St. Nike Sunday

There cannot be many products on the market today that have been instantly recognizable for twenty-seven years from a slogan made up of three one-syllable words that do not in anyway describe the product they represent.

John 3:16

In the 1980’s and ’90’s John 3:16 was the single best known Scripture verse in the Bible, at least among sports fans.

The Credibility Of Church

Predictably, the overwhelming decision a week ago Friday of the people of Ireland to approve gay marriage has generated some serious backlash from the Roman church.

“The Need For Creeds” #4

Jaroslav Pelikan’s final two arguments for “The Need For Creeds” are to me not entirely convincing.

“The Need For Creeds” #3

Jaroslav Pelikan in his interview with Krista Tippett at “On Being” gives four primary arguments that demonstrate in his mind “The Need for Creeds:” https://soundcloud.com/onbeing/jaroslav-pelikan-the-need-for-creeds

“The Need For Creeds” #2

To be fair to the memory of Yale University history professor Jaroslav Pelikan, it seemed right to go back and listen again to his interview with Krista Tippett and try to discern more carefully his arguments for “The Need For Creeds.”

“The Need For Creeds” #1

On 24 April 2014 broadcaster Krista Tippett interviewed the eminent now deceased Christian historian Jaroslav Pelikan about why he believed the Christian church needs to continue the practice of reciting in public worship the ancient Creeds of the early centuries of the Christian church.

The Rise of the “Nones”

Gary Laderman, Chair of the Department of Religion at Emory University has offered a thoughtful and thought-provoking reflection on the increasing number of people in the US who identify their religious affiliation as “None”.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gary-laderman/the-rise-of-religious-non_b_2913000.html

Church Reality Check

Ireland’s overwhelming vote to approve same-sex marriage represents an undeniable social revolution. Ireland, which only voted to legalize divorce by a razor-thin margin in 1995, is the first country in the world to approve same-sex marriage by popular vote.

Resonant Worship

In his book Eternal Echoes, John O’Donohue acknowledges the difficulty traditional religious institutions have in connecting with contemporary culture. He understands that there are good reasons why people may have a hard time finding “resonance in the way many of the rituals of institutional religion are practised.”