charitable giving increased and volunteering decreased in 2021, a Gallup report found. Giving returned to near pre-pandemic levels, while volunteering continued a multi-year downward trend.
January 19, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Justice, Nationalism, Christianity and Race; New Website Illustrated and Interprets How Religion Intertwined with Events of January 6; Why the Nation’s Top Episcopalian Bishop and a Vanderbilt Historian Talked Democracy and Religion; and more
Should MLK Day Have Been Celebrated This Year?
The annual observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a federal holiday has taken place every year since 1983. But should it have been celebrated this year in light of efforts to dismantle what he championed?
Honoring Tradition and Departing from It
Resistance to change is a common response, particularly when it involves long-standing traditions. Yet, change is unavoidable, so how do we honor traditions of the past when we must depart from them?
Perceived Ethics of Nurses High, Clergy at All-Time Low
Nurses remain among the highest-rated U.S. professions in honesty and ethics, a Gallup report found. Clergy remain in the middle, though they reached an all-time low in perceptions of ethics and honesty.
January 18, 2022
In today’s curated news and and analysis headlines: On MLK Day, Yellen Says U.S. Economy is Unfair to Black People; We Still Need Martin Luther King Jr.’s Aspirational Patriotism; Martin Luther King, Jr. Isn’t the Only Black Baptist Hero Being Honored on MLK Day; ‘Some People Just Don’t Like Us’: In a Texas Synagogue, 11 Hours of Terror; and more
Following in King’s Footsteps by Loving Our Enemies
Loving one’s enemies was a central teaching of Jesus and a core conviction at the heart of Martin Luther King Jr.’s leadership in the civil rights movement. Will we commit to follow in King’s footsteps?
Emerging Voices | Pastoral Care in the Midst of Natural Disaster
How should pastoral care be carried out in the wake of natural disasters and other crises? Taking the proper approach can tune the beliefs of those for whom we care.
Look Back | Selma’s ‘Turnaround March’ Was Turning Point
One of Martin Luther King Jr.’s lesser-known actions took place in Selma, Alabama, on March 9, 1965. Here is what he did and why it was so significant.
January 14, 2022
In today’s news and analysis headlines: Penn Researchers Study Why Conspiracy Theories are so Believable; A Cryptic Email, Then a Confession: How a Muslim Group Uncovered a Hate Group Mole; Prison Systems Insist on Banning Books by Black Authors. It’s Time to End Censorship.; Couple’s Plan to Turn Maine Church into a Cocktail Bar Derailed for Month’s by Deed Barring ‘Sinful’ Acts (and more)
The Ongoing Dream of Voting
Limiting the right to vote has a long, tragic history in the United States. Since the nation’s formation, some have sought to restrict ballot access while others have worked to expand it. The struggle continues today.
Do We Admire the Dream, or Are We Captured by It?
Once more the U.S. pauses to celebrate the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr. this weekend. We must consider whether we are merely admirers of his dream or are captured by it.
Potential Sickle Cell Cure Necessitates Celebration and Reflection
New technology allows researchers to more easily modify DNA to address conditions that lead to conditions like Sickle Cell Disease. Such advancements are cause for both celebration and further reflection.
January 13, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Neo-Nazi Leader Sentenced to 7 Years for Plot to Intimidate Jews, Journalists; Reformed Church in America Charts a New Course as 43 Churches Jump Ship; Economics Professor Studies Links Between Rain, Church Attendance and Crime; Church, State Spreading Christianity in Papua New Guinea (and more)
What About the Dream? Reflections in Preparation for MLK Day 2022
The U.S. faces serious questions about “The Dream” set forth by Martin Luther King Jr. What are the issues that must be addressed to ensure his dream comes to fruition?
Movie Review: ‘Encanto’
Disney’s newest movie “Encanto” tells the story of a magical family that lives in a secluded village deep in the forests of Colombia. Here is what the movie does well and where it needs improvement.
What’s in Your Bowels?
New archaeological research related to a seventh-century BCE toilet has revealed interesting results. What might it reveal about that era? And what lessons could it offer us today?
January 12, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: The 25 Best Religious Movies, According to Critics; The White Christian Nationalism Tearing America Apart at the Seams; A Devout Christian Conservative Kicked Off His Campaign for Governor With … a Shofar? (and more)
Church’s Propensity for Discrimination Is Self-Harm That Harms Others
Discrimination has long-been prevalent in Americanized Christian churches. Confession, conversion and correction at the corporate level is essential for many congregations.
Helmet Policies, Sabbath Observance and 2022
What do biblical Sabbath observance views and a helmet policy debate in “The Mandalorian” TV show have in common? How might these discussions instruct us today as we seek to live faithfully in 2022?
Context Needed to Understand, Assess Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health
There are no absolute precepts in law, no bedrock foundation. The law is evolving, like a meandering river. This is why principles like ‘stare decisis’ are so critical in the U.S. judicial system.
January 11, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: South Side Church Looks to Develop Hub for Black Life; Can a Whimsical Bench Help Bring Neighbors Together? One South Bend Church Hopes So.; Bridging America’s Political Divides with Conversations (and more)
North American Church Experiencing Crisis of Meaning
The church in North America is experiencing a crisis of meaning. What are the contributing factors? And how should faith leaders respond to constructively engage this new reality?
May the Least of What We’ve Done Be Blessed
An unattributed saying on a Cambridge, Massachusetts, headstone provided profound insight and offered a challenge. As we enter an uncertain new year, its message is important for us all.
Remembering Vital to Protect Democracy, Freedom
As the U.S. observed the anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, a number of people and events were on my mind. Remembering our history accurately is vital to protect democracy and freedom.
U.S. Divided on Good-Evil Dichotomy
U.S. adults are evenly divided when it comes to their assessment of whether something is good or evil, a recent survey found. Which groups were most likely to say the good-evil divide is clear?
January 10, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Since January 6 Attack Spiritual Leaders Unify to Combat Christian Nationalism; A Historic Black Church Says D.C. is Trying to Push it Out of Shaw. The Church’s Tenants Say it is a Slum Lord; Jerusalem Church Leader Says Israeli Extremists Threaten Christian Presence in City; and more
People of Good Faith: Monty Self
Monty Self is a certified health care ethics consultant and senior staff chaplain at the Baptist Health Medical Center in Little Rock, Arkansas.
How Immigrants Are Vulnerable to Human Trafficking
Immigrants are particularly vulnerable to human trafficking – not only undocumented persons but also people in the U.S. under the temporary farmworkers visa program. Here is what you need to know about immigration and trafficking.
Look Back | For New Year, Will You Choose Life or Decay?
Ethical considerations are all about choices – what, how and why we choose certain actions. As a new year begins, we would do well to consider the biblical exhortation to “choose life.”