Kevin Smith Does It Again

(RNS) Don’t believe most of what you’ll hear about Kevin Smith’s new movie, “Red State.” It is not an angry tirade against religion, nor is it an attack on Christianity guised as a horror flick laden with gratuitous violence. Smith has described “Red State” as a...

A Soundtrack for Your Inner Dude

(RNS) In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, “Lojong” is the practice of training one’s mind to be clearer and more compassionate by studying and meditating on 59 short aphorisms from the Buddha’s teachings. No. 21 on the Lojong list: “Approach every situation with a...

The Divine Surprises of Adoption

(RNS) Next to lists of emergency phone numbers tacked to the inside door of her kitchen cabinets, Jennifer Grant has posted prayers to remind her that parenthood is both a labor of love and a sacred calling. Inside the cupboard with the cereal bowls is a prayer from...

At Church of Beethoven, Music Is the Message

(RNS) “Music,” Ludwig van Beethoven said, “is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life.” Transcending dogma, creed, culture and even language, music has the power to elevate the soul as well as the mind. It’s the source of a type of faith as often...