(RNS) — Paige Patterson, the embattled president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s largest seminary, was asked to step down after an outpouring of criticism for his comments on women, including advice he gave to a woman to stay with her abusive husband and new reports he asked another woman not to report a rape. The departure represents the most dramatic example of the #MeToo movement pervading the top reaches of the Southern Baptist Convention. The board of trustees of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, met for 13 hours Tuesday (May 22) before issuing a statement thanking Patterson for his contributions and service to the school, after voting to make him president emeritus with compensation. Last month a tape from the year 2000 surfaced in which Patterson said he never counsels divorce for abused women and then recounted an incident in which he told an abused woman to pray beside her bed at night and be “submissive in every way that you … [Read more...]
Miroslav Volf delves into the theology of joy: A Q&A
(RNS) — Theologian Miroslav Volf, who has written books on subjects ranging from the Trinity to the challenges of reconciliation in divided societies, has turned to what might seem like a frivolous subject: joy. But Volf, 61, the leader of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture, says studying the theology of joy with students and scholars is “hard work.” He spoke with Religion News Service about the difference between joy and happiness, biblical lessons on joy and how the average person can find joy. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. You are the principal investigator of Yale Divinity School’s project on the “Theology of Joy and the Good Life.” How do you define the theology of joy? I think a theology of joy is a kind of theological endeavor that tries to determine the nature and the place of joy in human life. We study it from the perspective of the Christian account of the good life and the place joy has in that account. How is joy different from … [Read more...]
Way Forward Commission strives to present counsel to the church on its ongoing work
On May 22, the Way Forward Commission held its second-to-last meeting before the 2018 General Assembly convenes in St. Louis in June – using most of that time to provide updates on its ongoing work, and a sense of how it will proceed in the time it has left. The commission – which has some power to act on its own – has already made its report and formal recommendations to the assembly. It can’t add any new recommendations to that report now, said Mark Hostetter, a minister from New York who serves as the commission’s moderator. What the commission does seem prepared to do is to prepare “a collection of observations,” as Hostetter put it, that it would send to a new Moving Forward Commission, if the assembly decides to create that entity as Way Forward has recommended, or to agencies or other groups within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). At the commission’s next meeting, June 5, those reports are likely to be presented regarding a number of areas — including communications in … [Read more...]
Hawaii’s volcanic activity not slowing down
A lava roadblock covers a residential road May 12, 2018, at Leilani Estates, Pahoa, Hawaii. U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman John Linzmeier LOUISVILLE (PNS) – It’s been weeks since Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano began erupting on the big island, creating a spectacle of bright lava flow and billowing ash. In its latest report, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) says the seismic levels, ground cracking and eruptions have gradually increased and several lava flows have merged. Authorities say health concerns have risen as the lava pours into the ocean, causing an acidic plume of acid gas, steam and volcanic particles. Combined, they can cause skin and eye irritation as well as breathing problems. “The southeast end of the island needs prayer. I cannot image what they are going through,” said Dana Pagalaboyd, with Hawaii VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster). “They live in what sounds like a war zone, with the constant uncertainty of where the … [Read more...]
Presbyterian churches remember victims in Texas school shootings
LOUISVILLE (PNS) – Presbyterian church leaders continue to follow the aftermath of last Friday’s mass shooting at Santa Fe High School in the Houston area. As many as 10 people were killed and 13 wounded in the 25-minute attack. Authorities are still investigating what led the 17-year-old suspect to fire on students and faculty. For residents in and around Houston, there is shock and pain, according to local church leaders. “So far, the Red Cross has taken the lead on counseling following the shooting on Friday,” said Beth Kauffman, Presbyterian Disaster Response coordinator for the Presbytery of New Covenant. “Unfortunately, just like the rest of the country, the news was all about the royal wedding over the weekend, so there’s not a lot of communication right now. Hopefully this week, more information will be coming out.” As details emerge about the alleged shooter, Kauffman says congregations in the area are angry. “People are really mad that there have been so many … [Read more...]
What the church can do to help opioid addicts: A Q&A with Raymond Barfield
(RNS) — The opioid epidemic claimed more than 40,000 lives in the U.S. in 2016 alone. And the problem is growing particularly acute in Appalachia. In Tennessee, for example, 80 percent of crimes are drug related. On Friday and Saturday (May 18-19) a conference on opioid addiction will bring clinicians, clergy and educators to the tip of southern Appalachia to begin a yearlong conversation on ways churches can help heal and support those caught in the epidemic’s grip. Among its organizers is Dr. Raymond Barfield, a pediatric oncologist at Duke University who has a joint appointment at its divinity school. For five years he directed a program called “Theology, Medicine and Culture.” He now teaches courses on Christian philosophy and mentors students in the Medical Humanities Study Program. This interview was edited for length and clarity. How did the conference come about? I was asked by Duke to go and give some talks in Bristol, Tenn. After my first talk, I got a tour of … [Read more...]
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