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Progressive Revival

Surf the TV or press seek on the radio –  if you find a religious station in America you can be sure it is preaching a very conservative message in sincere dulcet tones.  This story from the New York Times about moderate Islam making inroads on satellite TV will hopefully be good news for the future of Islam as…

Barack Obama’s transition team is ringing in the New Year with a series of meetings with religious groups reports Dan Gilgoff at US News.  It is striking that the names that dominate the list are the very ones that some people (Rick Warren: “The mainline is sidelined”) have declared dead such as mainline Protestants, reform…

Catholic Blogger David Gibson has created a fun pool to predict all things Roman Catholic in 2009.  He writes: Inspired by William Safire’s annual Office Pool of predictions for the coming year, I am herewith inaugurating a “Catholic Pool” for 2009. Safire’s 2009 NYT pool column ran last Sunday, and you have to hand it…

It was the best of religion, it was the worst of religion in 2008.  Let’s concentrate on the worst.  The following are the ten stories that made us want to roll our eyes, curl up into a ball or raise our fist.  Hopefully we will be among those who learn from history – and not…

Rabbi Arthur Waskow of the Shalom Center sent out this message about the Israeli bombing of Gaza. Today the starkest choice of values and visions of the future was laid before the Jewish people throughout the world. On the one hand, Jews throughout the world were reading in synagogue the Prophetic vision of Zechariah, no…

On December 19, Brian McClaren published a well-intentioned post on this site suggesting that Christians put aside all their political and cultural differences and focus on their common faith in Jesus Christ.  As it happens, I read Brian’s piece the day after I attended a Southern Baptist Lord’s Supper down in my home state of…

Creator God,   On this Holy Night, still our frentic pace, and calm our worried minds so that we might experience the miracle and wonder of Christmas.  Send your Holy Spirit to pierce the shadows of these uncertain times, rekindle our hope for the future, and guide us by the shining star of Bethlehem to the humble manger where…

Guest Post by Rev. Debra W. Haffner, Director, Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing a multifaith organization with more than 4400 religious leaders in its network. First, you need to know who I am. I am a Jewish Unitarian Universalist sexologist minister. I am heterosexual, married, middle aged, the mother of two children, and…

In the ongoing controversy over Rick Warren as the “invocator” at the inauguration, the wisest words I’ve heard so far have come from Melissa Etheridge. I especially love what happens when she uses the word “maybe.” You can read her insights and my comments here …http://www.brianmclaren.net/archives/blog/melissa-etheridge-and-rick-warre.html#more

I have two favorite religious books for 2008.  The first one is Saving Paradise: How Christianity Traded Love of this World for Crucifixion and Empire by Rita Brock and Rebecca Parker.  This is a great book for those of us who are looking for some serious theological reflection on the rightful place of Jesus, the…
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