Amy Frykholm
Tracking God: Karen Armstrong's religious vision
When A History of God hit the New York Times bestseller list, Karen Armstrong suddenly became the go-to commentator on religion. Bill Moyers calls her “one of the foremost, and most original, thinkers on religion in our modern world.” Why is she so widely read? The answer is not immediately clear. Her prose is often maddeningly dense and her points elusive. Her drive to comprehend religion leads her to be constantly comparing elements of different religious traditions, but the connections she draws are not always illuminating.
Church workers and the law: Fear on all sides is rampant
When Governor Jan Brewer of Arizona in late April signed a bill authorizing local police to apprehend people suspected of having entered the country illegally, she brought to national attention the...
What kind of reform? Immigration policies on the table: Immigration policies on the table
Although nearly everyone agrees that U.S. immigration policy is inadequate, different critics focus on different elements of the problem. The most comprehensive proposal comes from Representative Luis Gutierrez (D., Ill.), a native Chicagoan of Puerto Rican ancestry who has criticized President Obama’s reluctance to address the issue. Gutierrez’s bill is heartily endorsed by most immigrants’ rights groups, but it is not likely to pass in its current form. Jen Smyers of Church World Service calls it “a marker bill,” since it stakes out a clear position. It has no Republican supporters.
After the earthquake: MCC workers in Haiti
When the earthquake struck Haiti on January 12, Ben and Alexis Depp were in Port-au-Prince working with the Mennonite Central Committee....
Out of Afghanistan: Why Matthew Hoh resigned
Matthew Hoh is a former Marine Corps captain who has served with the U.S. Department of State in Iraq and Afghanistan....
Enemies of the people: Mark Potok monitors hate
Mark A. Potok heads up the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Intelligence Project and is editor of Intelligence Report magazine....
Shepherds in training: Reinventing leadership
Seminaries generally do a fine job of educating the minds of people who are called into ministry. But how well do they form the hearts and spirits of those people?...
The descending ladder: An interview with Gordon Cosby
After serving as a chaplain in World War II, Gordon Cosby wanted to create a church that helped people truly become disciples of Christ....
Travelers' blessings: An interview with Rick Steves
Rick Steves on the spirituality of traveling: People have a lot of fear, and the flip side of fear is understanding. When you travel to new places you understand more, so you fear less. Then you can love people as a Christian should. The less you travel, the more likely that media with a particular agenda can shape your viewpoint. Those of us who travel are a little more resilient in weathering the propaganda storms that blow across the U.S. media.
Making space for peace: John Paul Lederach on mediation
A commitment to mediating conflicts has taken John Paul Lederach to all corners of the globe....
The Home We Build Together: Recreating Society
For the last ten years, I have worked in the same small soup kitchen at a local church....
Words for conversion: An interview with Mary Karr
Mary Karr has won a Guggenheim Fellowship for her poetry as well as the Pushcart Prize for her poetry and essays. She teaches at Syracuse University and lives in New York City.
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Back from the brink
Mary Karr’s memoir follows two earlier biographical efforts, The Liar’s Club, the story of her upbringing as the daughter of alcoholics, and Cherry, a...
The other Jewish lobby: J Street's Isaac Luria
Just over a year old, J Street is a lobbying organization in Washington that describes itself as “pro-Israel, pro-peace.” It aims to offer an alternative persp...
Mixed identities: Religious diversity in the U.K.
London is the world’s most diverse city, with more than 30 percent of its residents hailing from outside England....
Anglicans and others: The TLS's Rupert Shortt
Rupert Shortt is religion editor of the Times Literary Sup plement in London (he also covers the fields of Latin America and Spain for the TLS) and author of two recent biog...
Health-care option: A Mennonite plan for mutual aid
When pastors Constanzo and Marisela Aguirre decided to copastor a congregation in Aurora, Illinois, they had to give up health insurance because the small congregation could not afford it. Soon the Aguirres and other Mennonite pastors may have a solution. An insurance plan created by the Mennonite Church USA would give every pastor essentially the same coverage—with larger and wealthier congregations subsidizing smaller congregations.
Forgiveness: Following Jesus into Radical Loving
Paula Huston is a straightforward and gentle teacher of the spiritual life....