In an interview with Rob Bell earlier this year, CT senior managing editor Mark Galli asked the Mars Hill Bible Church pastor how he would present the gospel on Twitter. Bell replied:

I would say that history is headed somewhere. The thousands of little ways in which you are tempted to believe that hope might actually be a legitimate response to the insanity of the world actually can be trusted. And the Christian story is that a tomb is empty, and a movement has actually begun that has been present in a sense all along in creation. And all those times when your cynicism was at odds with an impulse within you that said that this little thing might be about something bigger—those tiny little slivers may in fact be connected to something really, really big.

In his response, Bell provoked a fair bit of criticism in the blogosphere (as he did again last week when he told The Boston Globe, “I embrace the term evangelical, if by that we mean a belief that we together can actually work for change in the world, caring for the environment, extending to the poor generosity and kindness, a hopeful outlook. That’s a beautiful sort of thing.”)

But Galli pointed out that he was cheating anyway. His answer was a lot more than 140 characters. "You can't really tweet the gospel," Bell replied.

Well, last night, Bell gave it a second shot on his Twitter feed: "The gospel is the counterintuitive, joyous, exuberant news that Jesus has brought the unending, limitless, stunning love of God to even us."

At 117 characters, he even left enough to retweet.

Posted by Ted Olsen at October 6, 2009 | Comments (7)

Geoffrey W. Bromiley, renowned church historian and historical theologian, and professor emeritus at Fuller Seminary in Pasadena , passed away this last Friday, August 7. One could well argue that he was one of the most significant background figures in 20th century theology. He helped shape English-language Christianity over the past six decades, translating and editing—from several original languages—thousands upon thousands of pages of theological works from such notables as Karl Barth, Jacques Ellul, Helmut Thielicke, Wolfhart Pannenberg, and Ernst Kaseman, among others.

First a personal word before I note the official notice from Fuller Theological seminary. I was a student of Bromiley’s in the 1970s, and have said repeatedly over the years that he was my favorite professor. Not because he was a dynamic lecturer or the type of professor whose popularity is able to attract a fan base of devoted students. His lectures were succinct, clear, organized, and ended on time, with room for questions afterwards—a decidedly unusual practice (most professors were not so disciplined, and we were always making up for lost time in their classes).

Bromiley’s knowledge of church history and theology was proverbially encyclopedic: many times I stood in line after class as one student after another asked him questions regarding their term paper, and no matter the topic—and they were diverse as you might expect in a church history overview class covering 1,500 years at a stretch!—he could recommend without a pause a number of books that needed to be consulted.

Probably the most impressive thing about him was his willingness to serve the church by giving voice to others. While Bromiley had his own decided theological views, he gave his life that others might be known in the English-speaking world through his translations. In this regard he was an icon of humble scholarship.

The last article he wrote for CT was on the openness theology debate, "Only God Is Free."

From the Fuller announcement:

Among his many translations widely used by English-language readers are the 10-volume Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, edited by Gerhard Kittel; extensive portions of Karl Barth’s Church Dogmatics; Wolfhart Pannenberg's three-volume Systematic Theology; and Commentary on Romans by Ernst Kasemann.

Bromiley was also the English-language editor of the monumental Encyclopedia of Christianity (translated from a German language resource), the fifth volume of which he completed in 2007—past his 90th year. “His work as the English-language editor of these five volumes is without question among the most painstaking work a scholar can be called upon to do. Few there are who are equal to the challenge,” said Robert P. Meye, the former dean of Fuller’s School of Theology, who served during many of the years while Bromiley was Professor of Church History and Historical Theology at Fuller.

“Geoffrey Bromiley was one of Fuller’s most accomplished faculty members, distinguishing himself as a professor, scholar, author, translator, and mentor,” said Howard Loewen, dean of the School of Theology and professor of theology and ethics at Fuller. Loewen, who was a PhD student under Bromiley, remembers Bromiley’s vocational life and theological work as “characterized by a passion for the church and its ministry in the world. He embodied and advanced in a remarkable way the evangelical identity and ecumenical mission of Fuller Seminary, and contributed to the theological formation of a generation of seminary students and church leaders.”

Professor James E. Bradley was also Bromiley’s student, later his colleague, and currently is the Geoffrey W. Bromiley Professor of Church History. “The strength of his character exercised an enormous influence on those of us who were his students and colleagues,” said Bradley. “His singular dedication to Jesus Christ and his love for the church shaped us both spiritually and intellectually. His understanding of the discipline of scholarship as part of the ministry of the Word of God will continue to influence Fuller’s future.”

Bromiley, born in Bromley Cross, Lancashire, England, in 1915, earned his MA at Cambridge and his PhD, DLitt, and DD at Edinburgh University. Ordained in the Church of England, he served from 1951 to 1958 as Rector of St. Thomas’s Church, Edinburgh. In 1958, he accepted the appointment as Professor of Church History and Historical Theology at Fuller, where he served until his retirement in 1987.

In addition to his translating and editing, Bromiley was also the author of 14 books, including Baptism and the Anglican Reformers; The Unity and Disunity of the Church; Historical Theology: An Introduction; God and Marriage; and An Introduction to the Theology of Karl Barth.

Bromiley is survived by his wife, Isobel, and their two daughters, Katherine and Ruth.

Image of Geoffrey Bromily by Don Milici.

Posted by Mark Galli at August 12, 2009 | Comments (3)

The news so far from the Assemblies of God General Council is the election of Beth Grant as the first woman to sit on the church's Executive Presbytery. The church has long allowed women to serve as pastors but two years ago voted to created new special positions on the General Presbytery: one for an ordained woman, and another one for an ordained pastor under 40.

The "young pastor" position went to Bryan Jarrett, pastor of Northplace Church in Sachse, Texas.

Jarrett has one of the most hilarious blog introductions of any pastor's blog I've seen:

I have fallen prey to “reverse mentoring.” My younger staff has been encouraging me over the last couple of years to begin blogging. I have shunned their suggestions for several reasons. First, I’m not sure there are that many people who care what I have to say. Second, I have watched people blog to appear “cutting edge” when they really didn’t have anything to say and they really weren’t cutting edge. I don’t want to be one of those people. I already know I’m not cutting edge and don’t want to give you the impression that I think I am.

However, my team has convinced me that they “want to get into my head more often” but our schedules don’t permit us to be together enough. Again, they reminded me, “if you will make your journal a blog, you can digitally mentor us.” Blogging is not my thing, mentoring young leaders is.

The entries in this blog are my thoughts, not revelations. They are primarily written to get my staff to shut up. Just kidding. No, I really wasn’t kidding.

So, here’s to getting in my head.

And here's to honesty! He then updated the blog three times in nine days and quit. (The latest entry is February 11.)

But have no fear, Northplace staff (or others wanting to "get in Jarrett's head"). His Twitter account is much more active.

Posted by Ted Olsen at August 6, 2009 | Comments (1)

Anyone who passed away between Michael Jackson's June 25 death and his July 7 memorial service was bound to go unsung. But one scholar whose passing should have been more widely noted was Martin Hengel, who specialized in the intersections between rabbinic Judaism and early Christianity. He was Emeritus Professor of New Testament and Early Judaism at the University of Tübingen. After battling cancer, he died in Tübingen, Germany, on July 2 at the age of 82.

Yesterday when I heard the news of Hengel's passing from Whitworth College's Jim Edwards, I e-mailed several evangelical New Testament scholars for their comments.

One common theme that emerged among these friends is that Hengel labored to fight skeptical approaches to reading the NT documents — and did so effectively. Wrote Jim Edwards: "Hengel … reversed the speculative trend of historical pessimism regarding the age and reliability of the NT and early Christian writings." Most specifically, in the words of Dallas Seminary's Darrell Bock, "He fought Bultmannism his entire career."

Wheaton College's Gary Burge chimed in: "Hengel stood against a tide of skepticism that had swept NT studies since mid-century. … Today Hengel's name stands behind many vital convictions we possess about the trustworthiness of the gospels — convictions that the evangelical church assumes every day — but whose defender that church may never know." Denver Seminary's Craig Blomberg said that Hengel wrote "not always quite as conservatively as American evangelicals might like, but light years away from the standard German liberalism."

Several other themes emerged: One was that, according to Edwards, Hengel cared for the faith and the church, something that often gets ignored in the academic discipline of biblical studies. And according to Asbury's Ben Witherington, Hengel "exemplified what John Wesley looked for in a Christian scholar — both erudition and evangelical fervor, both knowledge and vital piety."

Another was the rigor of his scholarship — and the rigor he demanded of his students. North Park University's McKnight called him "a scholar's scholar," and Witherington called him a "polymath," and said Hengel's "knowledge was encyclopedic, his energy was seemingly inexhaustible, and his footnotes were endless." Most importantly, he inspired younger scholars to reach for the same high standard. Blomberg wrote: "I will always remember his challenge to evangelicals to learn the relevant languages for biblical scholarship better than anyone else and to master the relevant primary literature of the ancient world better than anyone else, because, given our convictions about the Bible, we had more reason than anyone else to do so."

Finally, let me mention Hengel's personal touch. Gary Burge was amazed that shortly after he published his doctoral dissertation, he received a letter from Hengel "offering generous compliments and encouragement." Burge continued: "I had known of him only through his scholarship and now suddenly it was clear that behind this great name was a person, a pastor, a fellow-believer whose effort one afternoon brought remarkable encouragement to a fledgling scholar." Bock similarly noted that three separate times when he was on sabbatical in Tübingen, Hengel took the time to mentor him. Witherington also remembers with fondness being the guest of Hengel and his wife in Tübingen.

Jim Edwards wrote that Hengel had once told him that "his primary purpose in scholarship and writing was to unmask the errors of Bultmann's assumptions and conclusions. He did that, and far more, establishing a historical foundation for NT studies that is both historically responsible and certainly congenial to those who have a high view of the Word."

Long-term readers of Christianity Today will know that the early CT also engaged in the debunk-Bultmann project. And even in more recent times, CT was pleased (with Darrell Bock as broker) to give Hengel a platform from which to give strong encouragement to evangelical biblical scholars. Read "Raising the Bar: A daring proposal for the future of evangelical New Testament Scholarship" (CT, Oct. 22, 2001). And then to get a taste of the man himself, watch the video interview on the website of the Centre for Public Christianity.

Posted by David Neff at July 14, 2009 | Comments (4)

Veteran missiologist Ralph D. Winter passed away.last Wednesday, May 20. (Hat tips to @jhgrantjr and @edstetzer for alerting us via Twitter.)

According to the US Center for World Mission website, Winter died peacefully at home in Pasadena, California, "surrounded by three of his four daughters, his wife Barb, and a few friends."

Winter had been battling cancer and had been weakened by radiation treatments. He was 84.

In 2005, Winter was named by Time magazine as one of America's 25 most influential evangelicals. His speech at the 1974 Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization is credited with focusing evangelical mission activity on "unreached people groups."

Time commented:

Even at 80, Winter generates new strategies from his California-based Frontier Mission Fellowship.

Trained as a civil engineer, linguist, cultural anthropologist and Presbyterian minister, he describes himself as a "Christian social engineer." Working through the William Carey International University and the U.S. Center for World Mission, which he founded, he is producing a new generation of Christian message carriers, some native, ready to venture out to places with such ready-to-be-ministered flocks as Muslim converts to Christianity and African Christians with heretical beliefs. Says Winter: "It's this movement, not the formal Christian church, that's growing. That's our frontier."

An abundance of information is available at ralphwinter.org, including a timeline of "milestone events" and an extensive autobiographical account of his engagement with modern missions and missiology.

Also worth reading: Pastor John Piper's personal tribute to Winter. "His vision of the advance of the gospel was breathtaking," writes Piper, calling Winter's emphasis on unreached peoples "globally seismic in the transformation of missions."

Posted by David Neff at May 23, 2009 | Comments (4)

Francis Schaeffer influenced (to some degree) almost every future evangelical pastor and institutional leader of my generation. (What generation? you ask. Well, I squeezed the adventures of both high school and college into the '60s, paralleling the Beatles' journey from their early Hamburg recording of "My Bonnie" to their late psychedelic movie "Yellow Submarine.")

Schaeffer was a man of contradictions, but his passion for pursuing truth--and pushing others to do the same--was unflinchingly unambiguous and brought many young adults in an experiential generation back to reason.

Christian social critic Os Guinness was one of those so influenced. To mark the 25th anniversary of Schaeffer's death (coming up next week on May 15), Justin Taylor interviewed Os for his "Between Two Worlds" blog.

Some highlights:

[A] friend took me to hear a strange little man in Swiss knickers, with a high-pitched voice, terms all of his own such as ‘the line of despair,’ and appalling mispronunciations and occasional malapropisms. But I was intrigued and then hooked. Schaeffer was the first Christian I met who was ... capable of connecting the dots and making sense of the extraordinary times that puzzled and dismayed most people. Two years later, I went to the Swiss l’Abri ... [T]he summer of 1967 became the most revolutionary period in my entire life. I have never been the same since.

I have never met anyone with such a passion for God, combined with a passion for people, combined with a passion for truth. That is an extremely rare combination, and Schaeffer embodied it. It is also why so many of his scholarly critics completely miss the heart of who he was, and why his son’s recent portrayal of his father is such a travesty and an outrage.

[H]e had a massive impact on the lives of individuals, including me, but his wider significance was as ... a door opener. When almost no Evangelicals were thinking about culture and connecting unconnected dots, Schaeffer not only did it himself but blazed a trail for countless others to follow. Many who trumpet their disagreements with him today owe their very capacity to disagree to his influence a generation ago. A little man in stature, he was a giant in influence ...

Read the full interview here.

Posted by David Neff at May 8, 2009 | Comments (9)

Former atheist A. N. Wilson has slowly emerged from the closet as a believer - again. The renowned journalist and biographer, who was raised in the church of England and who had once considered himself a believer, had a "conversion" to atheism 20 years ago at age 38 (midlife crisis, anyone?). And it really looked like a conversion. In an article in the April 6 New Statesman (partial text available here), he compares the tremendous sense of relief he felt when he stopped believing to the experience of Christian converts at a Billy Graham Crusade he was covering for the Independent on Sunday:

As a hesitant, doubting, religious man I'd never known how they felt. But, as a born-again atheist, I now knew exactly what satisfactions were on offer. For the first time in my 38 years I was at one with my own generation. I had become like one of the Billy Grahamites, only in reverse. If I bumped into Richard Dawkins (an old colleague from Oxford days) or had dinner in Washington with Christopher Hitchens (as I did either on that trip to interview Billy Graham or another), I did not have to feel out on a limb.

After that conversion, his biographical writing turned to demythologizing gospel stories about Jesus and viewing C. S. Lewis through a Freudian lens. (That effort provoked an outcry among Lewis lovers.)

But Wilson never fully disbelieved, just as before his conversion he never fully believed.

"My doubting temperament ... made me a very unconvincing atheist," he writes in the New Statesman article.

That is why, he says, he should have distrusted the radical sense of relief he felt when he underwent his reverse Damascus Road experience. Now, he chronicles a more gradual conversion back to Christian belief. In last Saturday's Daily Mail, he wrote:

But, as time passed, I found myself going back to church, although at first only as a fellow traveller with the believers, not as one who shared the faith that Jesus had truly risen from the grave. Some time over the past five or six years - I could not tell you exactly when - I found that I had changed.

This gradual transition echoes C. S. Lewis's account of his transition from unbelief to faith. He knew vaguely when it happened, but it was not a blinding, fall-off-the-horse experience. And because of its more gradual nature, Wilson now seems to trust this new experience more.

One more thing worth noting: There is a strong aesthetic dimension to Wilson's return to belief. Unlike many atheists and former believers, Wilson's testimony does not hinge on what empirical science does or does not tell us. He tells us frankly that the arguments provided by atheist friends of a scientific bent were as creedal and stretching as many assertions by Christians.

A materialist Darwinian was having dinner with me a few years ago and we laughingly alluded to how, as years go by, one forgets names. Eager, as committed Darwinians often are, to testify on any occasion, my friend asserted: "lt is because when we were simply anthropoid apes, there was no need to distinguish between one another by giving names."

This credal confession struck me as just as superstitious as believing in the historicity of Noah's Ark. More so, really. Do materialists really think that language just "evolved", like finches' beaks. or have they simply never thought about the matter rationally? Where's the evidence?

The aesthetic dimension dominates the empirical for Wilson because there was something about the great Christian artists and writers of past centuries that somehow seemed true to reality. (Wilson opposes J. S. Bach to David Hume and Samuel Taylor Coleridge to Gilbert Ryle.)

Because of the gradual nature of Wilson's re-conversion, we trust he will continue to grow in grace and understanding and trust in God - as should we all, whether our conversion happened in a flash or stretched over many years.

* * *

The Victorian era saw many Christians become atheists--and then return to faith, much as A. N. Wilson has done in 2009. Read Timothy Larsen's account of their double conversions in "Victorian Skeptics on the Road to Damascus" from the Christian History website.

Posted by David Neff at April 14, 2009 | Comments (23)

In four years, Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge killed 1.7 million of their fellow Cambodians. In the first trial that addresses the horrors of the regime, the man known as Comrade Duch has asked forgiveness for crimes against humanity, war crimes, homicide, and torture.

Duch is the nom de guerre of Kaing Guek Eav. He ran Security Center 21, a prison where 17,000 people, including children were "smashed." As The Financial Times reports, that's "the Khmer Rouge's chilling euphemism for torturing and murdering victims as part of the regime's attempt to create a perfect agrarian society."

Duch is making the news for taking responsibility and apologizing - something none of the other accused have come close to. "At the beginning I only prayed to ask for forgiveness from my parents, but later I prayed to ask forgiveness from the whole nation."

Prayed? It's not a mistranslation. Duch was baptized under the pseudonym Hang Pin after his wife was murdered in 1996. Purpose Driven Connection published a story about his conversion and discovery by British journalist Nic Dunlop (Dunlop discovered Duch's identity; Mary Murphy wrote the Purpose Driven Connection article). Their reporter, Mary Murphy, spoke to his pastor the only one who has been let in to see him. He says Duch has been reading the Bible to prisoners and guards during his imprisonment.

However, Murphy reports,

Truth be told, it is hard to find many in Cambodia who believe in Duch's sincerity. [Chief investigator] Youk skirts around the spiritual implications of the question. He pauses for a while to collect his thoughts. "I think Duch was living with guilt and perhaps looking for something to reconcile with, within himself," he says. "Duch is looking for an exit strategy, an internal reconciliation with himself. But he dare not go to anybody here, because they are all his enemies. The only ones he can go to are Christians."

Buddhist monks I interview later at their temple are even more dismissive. "Duch has become a Christian to earn points," one monk scoffs. "In our belief, you take your sins with you to the next life. Duch will surely come back in a form befitting his crime."

What sort of form of life? The monk doesn't hesitate. "A bug."

Duch's defense is arguing that he shouldn't face the life sentence because he was following orders, trying to save his and his family's lives. He says he is a scapegoat for those who were higher up in the regime. The trial is expected to last a few months.

Posted by Susan Wunderink at April 2, 2009 | Comments (4)

Amy Welborn, one of the longest-running and most prominent Roman Catholic bloggers, announced yesterday that her husband, Michael Dubruiel, "collapsed this morning at the gym and was not able to be revived despite the efforts of EMTs and hospital personnel." Our prayers are with Amy, her children, and their family.

Posted by Ted Olsen at February 4, 2009 | Comments (0)

Richard Neuhaus has been a significant influence in my own life, beginning in the early 1970s when he headed up the Council on Religion and International Affairs, and edited its magazine, Worldview. He reached out to me in the very early days of my academic career, inviting me to consultations, publishing essays that I had written, and - most significantly - giving me an important role in "the Hartford Appeal" group, a project that produced a much-discussed document calling the churches, Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox, back to a mission in the world that was guided, not by fashionable trends, but by the marching orders that come to us by way of divine revelation.

I experienced Richard's "convening power" in a marvelous way; it was through his leadership that I got to spend time with, and work on common projects with, Avery Dulles, George Lindbeck, Alexander Schmemann, and others. To be sure, Richard never simply chaired or edited: he was a person of strongly expressed opinions about many things. Sometimes I disagreed with those opinions, but I always learned from him. I will never forget Richard pointing out that according to the ancient church's prayer for the dead, it is not St. Peter, but Lazarus the beggar who greets the departed at the pearly gates. I have no doubt that Lazarus and the angels are now celebrating his arrival!

Posted by Ted Olsen at January 8, 2009 | Comments (3)

Richard John Neuhaus, the Lutheran-turned-Catholic priest who founded the influential journal First Things, died last night after a bout with cancer.

First Things has reposted a thoughtful essay by Neuhaus, "Born Toward Dying," as well as links to audio and video items.

Charles Colson, who worked with Neuhaus extensively on the Evangelicals and Catholics Together project and several political initiatives issued this statement:

Richard Neuhaus is one of the most remarkable human beings I've ever known, a man of extraordinary intellect, a great communicator and theologian. His writings will be his great legacy in the manner C. S. Lewis's are to us today. He had become a very dear friend and I will sorely miss him. He was one of the towering figures of our age.

Blogger Justin Taylor has a good timeline of Neuhaus's life.

National Catholic Reporter's obituary, written by John Allen, notes:

From the early 1970s forward, Neuhaus was a key architect of two alliances with profound consequences for American politics, both of which overcame histories of mutual antagonism: one between conservative Catholics and Protestant Evangelicals, and the other between free market neo-conservatives and "faith and values" social conservatives. ...

To Catholic insiders, however, it was Neuhaus' writing rather than his political activism that made him a celebrity. From the pages of First Things, the unapologetically high-brow journal he founded in 1990, Neuhaus kept up a steady stream of commentary on matters both sacred and secular. ... Over the years, even people who disagreed with Neuhaus' politics or theology would devour his monthly essay in First Things, titled "The Public Square," for sheer literary pleasure. His combination of epigrammatic formulae and occasionally biting satire often reminded fans of English-language Catholic luminaries of earlier eras, such as G.K. Chesterton or Cardinal John Henry Newman.

Peter Wehner, former deputy assistant President Bush and director of the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives, offered this note at National Review's blog The Corner:

It was Father Neuhaus, along with his dear, long-time friend George Weigel and just a handful of others like Michael Novak, who not only championed the pro-life cause for so many years, but who gave the rest of us both the grounding and the vocabulary to speak on this issue.

They made the pro-life cause the cause of those seeking justice and protection for the weakest and most vulnerable members of the human community. ... Father Neuhaus's influence was quiet, profound, and virtually without boundaries. A former, very influential member of Congress wrote me just yesterday, saying, "When I first ran for Congress I read everything I could from him to formulate my thinking on social policy."

Indeed, in 2004 Bush told Christianity Today, "Father Richard [Neuhaus] helped me craft what is still the integral part of my position on abortion, which is: Every child welcomed to life and protected by law. That is the goal of this administration."

(LifeSiteNews.com is posting excerpts from Neuhaus's writings on abortion, as well as brief comments about Neuhaus from pro-life leaders.)

Many commentators are noting that Neuhaus had keen insights on death and dying. One of his best-loved books was Death on a Friday Afternoon, about Jesus' last words. He also wrote As I Lay Dying, a book about his earlier brush with death. In a tribute published in Friday's Wall Street Journal, EWTN's Raymond Arroyo describes how Neuhaus corrected him on the subject:

On April 11, 2005, I entered St. Peter's Basilica in Rome with my friend Father Richard John Neuhaus to pay our respects to the recently deceased Pope John Paul II. After kneeling before the pontiff's body, I remarked at how small the pope appeared. "That wasn't him. He isn't there," I said. "No," Father Neuhaus said. "He is there. These are the remains, what is left behind of a life such as we are not likely to see again, waiting with all of us for the Resurrection of the dead, the final vindication of the hope he proclaimed."

As was his wont, Father Neuhaus was capable of delivering impromptu corrections with an eloquence and precision that would elude the best of us. When I learned of his passing yesterday at the age of 72, his words echoed in my memory. He was not only a great intellectual and an exemplary man of letters but, as his remark to me illustrates, he was a man who put his mind and his literary skill at the service of his church and the truths it protected. He was first and last a man animated by his faith.

Neuhaus was a Christianity Today advisory editor and contributed several articles to the publication and to our sister magazines over the years. Neuhaus wrote about Pope John Paul II for both Christianity Today and Christian History, and about Pope Benedict XVI back when he was known as Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. Books & Culture's John Wilson wrote about Neuhaus after First Things and its editor were savaged by former staffer Damon Linker.

The First Things site, of course, is the main place to go for the bulk of Neuhaus's articles, including the current issue's excellent "The Pro-Life Movement as the Politics of the 1960s." The Ratzinger Fan Club site has put together a list of links to some of his best pieces, as well as some other Neuhaus-authored items elsewhere.

Links to more obituaries and tributes after the jump.

More obituaries:

• The New York Times
• Associated Press
• The Washington Times
• World Magazine

Other tributes and remembrances:

• Ross Douthat in The Atlantic: "At their best, his essays and arguments achieved a grace to which that all religious authors should aspire: They not only conveyed the sense that Richard John Neuhaus, priest and author, cared about the issues of the age, but that God Himself cared about them as well."

• Alan Jacobs in The American Scene: "So when I think of Father Neuhaus I think primarily of two things. First, I think of his personal encouragement and support of me when I was a young and unknown writer. And second, I think of the major role he played in creating a new space for serious and thoughtful reflection on the place of religion in the public square; for informed and critical cultural commentary; for appreciation of the role of art in shaping and interpreting religious faith and practice."
• Journalist Gary Stern of The Journal News: "Let's be honest: Most people never heard of Neuhaus. He wasn't really a public figure, in the modern celebrity sense. But among those who care about Catholic thought, the larger realm of Christian thought, the political school of thinking that's become known as neo-conservativism, and the role of religion in the public square, he was really an intellectual giant."

• Journalist Cathy Lynn Grossman of USA Today: "As I began learning this beat (a never ending process) a decade ago, Neuhaus early and quickly became a key source: accessible, clear, and forceful. I remain grateful to have been able to call on him."

• George Weigel, in a press release from Americans United for Life: "Father Richard Neuhaus consistently worked to encourage religious leaders to understand the centrality of the sanctity of human life as an issue of civil rights, and to put aside denominational differences and work together for the common good of protecting the unborn. He never wavered on the centrality of the life issue as a matter of human rights and social justice."
• Raymond J. de Souza, in the National Catholic Register: "The Catholic Church lost one of its greatest public intellectuals, a theologian who brought the light of the Gospel to the world of public life. More than that, though, Father Neuhaus made possible a new world of intellectual engagement with the culture."
• Robert Sirico, founder of the Acton Institute: "The loss of Neuhaus to the effort for an honest ecumenism, a robust and stylish debate over matters liturgical, cultural, political and literary in his death is monumental. Who will replace him? Indeed, I can almost hear Richard's deep, sonorous voice countering me, 'Robert?.we are each unrepeatable, irreplaceable.' Still, in the death of Richard John Neuhaus, America has lost one of its most capable and finest interpreters and the Church has lost (or better, gained for ever) one of her most loyal sons."
• President George W. Bush: "Laura and I are saddened by the death of Father Richard John Neuhaus. Father Neuhaus was an inspirational leader, admired theologian, and accomplished author who devoted his life to the service of the Almighty and to the betterment of our world. He was also a dear friend, and I have treasured his wise counsel and guidance. Our thoughts and prayers are with Father Neuhaus' family, friends, and fellow clergy during this difficult time."
• Tom Minnery of Focus on the Family Action: "Richard Neuhaus was to moral principle what William Buckley was to conservative politics: a leader who brought intellectual heft, urbane wit and a gentle spirit to the great debates about truth. While we differed with Rev. Neuhaus on some aspects of his theology, we appreciate his tremendous contributions."
• National Review, in an editorial: "Neuhaus began his adult life as a Canadian, a left-winger, and a Lutheran. ... He became nonetheless an American, a conservative, and a Catholic. And from these three conversions he forged for himself a distinctive religious identity that was conservative and generous, traditional and open, charitable and - yes - combative. ... But fighting and controversy, though necessary to the propagation of religious truth in our age, were secondary themes in Neuhaus's life. His achievements were essentially creative.

Also worth reading are comments from those with whom Neuhaus sparred or criticized over the years: Rod Dreher, Damon Linker, and Michael Sean Winters.

Posted by Ted Olsen at January 8, 2009 | Comments (4)

Alexy II, the Moscow Russian Orthodox patriarch who presided since 1990, died last night. The church has not revealed the immediate cause of his death and may take up several months to induct a new patriarch, according to the Associated Press.

The Russian union of Evangelical Christian-Baptists (RUECB) released a statement with portions of a letter of condolence from their chairman, Yuri Sipko: "During [the '90s] the voice of the Russian Orthodox Church was the voice of peace and hope. We highly value the courage and endurance, which Patriarch Alexy showed in the period of the formation of a new Russia."

A key figure in the resurgence of religion in post-Soviet Russia, Alexy II both unified Orthodox groups and discouraged other denominations from evangelizing. The East-West Report lists several examples of him urging legislation to limit non-Orthodox denominations and regulate religious activity in Russia.

In spite of this, he engaged in some discussions with other denominations, including the Baptists.

Despite their tense relationship with the Russian Orthodox Church, the Vatican released a statement saying that, "His personal commitment to improving relations with the Catholic Church, in spite of the difficulties and tensions which from time to time have emerged, has never been in doubt."

Alexy II also had a complicated relationship with the state, as did many pastors and priests. Most obituaries mention that he has been accused of collaborating with the Soviet authorities, and the BBC calls him a favorite of the KGB. The Orthodox church denies any connection. He is as well known for denouncing a KGB plot against Gorbachev. His relationship with Russia's current president, Medvedev, showed how close Russia's leaders and the church and the church have become in the last few years.

Posted by Susan Wunderink at December 5, 2008 | Comments (7)

David Scholer lived for six and a half years after doctors diagnosed him with colorectal cancer. A popular professor at Fuller Seminary, his course "Women, the Bible, and the Church" was always well-attended. In it and other classes, Scholer taught his students how to live well as Christians throughout life.

"Not all theologians benefit from their scholarship. There is a divorce between what they do as scholars and how they live as mere mortals," William Pannell, a senior professor of preaching at Fuller who knew Scholer for 30 years, told the Los Angeles Times. "I thought David did a wonderful job of integrating his understanding of life in God and God in life."

Last year, in an interview with CT, Scholer said he had taken to heart James's admonition not to "say that we're going to go to a city and do this and do that. We should say 'If the Lord wills, I'll go to this city.' Of course I've read that text hundreds of times, but it came to have new meaning for me. I am very, very conscious of the daily limits. I never accept anything in the future now without explicitly saying, 'If God wills,' 'if I'm still healthy,' and in some cases I say 'You should have a backup plan in case I can't follow through.'

Other excerpts from my July 2007 interview:

I began to be suspicious by January of 2002 that I had cancer. In February, I had the official evaluation with the man who would be my surgeon and learned I had cancer. He said, "You will live six months unless you let me do surgery. It's one of the most difficult surgeries possible." And he said, "I don't know if I can do it." And I said, "Well, let's go ahead and do surgery."

When you learn that you're going to die is really not the best time to formulate a theology of dying. It really rests on things you have clung to and believed for many years. And it sounds pretentious to say this, but in my little journey I've never felt angry at Got. I solved for myself those issues a long time ago. My father died eleven years ago, and my mother two years ago his month. And so I did a lot of reflecting about their deaths. My mother was a person who faced death very well. And so I've given a lot of thought to that. And when I learned my situation I thought I really need to think about how to live well while I'm dying.

I believe God is the giver of life and that we have eternal life starting now. But God is an affirmer of life, and therefore it's entirely appropriate to appreciate life even in this world and to enjoy it and want it, yet still be confident of the life to come. I've never been the kind of person who would say, I can just hardly wait till I die and go to heaven. And so I've tried to develop a theology of enjoying life without being presumptuous about life.

There were times, especially early in my cancer journey, that I would wake up and think I don't want to die. I don't think that anymore. [Yet] I want to live as long as possible.

I try to think of all the wonderful things I can still do as well as a lot of things I can never do again. I've come to the point where I don't feel too regretful about those things. I traveled an enormous amount up until a couple of months before my diagnosis. Travel is now extremely difficult, and I avoid travel as much as possible. But I miss that. But on the other hand, as I've said, I try to remember all the things that I did do in those first six decades of my life. And I did a lot of wonderful things, had a lot of wonderful experiences. You don't live in the past but you want to mine the past for its significance for your life.

One of Scholer's sermons, titled "Prisoners of Hope" is available from Perspectives magazine.

Posted by Rob Moll at September 2, 2008 | Comments (2)

Tonight the Associated Press is reporting the death of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Nobel prize-winning novelist whose work helped discredit the government of Josef Stalin. At 89, the author was the oldest living Nobel laureate.

Solzhenitsyn's literary and political vision was deeply informed by his Christian faith. Here is an excerpt from a 1994 Christianity Today article, in which author Peggy Jackson recounted Solzhenitsyn's return from exile.

To discuss Solzhenitsyn's Christianity is not to imply that he is going across the country preaching a religious message. He is not. His vision of Russia's future would seek to reverse the destructive force of "freedom" understood within a nonreligious, relativist framework. Last fall he said, "Religion is undoubtedly necessary, but it must not be forcibly implanted and even must not be intensively propagandized; it is passed from man to man as an intimate gift."

Read the rest of "A Russian Call to Repentance" from the August 15, 1994 issue of Christianity Today.

Posted by David Neff at August 3, 2008 | Comments (9)

Fox News is reporting this morning that its former news anchor and former Bush administration press secretary Tony Snow has died of cancer. Snow was 53.

Read the Fox News obit here, and read Snow's 2007 article "Cancer's Unexpected Blessings" for Christianity Today here.

Here's a brief excerpt from that article:

The moment you enter the Valley of the Shadow of Death, things change. You discover that Christianity is not something doughy, passive, pious, and soft. Faith may be the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. But it also draws you into a world shorn of fearful caution. The life of belief teems with thrills, boldness, danger, shocks, reversals, triumphs, and epiphanies. Think of Paul, traipsing though the known world and contemplating trips to what must have seemed the antipodes (Spain), shaking the dust from his sandals, worrying not about the morrow, but only about the moment.

There's nothing wilder than a life of humble virtue - for it is through selflessness and service that God wrings from our bodies and spirits the most we ever could give, the most we ever could offer, and the most we ever could do.

Posted by David Neff at July 12, 2008 | Comments (15)

An overnight e-mail from a friend in Wales informed us that Ghanian theologian Kwame Bediako passed away this week. Bediako was a brilliant scholar with doctorates in French literature and in theology. He fostered the development of a genuinely African theology (distinct from the Black liberation theology that developed in South Africa). Bediako used the models of Justin Martyr and Clement of Alexandria to argue that just as they used the Greco-Roman cultural categories of their time to contextualize the Gospel and create a Christian identity, so should African Christians use their own cultural heritage in forming their Christian identity.

Chris Wright, International Director of the Langham Partnership International (John Stott Ministries in the US), has written a brief tribute to Bediako that is posted on the Zondervan blog. The blog features a video clip of Bediako preaching at Zondervan's chapel just last month, and a link to the Africa Bible Commentary, for which Bediako was one of the three theological advisers.

Posted by David Neff at June 13, 2008 | Comments (10)

In a piece subtitled, "Fired and brimstone," The Examiner relays that George Bush canned Karl Rove in church.

The information comes from yet another pre-postmortem book on the Bush administration, Machiavelli's Shadow: The Rise and Fall of Karl Rove, by former Time reporter Paul Alexander. The Examiner summarizes:

"On a Sunday in midsummer, George W. Bush accompanied Karl Rove to the Episcopalian Church Rove sometimes attended," writes Alexander. "They made their way to the front of the congregation. Then, during their time in the church, Bush gave Rove some stunning news. ?Karl,' Bush said, ?there's too much heat on you. It's time for you to go.'"

Maybe Bush knew what he was doing in breaking such bad news in such serene atmosphere: As Alexander documents, Rove has quite the temper.

Posted by Susan Wunderink at June 10, 2008 | Comments (1)

A weekend e-mail from John Stott Ministries called attention to the April 27 birthday of "Uncle John." The senior evangelical statesman turned 87 on Sunday.

Stott retired from all active public ministry just one year ago and moved into a retirement facility for Anglican clergy. JSM president Ken Perez reports that Stott is happy and doing well in his new surroundings:

I asked how he was finding his living situation, which has been his home for about a year now. Uncle John shared that he has a number of evangelical friends in the retirement community, including one man whose friendship with John goes back 70 years when they were students at Rugby School! Uncle John related that he is often asked whether he is happy. His response is that while he would not say that he is happy (I would imagine that he misses many people, the activity of his ministry, his home in London, and the ability to travel abroad), he is content, citing Philippians 4:11, "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances."

Read Perez's full account of his visit on the JSM website.

In 2006, Christianity Today marked Stott's 85th birthday by publishing "Evangelism Plus," an interview by Tim Stafford.

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Posted by David Neff at April 27, 2008 | Comments (4)

The favorite C. S. Lewis websites of Louis Markos, author of The Life and Writings of C. S. Lewis, Lewis Agonistes, and, most recently, From Achilles to Christ: Why Christians Should Read the Pagan Classics (InterVarsity Press).

The C. S. Lewis Foundation
The foundation exists to promote the works of C. S. Lewis to the larger public and in the halls of academia. In addition to offering information on the many conferences sponsored by the foundation, this website provides a full list of books by and about Lewis, along with links to all the major Lewis websites.

Into the Wardrobe
Perhaps the best one-stop educational site for information on C. S. Lewis. It not only includes an annotated bibliography but also pictures, audio files, forums, and the full text of several dozen scholarly papers.

C. S. Lewis Society of California
There are many C. S. Lewis societies out there, most of which have good websites. This one offers the fullest and most varied resources, including links to interviews and audio/video resources.

Marion E. Wade Center
The best research museum of C. S. Lewis is housed not in England but at Wheaton College, Illinois. The center also features the books and papers of six writers who profoundly influenced Lewis: Owen Barfield, G. K. Chesterton, George MacDonald, Dorothy L. Sayers, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Charles Williams.

Narnia Web
With the film versions of Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader due out in May 2008 and May 2010, respectively, this is the single best news source on present and future Narnia movies.

Posted by Susan Wunderink at March 26, 2008 | Comments (2)

We've heard much from atheists about why they don't believe. Here's an interesting item about the spiritual journey of one of the world's best known disbelievers--Mikhail Gorbachev.

Gorbachev's visit to the tomb of St. Francis of Assisi in Italy this month has rekindled those questions about Gorbachev's faith. Was he denouncing atheism and affirming his faith in God? Was he a closet believer even during Soviet times?

Several European media outlets were quick to size up Gorbachev's half hour of silence at St. Francis' tomb as proof that the 77-year-old former leader of an atheistic superpower was, in fact, a Christian.

The Italian newspaper La Stampa called his visit a "spiritual perestroika." A story in the London Daily Telegraph's March 19 edition concluded Gorbachev "has acknowledged his Christian faith for the first time."

The paper quoted the former Soviet leader as saying that the saint's "story fascinates me and has played a fundamental role in my life." But Gorbachev subsequently told the Russian news agency Interfax, "Let me say that I have been and remain an atheist."

Wherever the truth lies, the discussion reminds me of a passage in Paul Kengor's book, God and Ronald Reagan, describing the beginning of Reagan's May-June 1988 mission to Moscow:

[Reagan] finished his remarks by pausing, looking up, and delivering this direct, closing salutation to the general secretary and his comrades: "Thank you and God bless you." As the words left his lips and were translated into Russian, the hardened Kremlin atheists visibly blanched. Gorbachev's translator said that Reagan's words rang like blasphemy to the Soviet officials present, and they reacted with wry expressions. "The heretofore impregnable edifice of Communist atheism was being assaulted before their very eyes by [Reagan]." the translator recorded in his notes.

Much has happened in the two decades that separate us from that simple, yet defiant statement asking for God's blessing on the Soviet leaders. Mr. Gorbachev was friendlier than his predecessors to the role of religion in society. Perhaps that's all this flap over his visit to the tomb of Saint Francis signifies. I'm an optimist, however, and will be looking for more.

God, bless Mikhail Gorbachev.

Posted by Stan Guthrie at March 25, 2008 | Comments (10)

Expelled, a new documentary that argues the case for Intelligent Design from a Judeo-Christian perspective, has been in the headlines lately, prior to its April 18 theatrical release.

The film, hosted and narrated by Ben Stein, has been screened to invitation-only audiences at churches and for various Christian groups. But several critics have worked their way in to some of the screenings, most notably Roger Moore of The Orlando Sentinel, who recently trashed the movie in his blog.

A critic of another kind "crashed" a screening in Minnesota on Thursday night--Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion and arguably the most outspoken critic of Intelligent Design and Creationism. Dawkins himself appears in the documentary--but claims he was duped into believing it was going to be an objective account of Darwinism vs. ID.

Jeffrey Overstreet, a film critic for CT Movies, broke the news on his own blog Thursday night after receiving an e-mail from a college student who was at the screening.

Stuart Blessman, the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities student, told Overstreet in the e-mail that Dawkins' appearance "was quite a surprise" to both the audience and associate producer Mark Mathis, who fielded questions afterward.

Blessman reported that Dawkins asked several questions, and complained that "any statement he made in the film was in fact under the assumption that he was being interviewed . . . for a film that was to take an even-handed look at the Intelligent Design/Evolution controversy."

It's not the first time Dawkins and other Darwinian experts say they were duped by the filmmakers. The Guardian reported last fall that Dawkins said, "At no time was I given the slightest clue that these people were a creationist front," he said. And The New York Times quotes Dawkins and other atheists who appeared in the film under a "deceptive invitation."

Blessman also wrote that "the Q&A then proceeded pretty uneventfully, with several of the questions addressed to Dawkins himself. Mathis and Dawkins also clearly had spoken on numerous occasions and appeared to continue an argument that they had started previously."

Blessman also reported that Dawkins complained that a colleague of his was turned away even though he (Dawkins) was admitted to the screening. That colleague, PZ Myers, a biologist and prof at the University of Minnesota-Morris, is actually featured in the film. Myers later blogged his own account of what happened here and here.

Myers wrote that he caught up with Dawkins and friends after the film, "which I hear is not only boring and poorly made, but is ludicrous in its dishonesty. Apparently, a standard tactic is to do lots of fast cuts between biologists like me or Dawkins or Eugenie Scott and shots of Nazi atrocities. It's all very ham-handed. The audience apparently ate it up, though. Figures. Christians have a growing reputation for their appreciation of dishonesty."

Read more about Expelled in earlier editions of Reel News at CT Movies.

3/26 UPDATE: There has been much discussion about the use of the word "crash" to describe how Dawkins got into the screening. Since this story posted, CT has learned that the screening was not an "invitation-only" event, but that attendees had simply signed up on a website--that it was open to anyone who signed up in advance. Tickets were not needed. CT regrets the choice of the word "crash" in the title and in the story, because neither Dawkins nor Myers were trying to "crash" the event, but had legitimately signed up for the screening as did everyone else who attended.

Posted by Mark Moring at March 20, 2008 | Comments (71)

Robert A. Walker, a legendary figure among Christians in journalism, died on Saturday, March 1 in Carol Stream, Illinois. His staggering list of professional achievements easily places him among the giants of his generation in Christian media.

UPDATE: According to the current schedule, there will be a memorial service for Bob Walker, Friday, March 14, 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM, to be held at Wheaton Bible Church

Assist News Service notes:

Robert Alander Walker, who received the first prestigious Magazine Publishers Award from the Evangelical Christian Publisher Association in 1994, is considered by many to be the pioneer of Christian Journalism.

"That's because he has been involved with so much over so many years," says Mark Sweeny, President of ECPA.

Those "involvements" include the founding/editing of His magazine for students on secular college campuses, and of Sunday magazine (precursor of Christian Life) - the first pocket-size Christian publication. Time and Newsweek took note by featuring the event.

Walker also established the Christian Writers' institute, a correspondence school which has graduated upwards of 25,000 students, and Creation House, a book publishing entity with such titles as A New Song, by Pat Boone, and Finger Lickin' Good, by Colonel Sanders.

Christian Bookseller magazine (later to become Christian Retailing) also was a brainchild of Walker, along with Christian Life Missions, a world-wide outreach.

Look here for the ANS obituary.

News of his passing is working its way out into the greater religious community. Walker served on the board of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. The IFCJ released a statement, saying:

The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ), its staff and supporters mourn the passing of a true friend - Robert A. Walker - on Saturday, March 1, 2008. An active part of The Fellowship since its inception in 1983, Mr. Walker, 95, was a founding member of the organization's board of directors and was dedicated to the cause of building bridges of understanding and cooperation between Christians and Jews. "Bob was a man of deep Christian belief whose faith spilled over into all aspects of life. His commitment to his faith was absolute and, yet, he was warm and tolerant toward those who did not necessarily share his views," said Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, IFCJ President. "His devotion and guidance played a major role in our organization's development over the years. Israel and the Jewish people - and I, on a deep and personal level - have lost a dear friend."

There is a Pat Boone connection ("A New Song"), as well as a Pat Robertson/CBN connection.

According to IFCJ:

"Bob Walker was one of the five founding board members of CBN and has been a close friend for almost 50 years. As publisher of Christian Life magazine, Bob was a very influential leader of evangelical Christianity and a highly-regarded member of our community. He lived a strong and full life, and we will sorely miss him," added Dr. Pat Robertson, Founder & Chairman of CBN.

On Pat Roberston's website, there is a fascinating account of Pat's first encounter with Bob Walker and Pat's introduction to being "baptized in the Holy Spirit."

Pat writes that during the late 1950s:

I was invited to the Presidential Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., to speak to the Senate prayer group of which my father was a member. At the end of a meeting, Bob Walker, the ruggedly handsome editor of Christian Life, came over to me, chatted a bit, and then asked, "Have you ever heard of the baptism in the Holy Spirit?"

"That's the experience I have been searching for," I replied, but before I could finish my sentence, we were interrupted, leaving me wondering why he would ask me such a question.

I returned to New York, and arriving at Penn Station went directly to the annual banquet of Christian Soldiers, Inc., on whose board I was a member. Seated at the head table with me was an ebullient young minister, Harald Bredesen, who, it turned out, was public-relations director for the Gospel Association for the Blind. I was drawn to him by his warmth of spirit and was delighted when we discovered at the conclusion of the banquet that we were taking the same subway home. We were no sooner seated than with an engaging smile he asked, "Do you know anything about the baptism in the Holy Spirit?"

"Funny you should ask," I replied. "Just today in Washington I met a fellow named Bob Walker, and he asked me the same question."

"Bob Walker!" he exclaimed. "He's one of my best friends. He's just received the baptism. That's why he wanted to share it with you." Harald was exuberant-I was awed by the providence of God.

Posted by Tim Morgan at March 4, 2008 | Comments (3)

Prominent theologian and Christianity Today senior editor J. I. Packer has made no secret of his break with the Anglican Church of Canada's Diocese of New Westminster. More than five years ago, he wrote a Christianity Today article explaining why he left the diocese.

The story has developed a bit since then. Earlier this month, his Vancouver church, the largest Anglican congregation in Canada, voted to leave the Anglican Church of Canada to join the Province of the Southern Cone, which is based in Argentina.

Now New Westminster Bishop Michael Ingham has sent Packer and seven other clergy members a "notice of presumption of abandonment of the exercise of ministry." He says he wants them to declare "whether they have left the ministry of the Anglican Church of Canada, and if they are seeking admission into another religious body outside Canada."

Seems like Packer and the others have been awfully clear on that point.

The news that Ingham may suspend Packer is getting a lot of buzz in the Anglican blog world. As always on these Anglican news bits, see TitusOneNine and Stand Firm, though the lead on this story came from the Canadian site LambethConference.net.

Frankly, this story isn't terribly newsworthy in the traditional sense. It's predictable, and any suspension would be irrelevant. Packer will continue his ministry just as he has been doing since he left the diocese.

But as Nicholas Knisely notes on the left-leaning Episcopal Cafe (the official blog of the Episcopal Church's Diocese of Washington, D.C.), Packer's name will give the story attention it might otherwise not have received.

[While] Packer's teaching and writing is not commonly encountered the Episcopal Church, it is widely known and respected by Evangelicals in the Anglican Communion. The possible suspension of Packer may create a bit of a problem for both the Archbishop of Canada and the Archbishop of Canterbury given the reaction that could be expected from many parts of the Communion.

It also has potential to make non-Anglican evangelicals worldwide more interested in the Anglican crisis. If you're one of those who has been skipping the coverage until now, start with Packer's story. More CT coverage is available here.

Posted by Ted Olsen at February 29, 2008 | Comments (18)

By anyone's measure, Bill Buckley's prodigious intellect helped reshape and revitalize the modern conservative movement. He also put an attractive and winsome face on conservatism.

Buckley was a formative influence for me, beginning with his earliest writings. Over time, we became very close friends. We shared some rich spiritual experiences, visiting prisons, during "Firing Line" visits, and in private conversation. I have no question about the sincerity and depth of his faith.

Someone else will pick up his work, but no one will replace him. He was a man God raised up for this time.

On a strictly personal basis, I will really miss him, his many encouraging notes to me, his frequent references to me in his work and writings, and the wonderful friendship we enjoyed. I remain deeply indebted to Bill, and grieve his passing.

Charles W. Colson
Founder
Prison Fellowship

Posted by Susan Wunderink at February 29, 2008 | Comments (5)

In a CT article by Cindy Crosby published just over two years ago, novelist Anne Rice--famous for her dark stories about vampires--spoke of her return to her Catholic faith and said she would from now on write about Christ. While she did not repudiate her earlier work, saying it was a record of her spiritual journey, she said she was through with vampires:

I would never go back, not even if they say, 'You will be financially ruined; you've got to write another vampire book.' I would say no. I have no choice. I would be a fool for all eternity to turn my back on God like that.

And for a while, she was true to her word, writing the first two works in a series about the life of Christ. The second, Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana, is due out on March 4. After a planned third installment on Jesus, Rice plans to return to her vampire chronicling. But isn't that going back on her word? Rice answers Time this way: "I don't see it as a violation of my promise, because I won't be writing about vampires in the same way." And indeed, her new promise--to put the stories in a Christian framework with an accent on redemption--sounds interesting. But Time isn't buying, commenting: "Still, it is difficult to see it as anything but a change of heart."

I cannot pretend to see into Anne Rice's soul, but to me this is a troubling turn of events. Whatever the merits and drawbacks of writing one final vampire novel, her vow was all-encompassing, seemingly linking her eternal destiny to keeping it. I am reminded of the following verses:

When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands?

UPDATE: For Anne Rice's explanation of her decision, see her official website.

Anne Rice responded to this blog post today:

Thank you for your gentle write-up of my casual remark in a Time interview regarding Christ the Lord, the Road to Cana. My vow to the Lord was that I would write for Him, and for Him alone from then on (2002). I will keep that vow. If this new vampire book, which is no more than an idea, cannot be entirely Christian and redemptive in content, if it cannot be for the Lord, I assure you, it will not be written.

My vocation is to continue the story of Our Lord's life on Earth and I am doing it. --- it's amazing how this small remark to Time's interviewers became something I never imagined. --- I've been flooded with emails for three years about having left my old characters, and more than once it has been suggested to me that they could be revisited in a redemptive or Christian framework. That was the idea.

And by the way, the book is no more than a dream. The consecration to Christ that I made in 2002 is rock solid, thank Heaven, and I pray for the faith and strength to maintain it.

- Anne Rice

Posted by Stan Guthrie at February 25, 2008 | Comments (13)

From Religion News Service's Adelle Banks:

Evangelist Billy Graham returned home Tuesday (Feb. 19) after undergoing a procedure to relieve pressure in his brain.

Graham, 89, underwent the elective procedure on Feb. 13 at Missions Hospitals in Asheville, N.C. Physicians said he was progressing well after they replaced a valve for a shunt that regulates the pressure within his brain.

Graham has hydrocephalus, or a buildup of fluid on the brain that can cause symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease. He recently had experienced more intense symptoms, which led to his hospital stay.

During his time in the hospital, Graham was visited by three of his children who live near his Montreat, N.C., home and received a phone call from President Bush.

Posted by Susan Wunderink at February 20, 2008 | Comments (5)

Here's the text of James Dobson's endorsement of Mike Huckabee as sent out last night to the e-mail subscribers of CitizenLink:

Dr. James Dobson issues the following statement tonight, speaking as a private citizen.

I am endorsing Gov. Mike Huckabee for President of the United States today. My decision comes in the wake of my statement on Super Tuesday that I could not vote for Sen. John McCain, even if he goes on to win the Republican nomination. His record on the institution of the family and other conservative issues makes his candidacy a matter of conscience and concern for me.

That left two pro-family candidates whom I could support, but I was reluctant to choose between them. However, the decision by Gov. Mitt Romney to put his campaign "on hold" changes the political landscape. The remaining candidate for whom I could vote is Gov. Huckabee. His unwavering positions on the social issues, notably the institution of marriage, the importance of faith and the sanctity of human life, resonate deeply with me and with many others. That is why I will support Gov. Huckabee through the remaining primaries, and will vote for him in the general election if he should get the nomination. Obviously, the governor faces an uphill struggle, given the delegates already committed to Sen. McCain. Nevertheless, I believe he is our best remaining choice for President of the United States.

(NOTE: Dr. Dobson made these statements as a private citizen. This article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as a reflection of the opinions of Focus on the Family or Focus on the Family Action.)

Posted by David Neff at February 8, 2008 | Comments (29)

CT received a press release a few minutes ago from the Global Country of World Peace announcing that their leader, the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi died Tuesday evening at his headquarters in the Netherlands. The New York Times and other outlets are also reporting the story tonight. The founder of the Transcendental Meditation movement, known as the Giggling Guru, was catapulted to world fame when the Beatles sought his spiritual advice at his ashram in 1968. Other celebrities followed, including Donovan, the Beach Boys, and Mia Farrow.

The Global Country of World Peace press release was headlined "Maharishi Welcomed into Heaven." That, or wherever John Lennon is right now.

That headline reminded me of another entrance into heaven--one created to welcome someone who didn't think world peace could be achieved by meditation or levitation, but who labored diligently to better the lives of the poor and to bring them to Jesus. If you haven't read "General William Booth Enters Heaven," click here to savor the robust American poet Vachel Lindsay's tribute to the founder of the Salvation Army. This is poetry to be read aloud, passionately, to the accompaniment of the bass drum, banjo, flute, and tambourine. And the music isn't "Imagine," but "Are You Washed in the Blood of the Lamb?"

Posted by David Neff at February 5, 2008 | Comments (0)

Republican Presidential candidate Fred Thompson dropped out of the presidential race Tuesday, the New York Times writes.

Mr. Thompson, 65, rode in to the campaign powered by the high hopes of conservative Republicans who were disappointed with the field of candidates and hoped that Mr. Thompson - a television actor and former counsel to the Watergate committee - could rally conservatives behind him. But Mr. Thompson instead brought a phlegmatic style to the campaign trail, and his candidacy never took off.

Even though Thompson appealed to some social conservatives and received an endorsement from the National Right to Life, he never drew significant numbers. He entered the race late in the game, told voters he didn't attend church and said he would not talk about religion on the campaign.

He placed third in South Carolina, apparently taking votes away from Mike Huckabee. Unless Huckabee decides to campaign more heavily in Florida, Thompson's exit from the race will likely help Mitt Romney in Florida.

Posted by Sarah Pulliam Bailey at January 22, 2008 | Comments (2)

A recent Time profile called Mars Hill Bible Church pastor Rob Bell "largely apolitical." Is he? The current issue of Relevant asks the question as his state heads to the polls. He answers:

We refer to ourselves [at Mars Hill] as aggressively nonpartisan, so we don't engage in partisan politics in terms of "Here's whom you should vote for; here's whom you should support." We do acknowledge that the Gospel has deeply political edges to it, but that should not surprise anyone. Jesus was killed because of how He confronted a particular socioeconomic religious system. He's a first-century Galilean revolutionary who proclaimed a Kingdom other than the kingdom of Herod, so the Gospel does have political edges.

The interest is in giving voice to people who have no voice and using all of our abundance and wealth and resources on behalf of those who have a shortage. Some of our pastors had a meeting with the mayor of [Grand Rapids], which was simply for the purpose of asking who the most forgotten and the most hurting in our city are. They mayor had several very specific answers, and so we've actually reorganized a whole area of our church, putting the majority of our efforts around trying to take care of the worst problems in our city. I don't know if you would say that's political or not, even though it involved meeting with the mayor, but if Jesus comes to town and things don't get better, then we have to ask some hard questions.

Posted by Ted Olsen at January 15, 2008 | Comments (16)

Despite his inability to find the old coaching magic that led the Washington Redskins to three Super Bowl crowns from 1982-91, Joe Gibbs will always be remembered as one of the classiest guys to ever grace an NFL sideline.

Gibbs, a devout Christian, announced his retirement Tuesday as the Redskins head coach and president, just three days after Washington lost its first-round playoff game at Seattle. His decision, with one year left on a five-year contract, stunned the team.

In a press conference at Redskins complex, Gibbs said that family commitments - including a 3-year-old grandson being treated for leukemia - led to his decision.

"My family situation has dramatically changed [in recent years]," Gibbs said. "The only way to do this job [as an NFL coach] is to go after it night and day; it takes every minute. Having weighed that . . . I felt like with my family, the most important thing I'll leave on this earth are my kids, grandkids, and the influence I have on others. I felt like my family needed me."

(Watch Gibbs' Tuesday afternoon announcement at Redskins.com.)

It was a difficult season for Gibbs and the team, who struggled on and off the field - especially with the November murder of defensive star Sean Taylor - before rallying for four straight wins to make the playoffs. Alas, the playoff loss to Seattle ended what many had hoped would be a "Hollywood ending" for the team from the nation's capital.

Gibbs, 67, has a dual reputation as a committed family and as a hard worker who spent long hours at the team complex - away from his family - during the season. But his retirement clearly shows he has decided to put family first.

"It was the toughest (season) for me," Gibbs said Monday, a day before announcing his retirement. "When you go through a season like that, for a while it's hard to regrasp reality."

The reality was that in the last four years - his second stint as the Skins' skipper - Gibbs was unable to lead the team to the dominance it had enjoyed in his first stint from 1981-92, when Washington went 124-60 and won Super Bowls in 1982, '87, and '91. Gibbs retired in 1992 to turn his attention to auto racing, where he co-owns a team featuring NASCAR stars Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch. Gibbs vowed to never return to the NFL, and in 1996, he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Redskins floundered for years as owner Dan Snyder went through six coaches and hundreds of players in search of a winning formula. Snyder ultimately turned back to Gibbs in 2004, offering $27.5 million and for a five-year deal to coax him out of retirement. Gibbs signed on, and while the team improved in the last four years, they never regained their dominance of the 1980s, going 31-36 and 1-2 in the playoffs.

But as a longtime Redskins fan, I know that the "reality" for Gibbs involved more than just numbers. He will be remembered not just as a great coach, but as a terrific leader and mentor to his many players over the years. Yes, they'll remember how he made them better football players. But they'll also remember how he made them better men.

Mark Moring grew up in Virginia, where it's almost mandatory to be a Washington Redskins fan. He is editor of ChristianityTodayMovies.com.

Posted by Susan Wunderink at January 8, 2008 | Comments (0)

After Washington Redskins football player Sean Taylor was murdered in his Miami home on December 3, there were whispers that his rough lifestyle was to blame. In an article for the Adventist Review, Mark Kellner, news editor, says au contraire:

At the time of his murder, Sean Taylor was running, but with God's crowd at the Perrine Seventh-day Adventist Church in Miami. Peay believes he was making a run towards heaven - and away from his former ways.

During a late night conversation last October with Peay at an International House of Pancakes restaurant in College Park, Maryland, Taylor reaffirmed a decision he'd made earlier in 2007 to return to the Adventist Church and to the Lord.

According to Peay, Taylor said, "Pastor, I love going home to see my daughter. I'm not with all that other stuff anymore."

Posted by Stan Guthrie at December 11, 2007 | Comments (3)

One indication that Rob Bell's Nooma videos are extremely popular and influential? Check out all of the spoofs on YouTube. Most are overly long, no one has quite nailed their Bell impersonation, and few are able to parody both the style and substance of the videos. But it's significant that there are so many, and that several come from outside the U.S. You won't find parodies of Rick Warren, John Piper, or Billy Graham, but Bell has more than a dozen.

Posted by Ted Olsen at December 7, 2007 | Comments (0)

On Monday this blog asked, "Will Richard Roberts Let Go or ORU?" Concerns had surfaced in both the Oklahoman newspaper and in the Chronicle of Higher Education that because Roberts had remained president and CEO of the Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association, he would still be able to misuse funds at Oral Roberts University.

I spent a few minutes studying the IRS Form 990s of both ORU and the Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association. The overlap between the boards of the two organizations is so huge that the evangelistic association was obliged to report that these organizations were under "Common Control."

Well, no longer. This morning the Associated Press, the Oklahoman, and the Tulsa World are reporting the promise of a major gift to ORU from Mart Green (founder of the retail chains Mardel and Hobby Lobby). He's offering $70 million to help the school out of its financial pit.

But there are conditions, and from the timing of the gift, it seems that one of them is for the school and the evangelistic association to cut their ties. According to the university's regents, they plan to disentangle the two organizations. Patriarch Oral Roberts has long opposed separating the two, according to the Oklahoman, but has apparently had a sudden change of heart.

The Green family made an initial $8 million gift on Monday, with the balance to be given over the next three months as the university shows progress in reforming its governance and its financial management and in dealing with pending lawsuits. To keep the reforms going, the Green family will likely get two seats on the ORU board of regents, says the Tulsa World.

Meanwhile, the regents' chairman has announced that Roberts will be allowed to remain in the ORU presidential palace--temporarily.

Posted by David Neff at November 28, 2007 | Comments (18)

Billy Graham turns 89 today. From a press release:

He expressed gratitude for his health, his family and the ongoing hope of being reunited with his wife Ruth in Heaven.

Since the passing of his marriage and ministry partner of nearly 64
years on June 14 this year, Mr. Graham said he has been surprised at the
depth of his grief, but simultaneously encouraged by the commensurate
magnitude of God's grace.

"At times, I feel as if part of me has been ripped out, and in a sense
that's what has happened, because Ruth was such an important part of my
life," he said. "But my faith gives me great comfort, and I can't imagine
going through something like this without strength that only the Lord can
provide. It has been an added blessing that our five children have been so
faithful in visiting and spending time with me -- I am grateful for and
proud of each of them."

"I am looking forward to spending the holidays with family," Mr. Graham
added.

Graham was discharged from the hospital on August 30 after bouts of intestinal bleeding. Currently, he is at home in Montreat, North Carolina.

Posted by Susan Wunderink at November 7, 2007 | Comments (33)

Joseph R. Crapa, the Executive Director of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, died Thursday after a battle with cancer.

"Joe Crapa was a vigilant and earnest defender of human rights who cared passionately about those who were victims of the abuse of power of governments," Michael Cromartie, current chairman of the USCIRF told CT. "He was a leader of a bipartisan commission who was always civil and fair and concerned about justice for the victims of totalitarian regimes, whether those regimes were religious or political."

In the USCIRF's press release, Cromartie notes Crapa's "sharp political instincts but a soft personal touch."

Richard Land, who serves on the commission as vice chair, is also quoted in the press release. "

"It was an honor to serve on the Search Committee that recommended Joe Crapa to be the Executive Director of the Commission," he said. "As a Republican appointee, I was most happy to enthusiastically endorse and commend this faithful Democrat who loved America and loved the freedom for which it stands. He was a tireless proponent of religious freedom around the world and was instrumental in making the Commission an extremely effective voice for religious freedom. It was an honor and a privilege to have known him and served with him. All of us who knew him will miss him."

Crapa's funeral is today at 1 p.m. at St. Peter's Church in Washington, D.C.

Posted by Ted Olsen at October 29, 2007 | Comments (1)

Reinhold Niebuhr may not be Bono, but he might come close. Ever since President Bush declared a war on terror in 2001, intellectuals and religious leaders have invoked Niebuhr's politics, Atlantic Monthly reporter Justine Isola writes in her piece "Everybody Loves Reinhold."

"[B]y now a well-turned Niebuhr reference is the speechwriter's equivalent of a photo op with Bono," she quotes Paul Elie.
Niebuhr thus came to be associated in many people's minds as much with the politics of power as with the tenets of Christianity, Isola writes.

But those who invoke Niebuhr tend to ignore his religion and focus on his political concerns, Isola writes after interviewing Paul Elie, author of November Atlantic piece "A Man for All Reasons."

Niebuhr's conclusions, Elie reminds us, were thoroughly informed by what Elie calls a ?biblical perspective' - a long sense of human history as reflected in the stories and lessons of the Bible - and by his view of human nature as ?rooted in human sinfulness.'

For Elie, the brushing aside of Niebuhr's Christian dimensions is symptomatic of a greater problem: our intellectual and political leaders have largely lost touch with the biblical perspective that once guided our country's founders and continues to profoundly influence the lives of most people living in the world today. In an age in which intellectual discourse in this country is increasingly secularized, and religion tends to inform our national politics in only a superficial way, Niebuhr stands out as a man whose Christian beliefs provided a deep well of insight.

Isola asks Elie: What, in your view, are the implications of having politicians in power who lack a biblical perspective?

As Niebuhr characterized it, the biblical tradition brought to America a sense of a long history which our relatively young country lacked, Elie answers.

If you take that biblical sense of history away on both sides, you're left with a fairly ahistorical secular liberalism and a fairly ahistorical religious conservatism, and that's a recipe for shallowness in our political life.

The Atlantic Monthly's piece is a compelling read. Also, consider dipping into New York Times' archives for its 2005 piece "Forgetting Reinhold Niebuhr":

"In the midst of this religious commotion, the name of the most influential American theologian of the 20th century rarely appears - Reinhold Niebuhr."

Perhaps we should examine Niebuhr's theology more closely if it truly has this impact.

Related Elsewhere:

What's Law Got to Do with It? | Recovering a lost heritage.

The Prophet and the Evangelist | The public "conversation" of Reinhold Niebuhr and Billy Graham.

Obama's faith, his pastor, and his foreign policy | The NYT explores the Senator's faith and his pastor, while David Brooks deciphers how it might affect his foreign policy.

Posted by Sarah Pulliam Bailey at October 24, 2007 | Comments (2)

Tony Snow finished his job as White House press secretary on Wednesday. Snow, who wrote the article "Cancer's Unexpected Blessings" for CT in July, announced earlier this summer he was stepping down.

A report in yesterday's Washington Post observed:

Battling a recurrence of cancer, Snow looks more haggard these days, his hair thinning and his face gaunt. But as he leaves for what he says are financial reasons, he seemed genuinely nostalgic, calling the job "the most fun I've ever had."

"I'll miss it," he said in a tone that, unlike most press secretaries on their last day, suggested he really meant it. "I love these briefings."

But Snow has made optimism and positive energy in the face of adversity a trademark and plans to speak and write on his struggles with cancer. "Life will continue," he said, "including for me."

Snow is a Christian gentleman who deserves our admiration and prayers. Beyond these, he deserves our attention. As he eloquently wrote in his CT article:

The moment you enter the Valley of the Shadow of Death, things change. You discover that Christianity is not something doughy, passive, pious, and soft. Faith may be the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. But it also draws you into a world shorn of fearful caution. The life of belief teems with thrills, boldness, danger, shocks, reversals, triumphs, and epiphanies.

May Christ continue to grant Tony Snow--and the rest of us--a faith-filled life shorn of fearful caution.

Posted by Stan Guthrie at September 14, 2007 | Comments (4)

Press release from Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church:

Dr. D. James Kennedy, founder and senior pastor for 48 years of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church (CRPC) in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., passed away peacefully in his sleep at approximately 2:15 a.m. at his home with his wife and daughter by his bedside, following complications from a cardiac event last December. He was 76. Dates and times for a public viewing and funeral and private interment will be released when available.

"There are all kinds of wonderful things I could say about my dad," said daughter Jennifer Kennedy Cassidy. "But one that stands out is his fine example. He 'walked the walk' and 'practiced what he preached.' His work for Christ is lasting -- it will go on and on and make a difference for eternity."

Dr. Kennedy, who is survived by Anne, his wife of 51 years, and his daughter Jennifer, preached his last sermon from the pulpit of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church on Christmas Eve Sunday 2006. He suffered a cardiac arrest four days later on Dec. 28, and has since been unable to return to the pulpit. The church announced his retirement on Aug. 26, beginning a process to choose his successor, and had planned a tribute worship service honoring the extensive ministry of Dr. Kennedy on Sept. 23.

"I would like to thank all of you for your prayers, cards, kindnesses and encouragement over the past nine months," Mrs. Cassidy said during the retirement announcement. "Our family knows that we have come through this difficult time because of God's grace and your faithful prayers, and it has brought joy to us to see God's faithfulness in all of this."

While hindered by persistent health problems that included asthma, as well as chronic and often severe physical pain from compressed vertebrae due to an injury suffered as a young man, Dr. Kennedy was indefatigable in his ministry work. He said on several occasions how much he looked forward to being free from pain in heaven. He was one of the nation's leading Christian broadcasters and a vigorous and articulate advocate for Christian involvement in public life.

Dr. Kennedy began his pastorate at CRPC in 1959 and is also the founder and president of Coral Ridge Ministries and the founder of Evangelism Explosion, which equips people in every nation and territory to share their faith in Christ. He was also the founder of two leading educational institutions located in Fort Lauderdale: Westminster Academy, a nationally respected Pre-K to 12th grade Christian school and Knox Theological Seminary, a graduate school preparing Christians for ministry as pastors, teachers, and missionaries.

Dr. Kennedy was born Nov. 3, 1930, but his Christian life did not begin until 1953. Sleeping late on a Sunday morning, his radio alarm went off and a preacher's booming voice invaded his slumber. "Suppose you were to die today and stand before God and He were to ask you, 'What right do you have to enter into My heaven?'-- what would you say?"

Dr. Kennedy soon discovered that answer was to trust in Christ alone for eternal life, and shortly after he made that commitment was called into the Gospel ministry. Crediting this radio program for hearing the call to Christianity, he founded WAFG (90.3 FM) in 1974 as an outreach for Christ to the South Florida community.

He began his pastorate at CRPC on June 21, 1959, and from the outset had a vision for global impact. In 1960, he read the words of Jeremiah 33:3 to the handful of people that comprised his then-fledgling congregation, "Call unto Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." He then told his small flock, "You know what? I believe we can change the world!"

That surprised many in his audience, but today, despite being a local pastor of one church for nearly five decades, Dr. Kennedy has had a worldwide ministry influence. In 1996, Evangelism Explosion -- through which nearly 5 million people have made commitments to Christ in 2006 alone -- became the first Christian ministry to be established in every nation on earth. Long after his passing, an extensive inventory of Dr. Kennedy's messages will continue through "Truths that Transform," a daily broadcast carried on nearly 750 radio stations across the U.S., and "The Coral Ridge Hour," a weekly television broadcast that airs on more than 400 stations and to 165 nations on the Armed Forces Network.

Dr. Kennedy's belief that God will continue to do "great and mighty things" through the obedient efforts of His people never faltered. His confidence in the future also extended to American culture. "America is in the throes of a cultural shift with enormous implications for the future," Dr. Kennedy said in 2004 noting the growth in the number of evangelical Christians in America. "If that trend continues, and I believe it will, Evangelical Christians will be in the majority sometime in the next decade," he added.

"We will miss Dr. Kennedy enormously," said Frank Wright, president of the National Religious Broadcasters. "His moral leadership and his legacy of impacting the globe for Jesus Christ is unmatched by few in the history of the Church. It is our desire to honor him by sustaining and multiplying his impact through Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church and all the ministries founded by Dr. Kennedy in the years to come."

Viewing and funeral arrangements will be announced shortly. A legacy Web site, http://www.DJamesKennedy.org, has been developed to pay tribute to the life and faith of Dr. Kennedy.

Posted by Ted Olsen at September 5, 2007 | Comments (41)

A Celebration of the Life and Ministry of D. James Kennedy (Official tribute site)

Megachurch leader D. James Kennedy dies (Associated Press)

Powerful pastor D. James Kennedy dead at 76 | Led Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church to national prominence (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)

Rev. D. James Kennedy, Broadcaster, Dies at 76 | Mr. Kennedy was a Christian broadcaster and the pastor of a Florida megachurch, who played a critical role in the rise of conservative Christianity. (The New York Times)

Politically Powerful TV Evangelist D. James Kennedy (The Washington Post

Televangelist made his church a political power | The Rev. D. James Kennedy left behind a worldwide evangelical ministry and a controversial legacy. (The Miami Herald, older version)

Pastor founded mega-church, expanded message to airwaves (Palm Beach Post)

D. James Kennedy, megachurch pioneer, dies at 76 (USA Today)

Religious Right Leader D. James Kennedy Dies at 76 (Religion News Service)

Dr. D. James Kennedy, 76, Leaves Legacy of Faithfulness | Dr. Dobson calls him 'a giant in the battle to restore traditional values.' (CitizenLink, Focus on the Family)

D. James Kennedy dead at 76 (Baptist Press)

'Excellence in All Things and All Things to God's Glory' | The legacy of Dr. D. James Kennedy (Albert Mohler)

Posted by Ted Olsen at September 5, 2007 | Comments (6)

Last night, KRDO reporter Tak Landrock e-mailed me, assuring me that the fund-raising letter from Ted Haggard (see my previous posts here and here) was genuine. Landrock then e-mailed me again, promising a new article on the subject would be posted overnight.

Here's the link to that new article, entitled "Ted Haggard's Non-Profit Choice Questioned."

One question that has been partially resolved has to do with the legal status of Families with a Mission, the charity that Ted Haggard had designated to receive donated funds. Lawyer Dave Coffman had discovered that the non-profit had been dissolved in February. Haggard-baiting lust columnist Dan Savage posted the relevant documents from the Colorado Secretary of State on the Seattle-based Stranger.com. What was Haggard doing using a defunct charity?

Families with a Mission has told Landrock that it is a bona fide legal entity in Hawaii. And Landrock says that checks out.

Remaining questions? Why did Ted Haggard give a Colorado address for the charity? Haggard didn't respond to questions about that.

And what about Paul Huberty, the registered sex offender who runs the non-profit? Haggard wouldn't comment to Landrock on that subject either.

Posted by David Neff at August 27, 2007 | Comments (17)

[New information added at end of post. 8/26/07, 10:10 PM]

Apparently KRDO consumer affairs reporter Tak Landrock has been in ongoing contact with Ted Haggard, and he believed the letter (see my earlier post) was genuine enough to go with the story. And so did experienced reporters at the Colorado Springs Gazette and the Associated Press. (AP religion editor Eric Gorski used to write for the Gazette and was the Denver Post reporter who covered the Haggard scandal as it broke last November. Eric should be close enough to the story to have reliable intuitions.)

Nevertheless, some people posting comments at Colorado Confidential are questioning the letter's authenticity.

The Zip Code for the alternate address in Scottsdale is not an Arizona Zip Code--although a 9 is just one key away from an 8. And the ages of Ted's children don't exactly match the ages another reader calculated based on information in the Wikipedia article on Ted--but then Wikipedia is not always the most reliable source and more than one father in history has been hazy about his children's precise ages.

No sign yet, however, that Ted or anyone close to him has denied that the letter is the genuine article. And KRDO broke the story almost four days ago.

In addition, readers at Colorado Confidential point out that with a slight adjustment in the Zip Code, that Scottsdale address is a private drop box operated by a fund-raising company. The letter may not be exactly from Ted's hand, but from an agency representing him. That could explain the question about the children's ages.

By the way, don't click on the Colorado Confidential link unless you want to scroll through a lot of abusive comments and--ummmm--colorful language.

[Updated 8/26/07, 10:10 PM]

Apparently the letter is genuine. I just received the following e-mail from Tak Landrock at Channel 13.

Hi David,

I just read your blog and I can tell you 100% that the e-mail from Pastor Ted Haggard is from him. I spoke with him on the phone Saturday evening.

Tak Landrock
NEWSCHANNEL 13

Posted by David Neff at August 26, 2007 | Comments (8)

Ted Haggard, former megachurch pastor and former president of the National Association of Evangelicals, is in the news again - this time asking gifts to provide two years of financial support while he and his wife Gayle study psychology and counseling at the University of Phoenix.

He sent an e-mail to reporter Tak Landrock of ABC affiliate KRDO - and from the way it appeals to "friends like you," it sounds like it was sent to a lot of people. KRDO has posted the letter as a Microsoft Word document, which you can download from here.

The news was also covered by the Colorado Springs Gazette and the Associated Press.

The letter raises three issues:

First, the e-mail blindsided the group of overseers charged with seeing Haggard through his time of repentance, recovery, and restoration. The Gazette quoted Mike Ware:

"We will review that his statement was premature, and we will talk to him about that. It is not an official release from us," Ware said. Ware wouldn't comment on the propriety of Haggard's plea for money but said he felt it was premature of Haggard to release the statement without first consulting the overseers.

So the first issue is simply that Haggard seems to be operating indepently and ahead of those who were appointed to be his spiritual guardians.

The second issue is the address Haggard's letter gives where "friends like you" should mail your donations. According to watchdogs in the blogosphere (see this for a start, which has been linked on multiple other blogs), it is a defunct charity whose mailing addresses belong to a sex offender from Hawaii. Curioser and curioser.

The third issue is raised by Haggard's assets. I'm sure he can use donations, but he wasn't exactly poor to start with. And many people who need to start over in midlife use home equity and other assets to tide them over their straitened circumstances. Some even take out student loans.

According to the Gazette:

Haggard received a salary of $115,000 for the 10 months he worked in 2006 and an $85,000 anniversary bonus before the scandal broke, according to church officials. The church's board of trustees gave him a severance package that included a year's salary ($138,000). He also collects royalties on his many book titles.

Haggard owns a home in Colorado Springs that has been for sale. It has a market value of $715,051, according to records from the El Paso County assessor.

Haggard says he needs your dollars. You decide.

Posted by David Neff at August 26, 2007 | Comments (58)

As I finish cleaning out my office, I want to say farewell and thank you to Christianity Today's readers. Today I leave my position as CT associate editor and begin the M.Div. program at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. I have loved hearing from you in response to articles I have written and edited. I'm encouraged to hear about all the ways you serve our Lord Jesus Christ and his kingdom.

You won't be completely rid of me, however. I have a few articles planned, and I will be writing a biweekly online opinion roundup of theology in the news. If you have tips about good theological resources and reflection on current events, send them to the CT staff. You might also drop these editors a note of encouragement. They love the Lord and love to help you think biblically about our world. I will miss working with them every day to serve you.

Posted by Collin Hansen at August 3, 2007 | Comments (1)

Zimbabwe's state paper runs an op-ed today saying that the country's independent media aren't sufficiently criticizing Catholic Archbishop Pius Ncube. (The archbishop, who has been the chief critic of Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe's extensive human rights abuses, was accused last week of adultery.) In The Herald, Caesar Zvayi writes that Zimbabwe's independent media, are "punishing the innocent while letting Barabas go scot-free."

Hmm. So if Mugabe's newspaper wants to call Ncube Barabbas, then that would make Mugabe...

It wouldn't be the first, or most egregious example, or Mugabe's cronies comparing him to Jesus. As Chenjerai Hove wrote in Pambazuka News earlier this year,

In the quest for glory and grandeur, the presidential palace is full of charlatans, praise-singers and flatterers. First they used to call him 'the son of God', and then one minister publicly said 'Mugabe is our Jesus Christ'. Next the minister of education and culture has recently designed and installed a 'throne' in parliament, for 'king Mugabe.' Then the minister of local government would not be outdone. He has decided to build 'a shrine' in Mugabe's home village. A shrine is a place of worship. So the president has become a god who deserves a 'shrine.' Thus, from VaMugabe ndibaba' (Mugabe is our father) to 'the son of God' to 'Jesus Christ' to a 'shrine' a place of worship, God.

Perhaps the most famous example is deputy minister of local housing Tony Gara calling Mugabe "the other son of God." In a 2002 African Sociological Review article, Ezra Chitando describes how the words of Christian songs were changed for political ends. "I will never cry when Jesus is there," for example, became, "I will never cry when Mr. Mugabe is there."

All of this might be confusing. If you're trying to remember the difference between Jesus and Robert Mugabe, here's a helpful tip: Jesus is the one who fed the 5,000. Mugabe is the one starving millions.

Posted by Ted Olsen at July 24, 2007 | Comments (5)

On Sunday mornings, I usually don't read in the newspapers about the hymns we're going to sing. This Sunday was an exception.

Tammy Faye Messner, better known by her first married name as Tammy Faye Bakker, died Friday. And The New York Times recalled this little detail from her life:

Mr. Bakker's wife vowed to stand by her man. When he was found guilty of fraud and conspiracy, she appeared at a news conference and, in tears, sang, "On Christ the solid rock I stand/All other ground is sinking sand."

Who knows what Tammy Faye meant in that moment, but the "Man" she sang about standing on was Jesus, not Jim. I had selected that hymn for Sunday's worship service because the Gospel lesson included Jesus' admonition to Martha of Bethany that there was "only one thing that was necessary." Edward Mote's 1834 hymn seemed like a good way to underscore that truth.

Mote wrote: "In every high and stormy gale / my anchor holds within the veil." Tammy Faye knew from stormy gales--from coping with an adulterous and fraudulent husband to her final struggles with cancer of the colon and lung. That hymn was full of Good News for her.

Tammy Faye wore a persona, a public mask. She was, after all, a performer and an entertainer. She insisted on wearing her hideously flamboyant make-up even when undergoing surgery. Entertainers, like all public figures, can easily lose track of themselves behind the mask.

But Tammy Faye had great moments of humility and authenticity--most famously, her refusal to condemn homosexuals. The Times, again:

"I refuse to label people," Ms. Messner said in a 2000 documentary, "The Eyes of Tammy Faye," when asked about her attitudes toward gay rights. "We're all just people made out of the same old dirt, and God didn't make any junk."

Most standard-issue evangelicals were not paying much attention to her by 2000, but a few told-you-so tongues began wagging when that movie came out. But I think her statement shouldn't be taken as a blessing on homosexuality so much as a fundamental affirmation of God's love for all sinners. Her experience with "high and stormy gales" to recognize we're all made of "the same old dirt," and that our only hope is to be "dressed in his righteousness alone."

Posted by David Neff at July 22, 2007 | Comments (15)

From a press release:

"Lady Bird Johnson was a wonderful woman devoted to her husband, her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was one of the greatest women I have ever known.

"During my wife''s long illness, Lady Bird would often phone her, and Ruth was always encouraged by those calls.

''Last Monday I spoke with Lady Bird Johnson and her family, who were at her bedside. Lynda and Luci were full of love for their mother, and conscious of the coming reality of heaven for her.

"Lady Bird''s family are in my thoughts and prayers. I hold each one of them with deep personal affection.''

Posted by Ted Olsen at July 12, 2007 | Comments (0)

Michael Luo has a piece in Saturday's New York Times on Hillary Clinton's faith:

Mrs. Clinton, the New York senator who is seeking the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, has been alluding to her spiritual life with increasing regularity in recent years, language that has dovetailed with efforts by her party to reach out to churchgoers who have been voting overwhelmingly Republican.

Mrs. Clinton's references to faith, though, have come under attack, both from conservatives who doubt her sincerity (one writer recently lumped her with the type of Christians who "believe in everything but God") and liberals who object to any injection of religion into politics. And her motivations have been cast as political calculation by detractors, who suggest she is only trying to moderate her liberal image.

Posted by Rob Moll at July 9, 2007 | Comments (16)

Tragically, Bruce R. Kennedy, 68, the retired CEO of Alaska Air, was killed in a single-plane crash on Thursday, June 28, in Cashmere, north central Washington State. For years, Kennedy was very active in supporting Christian missions overseas.

A statement from the Kennedy family details how Mr. Kennedy remained active in missions support work since his retirement from Alaska Air in 1991, especially with MAF(Missionary Aviation Fellowship).

The family said:

While we are deeply saddened by the loss of someone we love and admire so much, we rejoice in the knowledge that Bruce is united with his Lord Jesus and take comfort in the fact that he died doing something he loved and in which he took great pleasure.

Also, Kennedy served as chairman of Quest Aircraft. This firm was working on developing new aircraft designed to address the unique needs and demands of missions personnel serving in remote parts of the world.

Posted by Tim Morgan at July 2, 2007 | Comments (4)

In its September 2005 cover story, Christianity Today introduced Shane Claiborne and the Philadelphia intentional community, the Simple Way as models of what is being called the "new monasticism."

The daughter of friends of mine has worked with the Simple Way in its Yes! And afterschool program. They've kept me informed today via e-mail of the effects of a horrendous 7-alarm fire on the Simple Way community. As a result of the fire, eight neighboring families have lost their homes, the Simple Way has lost its community center, and Simple Way members Shane Claiborne and Jesce Walz have lost all their possessions. Fortunately, no community members were seriously injured or lost their lives.

"This fire will forever change the fabric of our community," says the Simple Way website. Check there for further updates, for fire photos, and for information on giving to help the Simple Way and the displaced families.

[uncredited photo from thesimpleway.org]

Posted by David Neff at June 20, 2007 | Comments (5)

Here's the press release regarding the funeral:

Ruth Graham's Life Celebrated by Husband, Children, and Community of Friends

All Five Graham Siblings Participate in Funeral Program and Greet the Public At Close Of Service; All 19 Grandchildren Serve as Pallbearers.

With her husband, Billy Graham, her older sister and five children participating in the program, and all 19 of her grandchildren serving as pallbearers or honorary pallbearers, Ruth Graham's life was celebrated at her public funeral today in the 2,000-seat Anderson Auditorium at the Montreat Conference Center filled to capacity with family members and friends from the local community.

The day began with a procession from the funeral home, where hundreds of local residents ? from families with little children to the frail and elderly ? lined the route to pay their respects to Mrs. Graham. Some stood with hands on hearts; others, including ranks of law enforcement and fire and rescue personnel, gave crisp salutes.

The funeral service began with a song by a special Memorial Chorale, swelled to a total of 70 local volunteers from the 20-member Montreat College choir, which honored Mrs. Graham's memory with several musical selections. Afterward, Dr. Richard White, Mrs. Graham's long-time pastor at Montreat Presbyterian Church, welcomed attendees.

"We gather today to say good-bye to truly a good servant, Ruth Bell Graham, but we also gather to say we believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord," he said before praying, "Our hearts are heavy with loss, yet we dare rejoice, for she is with You.".

All of the Graham children participated in the funeral, with eldest daughter Virginia "Gigi" reading one of the family's favorite selections from Mrs. Graham's poetry, appropriate to her death, which begins, "And when I die, I hope my soul ascends slowly, so that I may watch the earth receding out of sight, its vastness growing smaller as I rise, savoring its recession with delight."

Mrs. Graham's daughter, Ruth, referenced her mother's childhood in China as preparation for the ministry she would have as the wife of a globe-trotting evangelist and mother of their five children. Their youngest son, Ned, read a selection favored by Mrs. Graham from a book of Puritan prayers, and his brother Franklin recalled some special memories of his mother.

"Mama was a lot of fun, but she also believed the Bible, lived the Bible and taught the Bible," Franklin said. "She believed Jesus Christ died for our sins, that He is in Heaven and will come back some day.

"Mama lived what she believed," he continued. "The mama we saw at home was the one the world saw -- there weren't two Ruth Grahams. Mama, thank you for your example, your love, your wit, your humor, your craziness ? I love you for all of it and I'm going to miss you terribly."

Daughter Anne spoke of her mother's love for their father and how she taught the children to love him, despite his long absences. "She loved our Daddy, but greater was her love for God. She taught us to love our Daddy and to love Jesus."

Anne then read a portion of Scripture from Romans chapter eight, prefaced by a note she found written by her mother and taped in that place in her mother's Bible, "Perhaps today some word will reach us that prepares us for our tomorrow," she read. "Let's not miss that word."

Mrs. Graham's older sister Rosa Montgomery also shared family memories, bringing a chuckle to the crowd as she stated that she and Ruth were both "made in China." Rosa had spent much of the last six months with Ruth reminiscing about their happy childhood. "Weren't we lucky to have such good parents?" she said they agreed, and spoke as well of Ruth's adventurous spirit, "If there was ever any damage done anywhere, you could be sure that Ruth was in the middle of it."

As his children finished speaking, Mr. Graham rose from his seat in the front row to bring an unscheduled greeting to the crowd. "I want to welcome all of you and thank you for coming," he said. "Ruth was an incredible woman; I wish you could look in her casket because she is so beautiful. I sat there a long time last night looking at her, and I prayed, because I knew she had a great reception in heaven.

"I wish I could stay and visit with each of you but I've got to go to Charlotte, where we will bury Ruth at the Library, and my own strength is limited," Mr. Graham added before joking, "God bless all these grandchildren ? some of them I haven't seen in a long time and some I've never seen."

Upon leaving the service Mr. Graham said his sense of loss is beginning to sink in. He commented on the beauty of the service and the flowers, and said that he was pleased with the outpouring of public love and support and has been encouraged by the presence of his family at this time.

In his meditation, Dr. White spoke about sharing communion with the Graham family last January when Mrs. Graham was gravely ill, after which one of the children remarked how wonderful it was they could have this last time of communion together. He said that later Ruth sat up in her bed and said, "What is this, some kind of last rights?" and went on to live five more months. "That was classic Ruth Graham," he said.

"If you're here today and say, ?Ruth Graham was a great woman', you've missed the point of her life," Dr. White added. "The reason Ruth Graham was a great woman is because she had a great savior and a great love for Jesus Christ."

Dr. White spoke on Jesus' strikingly odd response of tears and anger at the funeral of his friend, Lazarus. "The tears were the tears of God for us -- your sadness touches Jesus; He knows your sorrows," he said, further explaining Jesus' anger was directed at death. "Jesus knows we were created to live, not die. Though we are powerless, He is able to do something about it."

Toward the end of the service, Franklin thanked the local volunteers for all their hard work in preparation for the service, adding that his father wanted him to thank his staff, who had worked so many months taking care of Mama. "They loved her, stayed up with her and helped her so many times," he said. "Thank you for the love you showed my mother."

Following the service, the five Graham siblings and their spouses remained behind to greet the public, before accompanying the funeral coach to Charlotte. Mrs. Graham's remains will lie in repose overnight at the newly dedicated Billy Graham Library, before being buried at a private, family-only interment ceremony Sunday at the foot of a cross-shaped walkway in the adjacent Prayer Garden.

An earlier press release noted that Graham's coffin was simple plywood, and was constructed by prisoners at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola.

Posted by Ted Olsen at June 17, 2007 | Comments (15)

The Grahams' hometown newspaper, the Asheville Citizen-Times, has several articles on Ruth today, along with video, audio, and photos.

The paper's editorial today ends by noting the epitaph Ruth herself proposed in Celebrating an Extraordinary Life: "End of Construction: Thank You for Your Patience."

Posted by Ted Olsen at June 15, 2007 | Comments (27)

From a Saddleback Church press release:

It is bittersweet to get the news about Ruth Bell Graham’s passing. However, as Christians we rejoice knowing that she has gone home to her Heavenly Father and that this day is the one that she lived her entire life for. I have admired her all my life, and particularly as a pastor’s wife, there was a great deal to glean from how she supported her husband’s ministry. She lived a life of servanthood, and in doing so was a leader and a role model to so many others. Rick and I extend our deepest sympathies to the entire Graham family as they mourn the passing of their wife and mother.

Posted by Ted Olsen at June 14, 2007 | Comments (4)

The Graham children have much to say about their mother. We've already posted one item from Anne Graham Lotz. The Charlotte Observer has items from Franklin and Ruth. These quotes, distributed by Graham's spokesman and publicist, differ slightly in style and substance, but not in sentiment:

Gigi Graham, eldest daughter
"Mother stood waiting outside the doorway?We would back away and watch as Daddy took Mother in his arms, kissing her warmly and firmly, knowing it would be some time before he would hold her again.

"Then Daddy was whisked away in the car, around the curves and down the steep mountain drive. We listened to the retreating sound of the engine and waited for the final "toot" of the horn as he reached the gate. Another plane to catch, another city, another Crusade, another period of weeks before we would be together as a family once more.

"I turned to look at Mother, sensing her feeling of loss and loneliness. Her eyes were bright with unshed tears, but there was a beautiful smile on her face as she said, "OK, let's clean the attic! Then we'll have Lao Niang and Lao I up for supper!" (That's Chinese for maternal grandmother and grandfather.)

"Not once did my mother make us feel that by staying behind she was sacrificing her life for us children. By her sweet, positive example, her consistently unselfish spirit, and her total reliance upon the Person of Jesus Christ, we were kept from becoming bitter or resentful. Instead, we learned to look for ways to keep busy and prepare for Daddy's homecoming."

Anne Graham Lotz, second daughter
"I would go down to my mother's room early in the morning. Her light would be on, and I would find her at her big, flat-top desk. She would be reading and studying her Bible, with about 14 different translations spread out around her.

"When I would go down to her room late at night, I would see the light on underneath the door and I'd go in, and she would be on her knees in prayer.

"As I look back on my childhood, I cannot remember any impression whatsoever that my mother was ever lonely. She may have been lonely, but I never saw it.

"I believe that our heavenly Father, our Savior, saved my mother from loneliness because of her daily walk with the Lord Jesus, He was the love of her life. I saw that in her life. It was her love for the Lord Jesus, with whom she walks every day, that made me want to love Him and walk with Him like that."

Ruth Graham, namesake daughter
"I cannot recall my earliest memory of my mother, but I am quite sure it is associated with joy. I now understand that her joy did not stem from perfect or ideal circumstances, but from a deep, abiding love affair with the Lord Jesus.

"Life was not easy for mother. With five children to raise; a home to run; a husband rarely at home and usually far away; and the world watching for any flaws and expecting her to be perfect, she experienced her share of sorrows, burdens, injustice, confusion, pressure, and hurt. However, I would not say I ever saw mother display anger or doubt.

"Mother's parents exercised a profound effect upon the development of her character and laid the foundations for who she was. What she witnessed in her family home, she practiced for herself ? dependence on God in every circumstance, love for His Word, concern for others above self and an indomitable spirit ? displayed with a smile. For her, self-sacrifice was a way of life.

"How does one live with one of the world's most famous men? God prepared my mother for this position years ago in China. Although she was never ?trained' for her role, Mother maintained her perspective and had the heart of an evangelist.

"Though often her gift was overshadowed by that of my father's, hers was exercised more effectively on behalf of individuals. At her deepest core was the desire for individuals to know Christ in a personal and intimate way. My mother talked to individuals, loving them one-by-one, showing her love and concern for them as people.

"It was far from easy. But she had a tender and yielded heart. Her happiness and fulfillment did not depend on her circumstances. She was a lovely, beautiful and wise woman because early in life, she made Christ her home, her purpose, her center, her confidant and her vision."

Franklin Graham, eldest son
"My mama loved the scriptures, she was a student of the scriptures, but she also had a great sense of humor. She loved to play jokes on people and she played them on daddy, she played them on daddy's staff, and she always, right up until the day she went to heaven, had a twinkle in her eye - a mischievous twinkle that was almost like she was sitting there thinking about what she could do to get one up on you. Mama was just always a lot of fun."

"For my mother, right was right and wrong was wrong, she never compromised on anything. She stood strong for what was biblically correct and accurate. She would help my father prepare his messages, listening with an attentive ear, and if she saw something that wasn't right or heard something that she felt wasn't as strong as it could be, she was a voice to strengthen this or eliminate that. Every person needs that kind of input in their life and she was that to my father. My father would not have been what he is today if it wasn't for my mother. Ruth Graham was that rock in my father's life."

Ned Graham, youngest son
"That mountain home was Mother's nest. Back in her bedroom, she had her own study desk - a big, wide, flatboard table that she had gotten from an old mountain cabin and restored. She had it pushed up against the wall, and stacked on top were her study Bibles, commentaries and concordance. I can remember as a boy getting up early and going into her room, where she would be sipping coffee while quietly studying.

"As I grew older, my parents were pretty good about giving me liberty to come and go as I pleased. But my mother, like most mothers, had her own way of getting her point across. She always sat up and waited until I got home - no matter what time it was. It really bugged me, because it made me feel guilty. I don't know how many times I tried to slip in late. There she would be, dressed in her robe, sitting in her rocker with a book or a Bible on her lap. "Thank God you're all right," she'd say.

"You don't need to wait up for me," I'd say sheepishly. Mama would just smile, say goodnight and go to her room. As intent as I was on showing my independence and partying late if I wanted to, after awhile Mama's night watchman routine got to me, although these confrontations weren't mean or bitter.

"Mother has always offered so much love and she always enjoyed learning about something new."

Posted by Ted Olsen at June 14, 2007 | Comments (23)

The Billy Graham Center Archives in Wheaton, Illinois, (not to be confused with the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, N.C.) has a wonderful collection of photos, recordings, and documents.

Among the recordings is a brief testimony Ruth gave at Billy Graham's 1949 Los Angeles crusade. It's brief, but her humor, passion for Christ, and her own love of evangelism comes through clearly. (Okay, maybe the audio quality makes it come through slightly less clear on some computers, but the Billy Graham Center Archives does offer a transcript, too.)

Posted by Ted Olsen at June 14, 2007 | Comments (2)

From the White House:

Laura and I are deeply saddened by the death of Ruth Bell Graham, a remarkable woman of faith whose life was defined by her belief in a personal, loving, and gracious God. She was an encouraging friend, accomplished poet, and devoted mother of five and grandmother of 19.

Ruth's marriage to her husband Billy was a true and loving partnership. As the wife of the world's most beloved evangelist, she inspired people around the world with her humor, intelligence, elegance, and kindness. Laura and I offer our prayers and condolences to Billy and the Graham family.

Posted by Ted Olsen at June 14, 2007 | Comments (6)

Press release:

Public Invited to Attend Funeral Service for Ruth Bell Graham, Late Wife of Billy Graham

Mrs. Graham to be Honored by Friends and Family in Montreat, N.C., Followed by a Private Family-Only Interment in Charlotte

ASHEVILLE, June 14 – Mrs. Ruth Bell Graham, beloved wife of evangelist Billy Graham, died in her home at 5:05 p.m. today from complications of pneumonia, surrounded by her husband and five children. Though her health became increasingly unstable in recent days, she was very peaceful at the end and simply stopped breathing.

A public funeral service to honor Mrs. Graham, has been scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 16 in Anderson Auditorium at the Montreat Conference Center in Montreat, N.C.

Mr. Graham and his family have extended an invitation for the public to join them in honoring the life and memory of their wife and mother at this event. Anderson Auditorium's seating capacity is limited to 2,000, on a first come basis, after which guests will be directed to additional overflow seating at three closed-circuit video venues, including Chapel of the Prodigal and Gaither Chapel in Montreat. As security precautions will be in effect, no large bags, backpacks or coolers will be allowed into the auditorium.

This will, in essence, be Mrs. Graham's only funeral. A private, family-only, interment service will be held the following day at her final resting place in the Prayer Garden on the grounds of the recently-dedicated Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, N.C., which is closed on Sundays, with no events for the public at that location on the day of her burial.

During the height of the summer conference season, access to Anderson Auditorium is limited, so a shuttle service has been arranged to accommodate public attendance at the service. Because of the absolute unavailability of parking in Montreat, anyone interested in attending the funeral must use public shuttles, which will begin operating at 11 a.m. on the day of the service. Shuttle pick-up points for the public will be in Black Mountain at the following locations, in order of pick-up: the old Food Lion, 408 U.S. 70 Highway; the Ingles Market parking lot at 2913 U.S. Highway 70 West (southeast corner of the Campfire Restaurant); and the BI-LO grocery store at 205 N.C. Highway 9, Black Mountain.

Additional information on Mrs. Graham's life and memorial events is available online at www.billygraham.org/ruthgraham; individuals can also send condolences and reflect on her unique ministry impact. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that tax deductible contributions be made to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) General Fund, 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, N.C., 28201.

Arrangements have also been made for the public to place memorials at two remembrance locations, where BGEA staff will be on hand to receive flowers and condolences. The first site is located at Chatlos Chapel on the grounds of the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove, in Asheville, N.C., which will open at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 15. A second location is at the "rock" entrance to the Charlotte headquarters of the BGEA, located off Billy Graham Parkway at 4350 Westmont Drive, which will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Friday June 15 to Sunday June 17.

Members of the public desiring to pay their respects to Mrs. Graham are also welcome to position themselves along the processional route the morning of the service. The cortege will depart Morris Funeral Home, 304 Merrimon Ave. in Asheville, and proceed east on Route 70 to Anderson Auditorium.

Posted by Ted Olsen at June 14, 2007 | Comments (21)

From the Religion News Service obituary:

Despite her wish to keep religion and politics separate, she, like her husband, developed a fondness for President Richard Nixon. When Nixon was hospitalized following his resignation, she paid to fly a banner outside the hospital that read: "Nixon we love you. So does God."

Posted by Ted Olsen at June 14, 2007 | Comments (2)

(I'll try to keep this one updated as I find items.)

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has a memorial site for Ruth.

A. Larry Ross and Associates, Billy's longtime personal publicist and spokesman, has photos, video, and more information.

RuthBellGraham.com expired in 2005 and is now a cybersquatter's site, but its content is still available at the Internet Archive.

The Billy Graham Center Archives in Wheaton, Illinois, (not to be confused with the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, N.C.) has wonderful photos, recordings, and documents.

Obituaries on Ruth Bell Graham include those from the Associated Press, Asheville Citizen-Times, Charlotte Observer, Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, News14 Charlotte, and other sources.

Posted by Ted Olsen at June 14, 2007 | Comments (0)

"We don't see many examples of couples who made it through that many decades of marriage with all the lamps still blazing. Leave it to Ruth Bell Graham to show us, brilliantly, how it is done."

Her full tribute is at Beliefnet.

Posted by Ted Olsen at June 14, 2007 | Comments (3)

Statement by Anne Graham Lotz in regard to the death of her mother, Ruth Bell Graham:

My Mother’s legacy in my life runs very deep … and wide. When I think of my Mother, I think of…

… her sparkling eyes--she just loved life. She was full of fun, opinions, and a zest for living that was evident until her last breath.

…her arms always outstretched to welcome me into her presence with unconditional love.

…her quips and quotes, such as:

Anne, make the most of all that comes, and the least of all that goes.
A good marriage is made up of two good forgivers.
Every cat knows some things need to be covered.
It takes two to make a fight.
God called you not to make your husband good, but to make him happy.
You can’t teach your kids to like spinach if every time they see you eating yours, you gag.

But two things stand out above all the rest. My Mother was in love with Jesus…and that love was contagious. She wasn’t caught up in religion or tradition or rituals-- she was caught up in a personal relationship with Jesus.
And she developed that relationship through hours spent reading and studying her Bible, hours spent on her knees in prayer.

Growing up, my bedroom was situated directly over hers. It didn’t matter what time I went to bed at night--I could see the light from her window reflected on the trees outside and I knew she was up. If I slipped down to her room, I would find her on her knees in prayer beside her bed. Regardless of what time I got up in the morning, I would find her at her big flat top desk, reading her Bible.

She taught me by her example that Jesus is everything. He was the wellspring of her love and joy and peace that overflowed into our home. His presence was enough to ease the pain of her loneliness without Daddy. His power was enough to get her through the day, for all practical purposes, as a single parent.

I have no doubt that the reason I love Jesus and I love my Bible is because she did…and she planted those seeds in my heart long ago.

I have been asked what I will miss most about my Mother. The answer is simple: Everything!

If I could have seen the other side of the Pearly Gates when she entered, I believe I would have seen millions of angels standing to applaud Jesus … giving Him all the glory and praise for the life of Ruth Bell Graham.

Posted by Ted Olsen at June 14, 2007 | Comments (14)

Here's the press release. Christianity Today will be offering original full coverage on the main site shortly.

RUTH BELL GRAHAM DIES: Wife of Billy Graham Succumbs to Lingering Illness, Surrounded by Loved Ones at Her Deathbed

MONTREAT, N.C., June 14 ? Mrs. Ruth Bell Graham, beloved wife of world-renowned evangelist Billy Graham, died at 5:05 p.m. today, at her home at Little Piney Cove in Montreat, N.C., surrounded by her husband and all five children. She was 87. Dates and times for a family-only interment ceremony and a public memorial service will be released when available.

"Ruth was my life partner, and we were called by God as a team," Mr. Graham said of his life-long marriage and ministry partner. "No one else could have borne the load that she carried. She was a vital and integral part of our ministry, and my work through the years would have been impossible without her encouragement and support.

"I am so grateful to the Lord that He gave me Ruth, and especially for these last few years we've had in the mountains together," Mr. Graham continued. "We've rekindled the romance of our youth, and my love for her continued to grow deeper every day. I will miss her terribly, and look forward even more to the day I can join her in Heaven."

Mr. Graham confirmed today that his wife's final resting place will be at the foot of a cross-shaped walkway in the Prayer Garden on the grounds of the recently dedicated Library bearing his name adjacent to his ministry headquarters in Charlotte. Earlier this year the Grahams agreed together that they would be buried side-by-side at the Library, a decision made by the two of them alone.

Ruth Bell was born June 10, 1920, in Qingjiang, Kiangsu, China, the daughter of medical missionaries L. Nelson and Virginia Leftwich Bell. She attended high school in Pyongyang, (now North) Korea. She first came to the United States at the age of 7, while her parents were on furlough. She returned to the US at the age of 17 to attend Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill. Shortly after his arrival on campus, she was introduced to "Preacher," the nickname other students gave the strapping Billy Graham from Charlotte, North Carolina. They were married in August, 1943, following their graduating together that June.

Between 1945 and 1958, Mrs. Graham gave birth to five children, whom she raised ? sometimes single-handedly ? while her husband was away on extended national and international evangelistic crusades. The three daughters and two sons who survive her are all actively involved in ministry, including eldest son Franklin, who heads the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) founded by his father.

"My father would not have been what he is today if it wasn't for my mother," Franklin said. " She stood strong for what was biblically correct and accurate. She would help my father prepare his messages, listening with an attentive ear, and if she saw something that wasn't right or heard something that she felt wasn't as strong as it could be, she was a voice to strengthen this or eliminate that. Every person needs that kind of input in their life and she was that to my father."

In 1959, Mrs. Graham published her first book, "Our Christmas Story," an illustrated volume for children. She went on to write or co-author 13 other books, many of them works of poetry she wrote as an emotional release while her husband was so often on the road through the years.

"I don't believe Mother has adequately been recognized and honored for what she had done; because, without her, Daddy's ministry would not have been possible," said Ruth Graham, youngest daughter ? and namesake ? regarding her mother's influence and partnership in her father's ministry.

"How does one live with one of the world's most famous men?," daughter Ruth continued. "God began training my mother for this position years ago in China. Her parents exercised a profound effect upon the development of her character, and laid the foundations for who she was. What she witnessed in her family home, she practiced for herself ? dependence on God in every circumstance, love for His Word, concern for others above self, and an indomitable spirit displayed with a smile.

"Her happiness and fulfillment did not depend on her circumstances," the younger Ruth concluded. "She was a lovely, beautiful and wise woman, because early in life she made Christ her home, her purpose, her center, her confidant, and her vision."

Mrs. Graham's significant role in Mr. Graham's ministry was recognized in 1996, when they were jointly awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in a special ceremony in the Capital Rotunda in Washington, which reflected a consensus of love and support from all branches of government in attendance.

Ruth Graham was always a vital part of Mr. Graham's evangelistic career, and he turned to her for advice and input about many ministry decisions. One of the early uses of media by the BGEA was the "Hour of Decision" radio program begun in 1950, which she named. After her upbringing in China and high school experience in Korea, she continued to have a burden for the people of Asia. She encouraged her husband to visit and later accompanied him during his historic visits to the People's Republic of China.

Ruth Graham has been in frail health since suffering spinal meningitis in 1995. That was exacerbated by a degenerative back condition that began with a fall out of a tree while helping a grandchild fix a swing in 1974 that resulted in chronic back pain for many years. Bedridden or wheelchair-bound since the late 1990s, Mrs. Graham wasn't able to accompany her husband during his last few years of ministry, but was always a continued source of inspiration and support for her him through her prayers and wise biblical counsel.

Mrs. Graham is survived by her husband Billy: daughters, Virginia, Anne Morrow, and Ruth Bell; sons William Franklin, III, and Nelson Edman; 19 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association also has a memorial site for Ruth. The press release above is from A. Larry Ross and Associates, Billy's longtime personal publicist and spokesman. Ross's site has photos, video, and more information.

Obituaries on Ruth Bell Graham include those from the Associated Press, Asheville Citizen-Times, Charlotte Observer, Time, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and other sources.

Posted by Ted Olsen at June 14, 2007 | Comments (31)

Don Lattin is right. In the introduction to his forthcoming book on the Children of God cult led by David "Mo" Berg, Lattin says, "Some Christians may take issue with the title of this book, Jesus Freaks: A True Story of Murder and Madness on the Evangelical Edge." He then defends the title and subtitle by pointing out that Berg was "deeply rooted in the Christian tradition" and that he "came straight out of American evangelicalism."

Ah, well, the key word is "out." Berg was not "in" American evangelicalism, but rather "came ... out." He wasn't even close to "the Evangelical Edge."

So yes, I'm one of those Christians who will take issue with the title of Lattin's book (due out from the newly rechristened HarperOne in October.) The copy is designed to sell the book to those who think of "evangelicals" as dangerous and deluded. And while the term "freak" wasn't at all pejorative at the time of the Jesus movement, it's combination with "murder," "madness," and "evangelical edge" reinforces its more current and decidedly more lurid usage.

Nevertheless, the topic of the book and Lattin's reputation as a writer for the San Francisco Chronicle make me want to spend more time with the uncorrected proof we received in today's mail.

I encountered the Children of God in '74 or '75 in San Diego's Balboa Park. Fortunately, they did not try out their "flirty fishing" free-love recruitment techniques on me. (I probably didn't look like a good candidate since I was with my wife and two preschoolers.) So they just gave me some of their free literature. But even that was scary stuff. It reeked of the paranoid and delusional.

By the way, there is one erratum to watch out for in the book's introduction.

Lattin says that Berg was trained as an itinerant evangelist and began his "late-blooming ministry" in the Christian and Missionary Alliance, which he identifies as "one of the nation's earliest networks of Pentecostal churches." But the C&MA is not Pentecostal. Classical Pentecostalism teaches the gift of tongues as the "initial evidence" of the reception of the Holy Spirit. The C&MA explicitly denies this, while allowing for members to speak in tongues if they are so moved by the Spirit.

The C&MA should instead be classified as a Holiness denomination. It teaches entire sanctification - though it understands that as a combination of crisis moment and ongoing process.

Posted by David Neff at June 14, 2007 | Comments (8)

From the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association comes word that Ruth is near death, and that she changed her mind about where she wants to be buried:

Earlier this spring, after much prayer and discussion, Ruth and I made the decision to be buried beside each other at the Billy Graham Library in my hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina.

We have held this decision privately and only decided to announce it now that she is close to going home to Heaven.

Ruth is my soul mate and best friend, and I cannot imagine living a single day without her by my side. I am more in love with her today than when we first met over 65 years ago as students at Wheaton College.

Ruth and I appreciate, more than we can express, the prayers and letters of encouragement we have received from people across the country and around the world. Our entire family has been home in recent days and it has meant so much to have them at our side during this time. We love each one of them dearly and thank God for them.

Graham spokesman A. Larry Ross told reporters that Ruth's health had rallied after she was treated for pneumonia two weeks ago, but later deteriorated. Graham, 87, slipped into a coma this morning. The Asheville Citizen-Times reports that four of the couple's five children are at the Grahams' home in Montreat now, with the fifth, Ned, en route.

Update (6/14, 8:18 a.m.) after the jump

The Washington Post's Laura Sessions Stepp, who in December broke the story about the Graham family dispute over Billy and Ruth's burial site, has several details today.

[Though Ruth had earlier signed a document saying she wanted to be buried at The Cove and that "under no circumstances am I to be buried in Charlotte, N.C.,"] in March, Ruth and Billy signed another document saying they wanted to be buried in Charlotte, according to BGEA spokesman Larry Ross. Ross said the paper was signed in the presence of an attorney and a doctor. ...

After the Post story ran, Billy said he and Ruth would be buried at the Cove. In early January, David Bruce, Billy Graham's executive assistant, circulated among the family a tentative plan for Ruth's burial at the Cove. Asked two days ago whether that plan was still in place, Bruce said it was, as far as he knew.

Ned Graham said yesterday that when he visited his mother a week and a half ago, she told him she still intended to be buried at the Cove. He said he and his sister Anne first learned of the change last night.

"I know this goes against my mother's wishes," he said. ...

According to Ross, Ruth Graham has been alternately conscious and unconscious for a while. Earlier this week, with a doctor's approval, Billy and several of the children, including Franklin, decided to withdraw the solids and liquids from her feeding tube, Ross said.

Earlier in the week, she was talking and asking for Coca-Cola, chocolate and gravy, Ned said, and staff members occasionally slipped a bit onto her tongue.

It's ironic that Ruth's final moments are concurrent with this public family dispute. Ruth worked very hard to protect her family from public scrutiny, and to keep family tensions quiet.

Posted by Ted Olsen at June 13, 2007 | Comments (24)

James Forbes is a powerful preacher, with a well-deserved reputation. But now that he's retiring, some of the tensions that his 18-years of ministry have brought to Manhattan's famous Riverside are surfacing in the media. On Sunday, the New York Times covered last week's colorful celebration of Forbes's ministry, and surfaced some of the critics as well. (See "With an Exit, a Historic Church at a Crossroads." )

Their complaint? According to the Times, "Dr. Forbes's detractors, most of whom have histories at the church that predate him, accuse him of softening Riverside's political involvement and abandoning his predecessors' intellectual approach for something more evangelical. At times, he has shown a fondness for altar calls during services, and his sermons can be long and emotional."

The Times story makes it clear: Forbes has been no slouch at social activism - he was arrested during the Haitian refugee crisis and hosted Nelson Mandela when he was released from prison. But like many African-American preachers, he has blended liberal social activisim with a biblically-based piety. No, he has reinforced social activism with biblical piety.

He told the Times:

"People thought they were getting Bible Belt values as well as my Bible Belt style," he said. "There were meetings questioning my commitment to social justice. I believe in people anchoring their faith to a more personal relationship with God. But there's plenty of room at the Riverside Church for people to feel uncomfortable.

"There was a time when the church was viewed in terms of its commentary on social events," he went on. "I felt that having a biblical foundation actually strengthens that," he said of his sermons.

Ah. There's the rub. Some of Riverside Church's old guard want their social gospel unadulterated by ... um ... the gospel.

Related: Following the September 11 attacks, Leadership, CT's sister publication for pastors, interviewed Forbes about ministry after such a disaster. That conversation is available to members in our paid archive.

Posted by David Neff at June 11, 2007 | Comments (2)

The Daily Herald, a paper of the western suburbs of Chicago, features this story about a young woman:

Kristen Anderson’s world was shattered after the deaths of four friends and her grandmother. As she was grieving those losses, she was raped. Feeling she had no way to cope, she tried to kill herself. She survived, and now shares her story with others, to reach out to those who feel hopeless.

Just another story of God's inscrutably redeeming ways. Both predictable (for we've seen him do this time and again) and wonderful (miracles, no matter how generic, are amazing to behold).

Then again, no miracle is generic, and the problem here is likely a problem of journalism: this is narrative arc that makes sense to a typical 21st century journalist. I'm guessing a deeper look at Kristen's life would suggest something both miraculous and utterly unique.

Posted by Mark Galli at May 29, 2007 | Comments (0)

Today's memorial service for the Rev. Jerry Falwell brings to a close one of the most interesting chapters of recent American political and religious history. Falwell, a recovering fundamentalist, made evangelical political involvement the norm, no matter how many toes he stepped on both inside and outside the camp. At times a bombastic publicity seeker who was known to develop embarrassing cases of hoof-in-mouth disease, Falwell was a devoted pastor, broadcaster, evangelist, and provider of ministries to the poor, unwed mothers, and other down-and-outers.

Yes, he sometimes made evangelicals out to be just another political interest group in the service of the Republican Party. But those megapastors who have followed him into the public arena, such as Rick Warren, testify to his godly example. Even his political enemies, such as Jesse Jackson and Larry Flynt, agree that Falwell was a good man, full of warmth and good cheer.

As someone who has made my own fair share of dumb public statements, I can only hope to leave that kind of a legacy. I don't know whether history will judge Jerry Falwell very kindly. But I have a feeling that his gracious Lord will.

Posted by Stan Guthrie at May 22, 2007 | Comments (14)

Krista Tippett interviews Shane Claiborne on her public radio program Speaking of Faith. For those who were interested in CT's coverage of the New Monasticism Tippett's interview gives more background information on what drew Claiborne into the life that he and others model in the new monasticism.

Posted by Rob Moll at May 21, 2007 | Comments (2)

When I saw that Shane Claiborne's book The Irresistible Revolution was being released on audio, I wasn't surprised. It was a good read; Shane's an interesting character. But I was surprised when I saw the catalog's ad copy that read something like "The revolution continues, and now it's available on MP3." How can these guys continue their critique of consumer Christianity when they're hawking their goods like this? I thought.

I was relieved then, when I saw The Wittenburg Door's interview with Claiborne in its May/June issue.

DOOR: What do you do with the royalties from your book?

CLAIBORNE: In the back of the book, I list ordinary radicals and local revolutions. We're spreading that money out to a lot of other groups that are doing beautiful work. To me, that's the only logical way that I would know to have integrity with that.

The rest of the interview is Shane being Shane. Here's his response to his being on the cover of CT.

When people want to talk about the new monasticism I'm like, "No, no. I'm not really interested in that. I want to talk about community, church history, and things like that." I feel like it's one thing to say life happens like we're doing here, talking in a diner. It's another thing to say, "Let's have a conference about talking in diners." Now we have book deals and stuff, so it gets really complicated.

Also, from reading a lot of the buzz around all of this, you get the sense that God is very, very hard at work among male white evangelicals. That puts a tremendous responsibility on those of us who find ourselves in places where we're more visible because there is a whole lot happening in the Church all over the world that doesn't make the magazine covers.

Posted by Rob Moll at May 17, 2007 | Comments (1)

Last night I attended (and played the organ for) Bob Webber's memorial service. (You can read Bob's Christianity Today obit here.)

The memorial service was wonderful in many ways, but I want to point to one thing in particular. It wasn't about Bob.

Well, yes, it was about Bob, it couldn't help being about Bob, but as someone who has written a multitude of pages and taught innumerable students about worship, Bob insisted that his service focus on the great saving acts of God.

Here is part of what he wrote for the worship leaflet:

As a Christian I have always believed in Christ as the Victor over sin and death. I believe that Christ was the Second Adam, sent to this earth as God Incarnate, suffered death, was buried and rose from the dead to restore the entire creation. I believe that it is God who narrates the entire world and creation, from start to finish. Consequently I have no fear of death although I do fear the process.

Today, there are literally hundreds of different styles one can follow ... for a funeral. However, historic Christian funerals were always about God. I ... truly want [my own funeral] to be about God who created this world, defeated Satan at the cross and rose victorious over death and the grave.

Today we begin with several eulogies, then when those are done, the real funeral begins and it's all about God. I want my funeral to be a testimony to the God who raises us from hopelessness and blesses us with new life in Him. ...

And that is the way it was last night. As a large crowd of mourners packed into Christ Church of Oak Brook, we heard the eulogies first, and then we focused on God, remembering Christ's death and resurrection and looking forward to the marriage supper of the Lamb.

This is the way it should be, because there is no greater comfort than the gospel. Too often funerals play down the reality of death with sentimental poetry such as these lines from Shelley: "he is not dead, he doth not sleep -/ He hath awakened from the dream of life." We don't need romanticism, but redemption - especially at funerals.

Posted by David Neff at May 17, 2007 | Comments (3)

Journalist Studs Terkel (Working) turns 95 today. Studs is a liberal in the old-fashioned populist sense: committed to labor and the working person.

Terkel's journalism was based on interviews. Listening to real people talk about their lives. As an outsider to religion, he would nevertheless pay attention to religion on occasion because it was part of the working class landscape and a vital part of people's lives. One of my favorite Studs Terkel radio shows was his classic interview with gospel singer Mahalia Jackson. Chicago's WFMT used to replay it every Good Friday. And you could hear the pained longing in Terkel's voice as he listened to her talk about Christ's sacrifice and sing "Were You There?"

Here's a snapshot of Studs and me from September 2002. Christianity Today hosted Studs for some in-service education with our editors and writers. What a storyteller!

Sorry the photo doesn't show Terkel's signature red socks. The red-and-white checked shirt is just as much a part of his trademark, though.

Posted by David Neff at May 17, 2007 | Comments (2)

The passing of one of America's most prominent Southern Baptist pastors is prompting many comparisons to another, Rick Warren. A Dallas Morning News editorial is one example:

[By 9/11/01,] Mr. Falwell's brand of political Christianity was beginning to lose its luster within evangelicalism. New leaders were rising, pushing issues like care for the environment and compassion for Africans suffering from AIDS. Younger pastors like Rick Warren ... have become voices of a less partisan movement that engages the wider world but is not as closely tied to the Republican Party. Mr. Falwell's death marks not only the passing of a man, but the passing of an era.

(Warren's response after the jump.)

The Washington Post's Hanna Rosin similarly writes:

The new breed of evangelical leader does not have the temperament of a protester. He is a consummate professional who speaks in modulated terms and knows his way around Washington. ... If they took a political poll on the usual culture war issues, Falwell and Warren would end up in exactly the same place -- antiabortion, against gay rights. Both have written books saying that Jesus is the only way to salvation. But Warren's public style is entirely different.

For the most part, Warren keeps a low political profile. When asked which presidential candidate he supports, he praises both Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, a Democrat, and Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas, a Republican and religious conservative. Warren donated the proceeds from his book to help combat AIDS in Africa. He associates himself with "creation care," a movement of evangelical environmentalists. To ensure wide distribution, Warren makes sure he goes down easy: "You were made by God and for God, and until you understand that, life will never make sense," reads a quote from him printed on millions of Starbucks cups. ... Warren is an obvious leader but he shuns the political spotlight.

Rosin calls evangelicalism's "Falwell generation" -- she names James Dobson as a cohort -- as "a little too extreme for mainstream politics." Wake Forest's Bill Leonard made a similar comment to CT's reporter: "With some exceptions, the new generation of megachurch pastors are just not as interested in politicizing their ministries as Falwell did." But when one thinks of his other evangelical leaders born in the 1920s and 1930s, the names that spring to my mind at least are either anything but too extreme for mainstream politics (Jimmy Carter, Mark Hatfield, Chuck Colson, Rep. Frank Wolf, Millard Fuller, Tony Campolo, Al Quie, John Perkins) or those hardly associated with politics (Chuck Swindoll, Bill Bright, R.C. Sproul, Robert Schuller, Lew Smedes, John Wimber, David Wilkerson, Adrian Rogers, Tom Oden, Stan Mooneyham, Stephen V. Monsma, Josh McDowell, Haddon Robinson, Eugene Peterson, Clayton Bell). Want to note that Robertson is of the same "generation"? Sure, but he can do AIDS, environment, and folksy inspiration as well as anyone.

Time's Nancy Gibbs gets it: "It will be tempting to call Falwell's passing the end of an era, but that risks missing the larger point. The movement he helped lead was never monolithic, or as tidy as its critics imagine - or obedient to earthly powers."

Anyway, back to Warren. His press release on Falwell's death is revealing for what it says about both men:

"Jerry Falwell was one of the giant figures who towered over the 20th Century American church. While most people knew him as the founder of the Moral Majority, the face of the Religious Right, and by some of his more controversial statements, many saw only his opponent's caricature of the real man.

The story was never told about his compassionate heart, his gentle spirit, his enormous sense of humor, and the millions he invested in helping the underprivileged. Jerry founded the Elim Home for alcoholics, the Center for tutoring inner city children, the Hope Aglow ministry to prisoners, Liberty Godparent Home for unwed mothers, and literally dozens of other compassion projects to help the poor, the sick, and others in desperate need.

I believe Jerry Falwell's primary legacy will not be his political leadership, but the church he pastored for 50 years; the university he founded that has produced two generations of leaders; the millions who heard him preach the Good News; the innovations in ministry he introduced; and the thousands of young pastors, like myself, whom he constantly encouraged, even when we did it differently."

A focus on his church, encouraging other pastors, and dozens of compassion projects. That's what Warren thinks Falwell's legacy is. The headline on Rosin's article says Falwell was "old news" to evangelical leaders like Warren. Sounds like Warren disagrees. (Update: The Ocala Star-Banner reports that Falwell liked Warren, too.)

Posted by Ted Olsen at May 16, 2007 | Comments (3)

The Billy Graham evangelistic association has issued this statement from evangelist Rev. Dr. Billy Graham concerning the death of Jerry Falwell:

"Jerry Falwell was a close personal friend for many years. We did not always agree on everything, but I knew him to be a man of God. His accomplishments went beyond most clergy of his generation. Some of my grandchildren have attended and currently attend Liberty University. He leaves a gigantic vacuum in the evangelical world. I am praying for his family, and especially the university that he headed."

Posted by Tim Morgan at May 15, 2007 | Comments (14)

Jerry Falwell, an accomplished evangelist, pastor, educator, and political leader, has died. He was 73. Falwell had a history of heart problems, but officials have not yet confirmed the cause of death.

Posted by Collin Hansen at May 15, 2007 | Comments (3)

The local newspaper in Lynchburg, Virginia, reports that Jerry Falwell has been taken to the hospital. According to a Liberty University official, Falwell missed a morning meeting and was discovered unconscious in his office.

Posted by Collin Hansen at May 15, 2007 | Comments (0)

In 2000, Slate's David Plotz praised Chuck Colson for being selfless, humble, the "Switzerland of the culture war," and an "equal-opportunity critic, smacking the left for its sneers at religion and the right for its intolerant moralizing." But he warned that "Colson is changing as his popularity increases ... [and] sounds increasingly like other religious-right preachers."

Eh, not so much, says Doug Bandow in an American Spectator piece today suggesting Colson is "trending left" by becoming a "corporate scourge." At issue is Colson's April 2 BreakPoint commentary on Circuit City's layoffs, "Disposable Workers."

"The mere fact that a firm fires for economic reasons an employee it originally hired for economic reasons does not, in Colson's words, leave 'people as disposable commodities and dehumanized,'" Bandow writes.

Prison Fellowship’s vice president of direct marketing, Allen Thornburgh, also criticized Colson's commentary on BreakPoint's own blog, The Point.

The "evangelical view of economics" discussion goes on.

Posted by Ted Olsen at May 4, 2007 | Comments (3)

Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church isn't pleased with response to his "Good Soldier" video, shown last week for the National New Church Conference in Orlando. Bill Hybels of Willow Creek Church followed the video by affirming that women, too, have spiritual gifts. Driscoll makes clear that he believes Scripture endorses men only to lead churches. Watch the video for yourself:

TallSkinnyKiwi addresses some allegations about what did and did not happen with the video at the conference.

Posted by Collin Hansen at May 1, 2007 | Comments (145)

I was away from home this weekend to play the organ for the memorial service of a friend's mother. When I returned home, I found multiple e-mails telling me that my friend Bob Webber had finally passed away after his long struggle with pancreatic cancer.

Bob taught many of us that God--not the congregation--is the primary "audience" for what happens in our worship services. He has now joined with the heavenly anthem in proclaiming, "Worthy is the Lamb."

CT will soon be posting an obituary on our website. And I'm sure others will want to join me in blogging their own memories of Bob. But in the meantime, here's a press release from Dr. Jim Hart of the Robert E. Webber Institute of Worship Studies.

[Full press release after the jump]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Noted theologian and author Dr. Robert E. Webber died yesterday in his home in Sawyer, Michigan, after an eight-month struggle with pancreatic cancer. He was 73 years old.

Dr. Webber was born in Congo of missionary parents, and was raised in the Philadelphia area. He earned the Th.D. from Concordia Theological Seminary. From 1968 to 2000 he served as Professor of Theology at Wheaton College, and was named Professor Emeritus upon his retirement in 2000. He was appointed William R. and Geraldine D. Myers Professor of Ministry and Director of the M.A. in Worship and Spirituality at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in the fall of 2000.

Bob Webber founded The Institute for Worship Studies (now the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies) in 1998. The Institute for Worship Studies is a Masters and Doctorate level graduate school focused on the study of the theological, Biblical, historical, sociological and missiological foundations of Christian worship. The school is hosted by Grace Episcopal Church of Orange Park, Florida and combines distance learning with one-week on-campus intensive courses involving students, faculty and alumni from around the globe.

IWS Provost and President-Elect Dr. James R. Hart commented, "Bob Webber significantly influenced many in our generation with the understanding that worship is the key to the renewal of the church. We mourn the loss of our friend and mentor, but rejoice with him in worshiping the risen Christ."

Webber was noted for his numerous writings and workshops in worship and worship renewal. His books include such titles as Evangelicals on the Canterbury Trail, Worship Is a Verb, Worship Old and New, Ancient-Future Faith, Ancient-Future Time, Ancient-Future Evangelism, Journey to Jesus, The Younger Evangelicals, and The Divine Embrace. He served as editor of the seven-volume The Complete Library of Christian Worship (Hendrickson, 1993) and was a regular columnist in Worship Leader magazine.

Webber leaves behind a wife, Joanne, four children, John (Isabel), Alexandra (Jack), Stefany (Tom), and Jeremy (Susie), seven grandchildren, and a rich legacy of friends, colleagues and students.

Memorial services will be held at Northern Seminary (please call for date, time and location) and at Grace Episcopal Church in Orange Park, FL on Friday, June 15 at 7 PM, during the June session of the Institute for Worship Studies. In lieu of flowers the family has requested that donations be made to the Robert E. Webber Endowment Fund at the Institute for Worship Studies, 151 Kingsley Ave., Orange Park, FL 32073, or the Robert E. Webber Center for an Ancient Evangelical Future, c/o Northern Seminary, 660 E. Butterfield Rd., Lombard, IL 60148.
Grace and peace,
Jim Hart

Dr. James R. Hart
Provost/President-Elect, The Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies
151 Kingsley Ave.
Orange Park, FL 32073
1.800.282.2977

Posted by David Neff at April 29, 2007 | Comments (13)

Last week, we posted an article on daredevil Evel Knievel's testimony at the Crystal Cathedral, and the spontaneous mass baptisms it triggered. The Crystal Cathedral website now has video and a transcript of the event.

Posted by Ted Olsen at April 24, 2007 | Comments (2)