Some people say that religious beliefs can neither be justified nor refuted by reason. However while sometimes this claim is used as a reason for rejecting religious beliefs at other times it is used to conclude that these beliefs are established by faith. To what extent is faith a legitimate basis for knowledge claims in religion and the different areas of knowledge?

My sweet 81 year old mother subscribes to just about every e-newsletter under the sun. I don’t know how she weeds through them all, but she does, and, in the course of doing so, she comes across some real gems. This is one of those gems. I found a lot (okay, everything) [...]

Vote for Rick!! Just had to say that
This is actually about an excerpt from Jim Wallis’ Sojourners(Sojourners) “God’s Politics” blog:
“Do you think Jesus was a politician?”
Of course not. But he had a vision of the Kingdom of God which was spiritual, personal, relational, social, economic, and yes, political - because it talked [...]

What does it mean to “submit”? Which relationships and circumstances allow for variations of the word’s meaning? What is the biblical meaning most important to you?

The word reconcile at it’s most basic means to restore a relationship to harmony or to resolve a difference. This what God took the initiative to do for us through Christ. A net result of that merciful act is that we are invited to share the message of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:19). [...]

An Emerging Church Primer - 9Marks That’s the link that started an e-conversation amongst some friends at my former church (I always like to clarify that title - former church - when I say it. I don’t know why - I just do. Anyway, I moved - I didn’t get pissed off and [...]

Julie Clawson has some great thoughts on the tendency of some Christians to see any questioning of authority as rebellion.