A new six-part PBS series explores how deeply religion has influenced and informed American public life, from Catholic missionaries’ first encounter with Native Americans to the political marriage between the GOP and religious conservatives.
In August 2009, 11 months before the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) was to consider the Belhar Confession for possible inclusion in the denomination's Book of Confessions, most Presbyterians were either unfamiliar with the confession or were unsure about including it in The Book of Confessions.
Leaders of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s General Assembly Mission Council (GAMC) apologized to 30 people who were physically or sexually abused between 1950 and 1990 in overseas mission situations, many of which were schools or boarding facilities. Most who were abused were minors whose parents served as mission workers.
A nine-member special committee of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has been appointed to review the denomination's practice of holding its national legislative assembly — the General Assembly — every two years.
Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary will host an autograph party for Professor Loren Townsend to celebrate his new book, Introduction to Pastoral Counseling, which provides a fresh look at how pastoral counseling and pastoral counselors have changed over the past twenty years.
Townsend will sign his book — released in 2009 by Abingdon Press after more than 10 years of research — the afternoon of Oct. 7 in the Winn Center at the seminary. Introduction to Pastoral Counseling readdresses basic understandings of pastoral counseling within increasing cultural and theological diversity.
A special meeting of Roman Catholic bishops will be held at the Vatican beginning Oct. 10 to discuss the declining number of Christians in the Middle East.
The last rites of a slain Marine clashed with a small church’s right to preach its anti-gay gospel in oral arguments heard before the U.S. Supreme Court on Oct. 6.
Despite religion’s prominent role in the dispute, however, the justices seemed most interested in, and perplexed by, the limits of another First Amendment right: free speech.
Westboro Baptist Church, an independent Baptist congregation with about 50 members based in Topeka, Kan., has picketed nearly 200 military funerals in recent years with signs like “Thank God for Dead Soldiers,” “You're Going to Hell” and “God Hates Fags”
Founded in 1955 by the …
Justice Not Greed, a book addressing the international economic crisis, has been released by the publishing arm of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and is widely available through Amazon.
The general secretary of the World Council of Churches has pleaded for the full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement for Sudan so that Africa’s biggest country can achieve stability.
For artist Jody Cole, painting is an act of prayer.
Under her brush, the faces of Jesus and the saints emerge with each layer of acrylic gouache, their flesh tones framed by rich reds, greens and blues. A bit of rubbed-on gold leaf halo adds a holy sheen.
Cole is a professional iconographer, who creates, or “writes,” the sacred images and instruments of meditative prayer usually associated with Eastern Orthodoxy.
The term “writing” is preferred to “painting” because, as Cole explained, “You’re writing God’s story in pictures.”
Cole is one of a relative handful of Americans who practice the art …