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The Year in Mormons: Top 7 Stories of 2012

By Joanna Brooks

…wards leveling life expectations and opportunities for religious study and service among young Mormon men and women. And it resulted in a dramatic spike of new missionary applications from young Mormon women. (More here.) 3. Mormon athletes prove more popular than Mormon presidential candidate. That’s a hunch, not a scientific observation: we’re still waiting for the Pew Forum numbers on this one. But can you really talk Mormons in 2012 without sa…

What’s Wrong with Wright’s Words

By Andrew Murphy

…prophetic vocation here is being exercised: speaking truth to power in the service of reclaiming the community’s fundamental goodness and promise. It is progressive because, without being saccharine, it asserts that progress does happen—slowly, painfully, and never easily—and that progress is due, in large part, to two things: the powerful potential of American ideals, and the courage of American citizens. There are, of course, other ways to play…

Sharing the Bad News of Donald Trump’s ‘Theology of Glory’

By Matthew Dodrill

…ure of the ages, resurrection life is hidden and revealed in our cruciform service to the least of these, and everything else is in league with Sin and Death. There is no third way. There is no straddling the chasm. The election of Donald Trump to the presidency of the United States is a moment of reckoning for white Christianity. According to the exit polls, approximately 81 percent of white evangelicals voted for a man whose campaign was fueled…

Mitt Romney: Wooden Pastor or Real Boy?

By Mary Barker

…ribute to their “pastor,” Mormon bishop Mitt Romney, for his compassionate service during the illness and eventual passing of their young son, David. Mitt was “the vanguard of their support system.” It was but one of many moving stories about Mitt and his family shared by members of Mitt’s parish (or ‘ward’). How many men do you know, Mr. Oparowski asked, that would take the time out of their busy schedule to visit a boy like David? My answer is a…

Sometimes Salvation Looks Like Rage: An Open Letter to “Non-denominational” Churches

By Yazmine Nichols

…ealing theological practice and have failed to answer Jesus’ call to daily service to the suffering. “How are we defining what is radical? Are we only radical when it comes to sexual sin? Are we radical in our love for the poor? “ As I see it, there are three major points of potential reformation within the non-denominational, evangelical church. The first pertains to the spirit of apathy. Too many times I have witnessed firsthand the scorn, shame…

The Biggest Lesson Learned From the US War in Afghanistan is How Little We’ve Learned

By Sara Kamali

…lians against the Taliban onslaught in the past two decades. 2500 American servicemembers have also lost their lives in service of their country in Afghanistan. Afghans and Americans alike bear the physical and mental wounds of war. Perhaps the only lesson that has been learned has had too steep a price. To prevent ongoing devastation in the current landscape of perpetual warfare, and so that whatever formulation the presence of the US military ev…

First Congregational UCC, Ripon Wisconsin

Cheese State Reality Check: On The Wisconsin Idea and the Social Gospel

By Daniel Schultz

…socialist athletic club. The old stained glass windows are still there, extolling the virtues of reason, science, freedom of inquiry, democracy, and a sound body. But the organization itself no longer exists. Today, Turner Hall is a great place to catch a band or hold a wedding, but there’s nothing particularly socialist about it, unless you count a fine selection of microbrews as left-wing. In the broader communities, and even increasingly on co…

Vatican’s New Media Evangelizing Strategy Can’t Save it from All The Bad News

By Anthea Butler

…e done when one’s pen reflects the greatness of the soul and is put at the service of truth and noble causes.” Since serving the truth and a noble cause is an admirable trait for a journalist, I can not help but point out that the day before, the Pope was continuing his “I’m sorry” tour before a crowd of people who perhaps needed to hear it the least. June 11 marked the end of the celebration of the “Year of the Priest” and the Pope marked it by c…

Conservative Catholics Unhappy About New Book on LGBTs and The Church; and More in the Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…hief Campaign Strategist Sebastien Chenu. “Those who want to fight against freedoms are Islamic radicals,” Chenu said. “They put bombs in gay night clubs in the United States. So obviously, it creates an anxiety for a certain number of gays.” A Foreign Policy story reported that, in spite of a public relations offensive distancing itself from its anti-Semitic and fascist-sympathizing past, the National Front, “at its highest levels, is awash with…

Identity Theology: Political Correctness with a Halo

By Carlos Wilton

…ning bodies within the PCUSA may not categorically bar women from ordained service. In fact, The church’s 1990 Brief Statement of Faith declares that “the Spirit… calls women and men to all ministries of the Church,” elevating the ordination of women to confessional status. By contrast, when the PCUSA’s General Assembly voted to begin ordaining LGBTQ people several years ago, it spoke of the need to maintain safe spaces for conservative dissenters…