Faith and Politics
A few weeks ago, I wrote that a group of Catholic members of Congress sent a letter to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, asking to meet [...]
An interview with Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb, general director, The International Center of Bethlehem; senior pastor, Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church; and president, Diyar Consortium.
Can you give us a snapshot of what daily life is like for people living in Bethlehem?
The [...]
I'm not friendly with the white-shirted drug dealers who work the corners near my house yet, but at least they acknowledge me as a neighbor now, instead of looking me over as a prospective buyer
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alice Walker talks to Sojourners associate editor Rose Marie Berger about Hurricane Katrina, bubble baths, and the art of remembering.
+ Listen to highlights of the interview (20 minutes, 18MB)
A number of my friends have given up blogging, either temporarily or permanently. The reason? The blogosphere seems to indulge a certain kind of rhetoric that they don't want to be associated with anymore.
Although I continue to post here at the God's Politics blog on occasion, and I believe in the power and potential of the blogosphere, I share my friends' frustration with the kind of [...]
The news coverage of our candidates forum was a good chance to see how Sojourners is described in the media. The three best were The Washington Times (interestingly), McClatchy Newspapers, and The Miami Herald:
The Washington Times: "Sojourners, a Christian social justice network"
McClatchy Newspapers: "Sojourners/Call to Renewal, a Christian group [...]
Following last week's candidates forum, we asked the religious leaders on our panel if there were any other questions they wish they could have asked any of the candidates. Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook, a senior pastor at the Bronx Christian Fellowship, had this question for Barack Obama:
Oprah Winfrey and Bill Cosby have been criticized for speaking out about the [...]
I spent this morning with the Sisters of Charity at their shelter for disabled children in downtown Gaza City.
When I first started going to the shelter, a boy called Na'el, with a consistent look of fear in his eyes, would hold on to me - not wanting to let go. Sister Delphina told me that it was the first time since he had arrived at the home that he had allowed a male to hold him. Na'el is deaf and [...]
OK. I've got to admit it - being a part of the panel to ask candidates for the presidency of the United States about their faith and moral values was just plain surreal. Kudos to Jim Wallis (and Jack Pannell and the rest of the Sojourners organization) for creating this historic event!
OK. I've got to admit it - being a part of the panel to ask candidates for the presidency of the United States about their faith and moral values was just plain surreal. Kudos to Jim Wallis (and Jack Pannell and the rest of the Sojourners organization) for creating this historic event!
As I reflected on [...]
Legislation for comprehensive immigration reform collapsed in the U.S. Senate yesterday as an effort to move to a final vote was defeated, leaving the future in serious doubt. It’s the perfect example of an observation I’ve often made - that most people I talk to around the country think that the political process isn’t working in America; it is failing to resolve the big moral issues of our time.
From day one of the Pentecost 2007: Taking the Vision to the Streets conference - Derek Webb, Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, and Jim Wallis call a packed sanctuary at National City Christian Church to take God's concern for the poor seriously and commit to "Vote Out Poverty."
Over the course of the past year, especially this semester, I have been thinking a lot about what it means to live out justice and to be an activist. I have been trying to figure out where that fits into my goals and in my life, and whether my impact will be directly helping individuals or working to change social structures.
I feel more called to work directly with people, but I also feel the overwhelming importance of making political and structural changes in order to stop the [...]
Many people are happily conservative in their religion and politics.
For them, the dangers of what could happen for the worse are greater than the injustices of what currently is, so their bias is generally against change and toward preserving (conserving) or returning to the way we were, or the way we are.
Many people are happily liberal in their religion and politics. For them, the injustices of what has been and what currently is are so great that it's worth risking the [...]
The biblical use of the word "righteousness" is the moral equivalent of what we mean when we speak of holiness. It incorporates such concerns as a passion for justice and a concern for truth along with the need to live an ethically responsible life. It involves reflection in what we do and the Christian moral vision by which we understand who we are. Righteousness is the human expression of holiness embodying a vision rooted in moral perspective.
- James C. [...]