The common good is taking a beating. Economic inequality has accelerated dramatically since the early 1980s, and many think nothing can be done about it. But that verdict is a nonstarter for Christian morality.
The Vietnam War forced Protestant ethicists to consider Catholic teachings about war, and I learned much from Catholic colleagues. My outlook was also changed by ecumenical contacts of another kind.
If we're following Jesus, we can't spend our lives in Galilee. We can't hide behind the popular myth that religion and politics don't mix.
Paying taxes in this country is ordinarily accompanied by much grumbling. But paying taxes is not just a legal duty but a moral opportunity.
After Jesus shared his last supper with his friends, they sang a hymn together. There is every reason to believe it was the Hallel, Psalms 113 through 118. How have I missed this before?
When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the persecuted Orthodox Church began its resurrection. Nothing better illustrates this revival than the restoration of the cathedrals and churches.
The hope of Easter sunrise is found at the tomb amid the darkness and disbelief.
Fictional pastors
Douglas Alan Walrath's astute survey of American novels about clergy is essential reading for budding pastors—as well as for anybody who wants to understand why we American clergy are the way we are.
Anger and longing
When Arcade Fire won a Grammy for album of the year, Win Butler came to the podium clinging to his identity as one of the band geeks. "We're gonna go play another song because we like music"—just in case anyone had forgotten about the music after Lady Gaga emerged from an egg, Katy Perry swung from the ceiling and Gwyneth Paltrow danced on a piano.