Category: Current Events

Dimnent Chapel, Hope College

Two Christian Colleges Change Policy after the Obergefell Ruling

July 6, 2015

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling late last month in the Obergefell case, there was much speculation that religiously-affiliated schools and universities could feel pressure to change their policies vis-à-vis LGBT individuals. For a calm, well-informed consideration of potential issues facing Christian colleges and universities after Obergefell, I recommend John Hawthorne’s response to an earlier post from Philip Bethancourt of the … More Two Christian Colleges Change Policy after the Obergefell Ruling

U.S. Supreme Court building

A Day of Listening: Andrew Sullivan on Marriage

June 26, 2015

Yesterday morning I had the chance to talk to a group of pastors pursuing their D.Min. degrees. Invited to share a parting comment, I encouraged them to cultivate what Krista Tippett has called a “ministry of listening.” I suggested that that was particularly true for us white, straight, middle-class men in America who are accustomed to having our … More A Day of Listening: Andrew Sullivan on Marriage

Syrian refugees at a clinic in Jordan

World Refugee Day

June 20, 2015

At least among Americans, I think, one of the least known consequences of World War II is that it left in its wake at least 50 million refugees — about one in 45 persons alive at the time. The policies of Hitler and Stalin had dislocated some 30 million persons just between 1939 and 1943, and millions more in … More World Refugee Day

"The Conversation" (1963)

The Time for a (Long Overdue) Evangelical Conversation on Sexuality

June 10, 2015

Few posts here have received as many views as the quick one I tossed off Monday, noting the convergence of three stories related to evangelical views of homosexuality: Tony Campolo’s announcement that he would now fully affirm committed same-sex couples; a New York Times story on a conversation about sexuality at Biola University; and a Pew poll showing that … More The Time for a (Long Overdue) Evangelical Conversation on Sexuality

Tony Campolo in 2009

Are Evangelicals Changing Their Minds about Homosexuality?

June 8, 2015

“Some Evangelicals Take New Look at Bible’s Stance on Gays,” announced the New York Times this morning, reporting on a conversation at Biola University among author Matthew Vines (God and the Gay Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same-Sex Relationships) and conservative evangelicals like apologetics professor Sean McDowell, radio host Frank Sontag, and pastors Ian DiOrio … More Are Evangelicals Changing Their Minds about Homosexuality?

Pew Religious Landscape Survey banner image

Four Key Findings in the New Pew Survey of America’s Changing Religious Landscape

May 12, 2015

Well, this should give bloggers plenty of material for a few months: the Pew Research Center has released preliminary findings from the 2014 U.S. Religious Landscape Study, based primarily on a national survey of over 35,000 adults. This comes seven years after the first such study and points to some important trends — and at least a … More Four Key Findings in the New Pew Survey of America’s Changing Religious Landscape

Gardner Hall, Eastern Nazarene College

Christian Colleges among Those Named by Department of Education for Financial Scrutiny

April 6, 2015

Several members of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) appeared on a recently-released list of 560 institutions of higher learning whose federal aid has been restricted by the U.S. Department of Education, in many cases because of financial concerns. Under secretary of education Ted Mitchell explained that what the department calls “Heightened Cash Monitoring is not necessarily … More Christian Colleges among Those Named by Department of Education for Financial Scrutiny

Why We Need to Stop Trying to Identify “True” Islam

March 6, 2015

Recent months have seen increased coverage of Muslim radicals in the Middle East, presidential statements about what is and what is not “real” Islam, and new articles on where groups like ISIS fit in the Muslim faith, if at all. I have also just finished teaching a class called “Islam, Politics, and the Middle East.” So this … More Why We Need to Stop Trying to Identify “True” Islam