Month: September 2011

Interesting, Politics & Culture, The Global Church, Theology2 Comments

“Not Acting Reasonably Is Contrary to God’s Nature”

georgepwood

Today is the fifth anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI’s lecture at the University of Regensburg, “Faith, Reason, and the University: Memories and Reflections.” The lecture generated a controversy among Muslims because Benedict quoted a derogatory statement about Mohammed uttered by Byzantine Emperor Michael II Paleologus: “Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.” The subject of the lecture was not Islam, however, but the necessary roles both faith and reason play in “genuine dialogue of cultures … Continue reading “Not Acting Reasonably Is Contrary to God’s Nature”

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The World Wide (Religious) Web for Monday, September 12, 2011

georgepwood

A PICTURE’S WORTH 1,000 WORDS: “The New ‘War’ on Terror: 9/11 and Jesus’ Approach to Enemies of the State.” Discuss amongst yourselves! _____ “LOVE, LOVE, LOVE”: In “Loving Muslims One at a Time,” Mark Galli interviews Andrew George, vicar of St. George’s Church in Baghdad, Iraq—the only Anglican church that remains in the city. What do you see in the next 10 years regarding Christian-Muslim relations in Iraq and the Middle East? I think it’s bleak. I don’t think the Middle East is going to seriously improve. But those we work with will be changed. They will be different. We … Continue reading The World Wide (Religious) Web for Monday, September 12, 2011

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The World Wide (Religious) Web for Friday, September 9, 2011

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FROM THE GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT: Dr. George O. Wood reflects on the “Anniversary of 9/11.” _____ 9/11 & CHRISTIANITY: “New York’s Post-9/11 Church Boom.” _____ 9/11 & THE CLERGY, PART 1: “9/11 Chaplains Reflect”offers a variety of perspectives on the spiritual impact of 9/11 by Christian clergy who ministered in its aftermath. _____ 9/11 & THE CLERGY, PART 2: “With 9/11 anniversary on a Sunday, pastors prepare their sermons.” Of course, they’d prepare their sermons whether 9/11 was on a Sunday or not. Still, CNN has written an interesting article about the divergent ways clergy will address the tenth anniversary of … Continue reading The World Wide (Religious) Web for Friday, September 9, 2011

Book Reviews4 Comments

Was American Founded as a Christian Nation? Yes, No, and Both.

georgepwood

John Fea, Was America Founded as a Christian Nation? A Historical Introduction (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2011). $30, 320 pages. Few questions in American politics generate as much controversy as the relationship between church and state. On one side are Christian nationalists who contend that the nation was founded on religious principles. On the other side are secularists who argue it was founded on Enlightenment principles. The controversy between them is evident, most obviously, in the seemingly endless First Amendment cases brought before our nation’s courts to determine whether that amendment’s “establishment” and/or “free exercise” clauses have been violated. … Continue reading Was American Founded as a Christian Nation? Yes, No, and Both.

Book Reviews1 Comment

An Excellent One-Volume Introduction to African American Pentecostalism

georgepwood

Estrelda Y. Alexander, Black Fire: One Hundred Years of African American Pentecostalism (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2011). $30.00, 406 pages. Like many white American Pentecostals, I know very little about my African American co-religionists. I know about William Seymour and the Azusa Street Revival, of course. I am aware of the Church of God in Christ, which is the largest Pentecostal denomination in America. And as an Assemblies of God minister, I am familiar with my own denomination’s struggle with racism. But beyond these items, my knowledge of black Pentecostalism is negligible. Or, rather, was until Estrelda Y. Alexander’s … Continue reading An Excellent One-Volume Introduction to African American Pentecostalism

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The World Wide (Religious) Web for Thursday, September 8, 2011

georgepwood

I HATE TODDLER & TIARAS: Especially when mom dresses her toddler as a hooker (see video here). Can anything good come from reality television? Naomi Schaefer Riley and Christine Rosen hope so: Liberal-minded observers tend to praise the smashing of taboos and the anything-goes extremism of pop culture. Conservatives tend to tut-tut about declining standards and moral relativism. What is missing from the landscape of cultural criticism is a sustained and thoughtful discussion about what popular culture has to teach us about ourselves—our values, our interests, and our hopes for the future—and the ways in which we might reclaim some … Continue reading The World Wide (Religious) Web for Thursday, September 8, 2011

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The World Wide (Religious) Web for Wednesday, September 7, 2011

georgepwood

OF GOD AND LITTLE GREEN MEN: In “Where Is Everyone? Prospecting for extraterrestrial life,” Jennifer Wiseman reviews Jeffrey Bennett’s Beyond UFOs. I found two paragraphs of particular interest to theologians. First, regarding the problem of evil, consider this: Some of the environmental features increasingly understood as required for life to thrive can also, in certain settings, be catastrophic for life. Consider this: plate tectonics, responsible for horrific earthquakes, devastating countless lives, are now considered essential for recycling the atmosphere and regulating the temperature of “living” planets like Earth. Oceans “lubricate” the system, allowing surface plates to slide. Carbon dioxide from … Continue reading The World Wide (Religious) Web for Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Book Reviews9 Comments

The Best Single-Volume Refutation of Young-Earth Creationism Currently on the Market

georgepwood

Davis A. Young and Ralph F. Stearley, The Bible, Rocks and Time: Geological Evidence for the Age of the Earth (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2008). $30.00, 512 pages. Earth is very old, and anyone who tells you otherwise is practicing bad science. If they’re “young-Earth creationists” or “flood geologists,” they’re practicing bad theology to boot. In a nutshell, that is the message of The Bible, Rocks and Time by Davis A. Young and Ralph F. Stearley, professors of geology at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. (Young holds emeritus status.) Both are evangelical scholars in the Reformed tradition with … Continue reading The Best Single-Volume Refutation of Young-Earth Creationism Currently on the Market

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The World Wide (Religious) Web for Tuesday, September 6, 2011

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RICK PERRY: LIBERTARIAN, THEOCRAT, OR NEITHER? Dana Millbank argues for theocrat. Brian Lee argues, against Millbank, that Perry is neither. _____ MORE THAN YOU MIGHT THINK: “What Does Hip-Hop Teach Us About Faith and Society?” If the church chooses to hold rappers accountable for their words and actions, then the church must also listen to the stories conveyed by rap artists and understand there is a need for them to play a constructive role in the lives of people who live in poverty and in strife. A better approach to addressing the issues we are concerned about in rap lyrics … Continue reading The World Wide (Religious) Web for Tuesday, September 6, 2011