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Will D. Campbell, Bootleg Baptist

Will Davis Campbell, who died earlier this month at age 88, was one of the last surviving icons of the civil rights movement. Born on a cotton farm in southern Mississippi, Campbell served as an army medic in the South Pacific during World War II. He frequently referred to himself as a bootleg preacher with neither parish nor pulpit… . Continue Reading »

A Pro-Abortion Reversal of Roe?

Pro-lifers continually pray for the reversal of Roe v. Wade. And with many on both sides of the abortion divide now agreeing that the decision is badly flawed, that could happen one day. But what if the overturn comes from the other direction? The potent possibility of a “reverse reversal” (if you will) hit me while listening to pro-life lawyers discuss the current status of abortion litigation … Continue Reading »

Rand Paul’s Libertarian Populism

Romney’s infamous 47 percent comment did not come from nowhere, but neither did it come from Romney’s personal idiosyncrasies. There was the Wall Street Journal’s “lucky duckies” editorial about lower middle-class families who had little or no income tax liability. There was Ari Fleischer’s column complaining that workers just below the median did not pay enough in taxes… . Continue Reading »

Called to Celibacy Unchosen

The crisis in family life which has convulsed the West since the 1960s has meant that a good portion of the Church’s teaching mission over recent years has been dedicated to outlining a coherent and compelling vision of Christian marriage, and rightly so. But this should not lead Christians to downplay the nobility of the celibate life, which Christian tradition has always held in the highest regard… . Continue Reading »

Climate Activism in Africa

Recently the Evangelical Environmental Network and Young Evangelicals for Climate Action took a delegation to Malawi for first-hand examination of global warming’s ostensible impact. One participant wrote for Religion News Service (RNS): “At first blush, it is difficult to understand why there is so much suffering in Malawi,” but the “changing climate neutralizes the benefits of Malawi’s natural resources… . Continue Reading »

The Last Counter-Reformation Pope

When he was elected as Paul VI just fifty years ago, Giovanni Battista Montini seemed the perfectly prepared pope. He was the son of a middle-class family of Italian professionals with good Vatican ties. A competent linguist who had enjoyed a distinguished career in the Holy See’s diplomatic service, he was also a man of pastoral sensibilities … Continue Reading »

No to Gay Marriage but Yes to Gay Adoption?

Paul Ryan’s recent off-the-cuff statement that he supports gay adoption while he opposes gay marriage is as likely to be a one-time slip as a change in position. Whether or not it represents his real view, it certainly is gaining traction among some Christians. This trend reveals a profound ignorance of the reasons for opposing same-sex marriage even among those who do oppose it… . Continue Reading »

What Good is Forgiving Others?

Last Thursday Russell Saltzman took on “Forgiveness Therapy.” This therapeutic approach represents a self-centered vulgarization of forgiveness that Saltzman rightly criticizes, even as he wrestles with what motivates Christian forgiveness of others. I recall some years ago being knocked down flat when I finally read”I mean really read”the short passage in Mark in which Jesus says, “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone.” … Continue Reading »

A Lutheran Among Calvinists

As a confessing Lutheran in a doctoral program at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS), the institution at the center of the Calvinist Baptist movement, I have watched with interest the conflict over Calvinism in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). While the seminary is not formally Calvinist, it is no secret that many of its faculty and students love Reformed theology … Continue Reading »

Contraceptive Coverage Controversies

When Timothy Dolan was elected president of the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2010, it caught almost everyone by surprise. The custom had been to select the sitting vice president”which Dolan, at that time, was not. He was, however, the recently installed Archbishop of New York, the most influential pulpit in the nation, and a man of unique gifts… . Continue Reading »

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