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The 12 most dangerous countries for Christians
A protester defiantly waves an Egyptian flag with the emblems of Christianity and Islam ( the cross and the crescent ) added – a message of religious unity. Clouds of tear gas are lit up with an eerie...
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Desiring God, mental health, and the truth about ‘chronological snobbery’
The first time I had a panic attack, I was sitting at a traffic stop on a country road in North Carolina. A strange sensation that felt like an itch crawled along the underside of my skin until my...
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Billy Graham, the Last Nonpartisan Evangelical?
It’s difficult to overstate the influence of the Rev. Billy Graham — who died at 99 in his Montreat, N.C., home on Wednesday — on American public life, and indeed the world, over the past century....
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Responding to American Christianity’s obsession with youth
(RNS) — Centuries ago, some of our ancestors powdered their wigs in order to appear older and wiser. Today, adults dye their hair darker to seem young and relevant. It’s difficult to dispute that,...
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Advice for dealing with critics – from a religion writer with plenty of them
A hand shot up in the conference hall about six rows back. “Jonathan, as an opinion writer who covers religion and politics, you take a lot of heat,” the earnest man. “How do you deal with critics?” I...
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Can former journalist Lee Strobel make a convincing case for miracles?
A few years ago, I experienced a miracle at a writing conference outside of Boston, Massachusetts. Following a talk I gave on storytelling, a group of women approached me and one stepped forward: “We...
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Why isn’t there a ‘War on Easter’ like Christmas?
For most Christian Americans, the holiest week of the year looks like most others. People purchase Starbucks lattes without lamenting the design of the cup and shop at Target without critiquing the...
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The Scandal Tearing Apart America’s Largest Protestant Denomination
Southern Baptist Convention President Paige Patterson gestures as he makes his opening speech to the Southern Baptist Convention Tuesday, June 15, 1999 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Patterson asked...
View Article‘Glorious glitter bomb’: Critics loved ‘Jesus Christ Superstar,’ but much of...
New York isn’t thought of as an exceptionally Christian town. But as I sat in the Marcy Armory on Easter Sunday night live-tweeting NBC’s broadcast of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” you could have fooled...
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In a #Metoo moment, will Southern Baptists hold powerful men accountable?
The Southern Baptist Convention’s statement of faith calls on its members to “contend for the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death.” But the nation’s largest Protestant denomination...
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Why Paige Patterson’s apology may not be enough
In just two weeks, Paige Patterson has done what none could have predicted: He’s given America’s largest Protestant denomination two black eyes. The first injury was inflicted when his comments about...
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From hell to atonement, musician Audrey Assad has been quietly evolving
Four years have passed between spiritual songwriter Audrey Assad’s last studio album and her new, highly anticipated record, “Evergreen.” During that time, the evangelical-turned-Catholic says she...
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How American Christians can break free from ‘slaveholder religion’
It’s been a century and a half since the American Civil War ended, but according to Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, the slaveholder religion of that era has quietly persisted until today. But to understand...
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‘Doubting Thomas’ story is about gratitude, not doubt
Jonathan Merritt, who writes On Faith & Culture for RNS, invited Diana Butler Bass — to write this guest column on his blog. It’s an ancient Christian tradition to retell stories of Jesus...
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On Mother’s Day, let’s listen to our moms’ cries for justice
Jonathan Merritt, who writes On Faith & Culture for RNS, invited Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove — to write this guest column on his blog. When I was growing up in North Carolina, my parents took me to...
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What Alcoholics Anonymous could teach Paige Patterson
Jonathan Merritt, who writes On Faith & Culture for RNS, invited Seth Haines — author of “Coming Clean: A Story of Faith” — to write this guest column on his blog. I was not surprised by the news...
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Paige Patterson has resigned. Imagine if he were Tim Cook.
In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s embattled president, Paige Patterson, was relieved of his duties following more than 13 hours of deliberation by the...
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Southern Baptists Call Off the Culture War
Terrance Pickett leads worship during the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting on Tuesday, June 12, 2018, at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)...
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From dating to the workplace, the ancient Enneagram can transform relationships
An ancient personality typing system called the Enneagram has recently developed a cult following among the religious in America. People use the 9 types to understand themselves more deeply and to...
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Why I am leaving Religion News Service after 5 years
In 2013, America’s oldest newswire focused on religion and spirituality offered a young writer named Jonathan Merritt a chance to write regularly for their website. During that time, my work at...
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