Angelina Jolie, Bono, George Clooney. They all have their causes. There is no doubt that celebrities have the ability to raise the profile of issues near and dear to their hearts. Highlighting a problem is not the same thing as solving it, however—and the celebrity track record at affecting policy outcomes could best be characterized as mixed.
A new book published in Canada presents the experience of the homeless in that country in their own words. The collection was the brainchild of Cathy Crowe, an activist for the homeless. The hope is that the accounts will stir the conscience of the people of Canada to push for more effective programs to end homelessness in that country.
There are plans on file to reduce the number of bishop but not the number of dioceses in an attempt to reduce the operating costs of the Church of England. The primary targets are dioceses that have more than three bishops serving them.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Rabbi Abraham Heschel. There is a new biography which tries to present him in the
For many years people have suggested that if there is a uniquely American contribution to heresy, it is that of the “Health and Wealth” gospel.
With a week to go before the Iowa caucuses, clergy and other religious organizations are donating more to Democratic campaigns than they are to Republican ones, according to an article from Religion News Service distributed on the Pew Forum site. Four years ago, the opposite was true. Barack Obama seems to have garnered the most financial support, according to the article.
The Associated Baptist Press is reporting on an architectural revival, of sorts, among Christians trying to get away from sterile, stadium-like box-shaped megachurches. Tim Blonkvist,
Another announcement that broke over the holiday was that of conservative Anglicans organizing their own global event, as reported in a press release, “Orthodox Primates with other leading bishops from across the globe are to invite fellow Bishops, senior clergy and laity from every province of the Anglican Communion to a unique eight-day event, to be known as the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) 2008.”
Father Jake points us to developments at St. Nicholas in Atwater, Calif., a mission in the Diocese of San Joaquin, that transpired on Christmas morning
…the Archbishop of York, John Sentamu. He was selected by more than 100 synod members in the Church of England, beating out the Archbishop of Canterbury and former Cape Town Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who placed second and third respectively.