Christianity Today articles from September 2011

Christianity Today archives from September 2011

The mirror of truth.(Editorial)
September 1, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Thirty years ago, I left pastoral ministry to become an editor. I oriented myself to my new calling by reading an essay by Wes Pippert, United Press International's veteran political reporter. Was there a theological...

A cross at the bookends: the meaning of 9/11, and the motivation for missions.(INSIDE CT)(Editorial)
September 1, 2011... September 11, 2001, is a marker in American history. Much like November 22,1963, to a previous generation, and December 7, 1941, to the generation before that, it is a day on which everyone remembers what they were doing when they first heard...

Spotlight: the lasting effects of your school.(BRIEFING: REPORTING & DISPATCHES FROM THE CHURCH WORLDWIDE)(Survey)(Brief article)
September 1, 2011... A NEW SURVEY found that Christian schooling makes a difference--and that different kinds of Christian education produce different results among their graduates. The large study from Cardus, a Hamilton, Ontario-based Christian thinktank (formerly...

Gleanings: important developments in the church and the world.(BRIEFING: REPORTING & DISPATCHES FROM THE CHURCH WORLDWIDE)
September 1, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (1) Clergy housing lawsuit dismissed A group represented by atheist Michael Newdow has agreed to dismiss its lawsuit challenging tax-free pastoral housing...

Ministry.(GO FIGURE)(survey on the influence of the church to the community)(Brief article)(Statistical data)
September 1, 2011... 78% Americans who believe the presence of a church is "very" (53%) or "somewhat" (25%) positive for their community. Only 5% think the presence is negative. 21% Americans who can't name a way in which churches contribute positively to their...

Other Religious.(GO FIGURE)(Americans' views of other religions)(Statistical table)(Brief article)
September 1, 2011... Americans who believe more people practicing religions other than Christianity is a: Don't know 3% Good thing for society 24% Doesn't make much difference 51% Bad thing for society 22% Pew Research...

Quotation marks.(BRIEFING: REPORTING & DISPATCHES FROM THE CHURCH WORLDWIDE)
September 1, 2011... "Certainly we do not deny this teaching or attempt to hide it. At the same time, it is not a topic of daily discussion or a regular theme in Sunday sermons." Mark G. Schroeder, president of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, on church...

Let's get together: more mergers driven by mission, not survival.(CHURCH LIFE)(church mergers)
September 1, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] East Valley Bible Church was already a megachurch. Praxis Church was headed in the same direction. But last year, pastors Tyler Johnson and Justin Anderson agreed to merge their thriving congregations in order to better...

Life ethics.(GO FIGURE)(abortiion restrictions)(Brief article)
September 1, 2011... 80 Restrictions on abortion enacted in the first half of 2011. 23 Restrictions enacted in 2010. 34 Restrictions enacted in 2005, the previous record holder. Guttmacher Institute

The return of reasons: Apologetics makes a comeback in youth ministry.(MINISTRY)
September 1, 2011... Relational evangelism may have been the key to successful youth ministries in the 1990s, but today apologetics is gaining new traction. Kids struggle to explain their beliefs today more than they did two decades ago, said Christian Smith,...

Parental frights: can parents practice rites that scare children?(RELIGIOUS FREEDOM)
September 1, 2011... A Pennsylvania woman who insisted her 7-year-old daughter watch the killing of a chicken and eat its heart was sentenced to 18 months probation in June. The girl told a teacher that the ceremony gave her nightmares. Prosecutors charged...

C. J. Mahaney.(On Leave)
September 1, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As president of Sovereign Grace Ministries (SGM), for a "season of examination and evaluation" of charges against him by alienated SGM pastors.

Stephanie Summers.(Appointed)(Center for Public Justice)(Brief article)
September 1, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As CEO of the Center for Public Justice, where she had served as coo. Gideon Strauss, who had been CEO since 2009, will serve as senior fellow.

Leith Anderson.(Retiring)
September 1, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As pastor of Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. He will continue to serve as president of the National Association of Evangelicals.

Prostitution policy: court rejects restrictions on AIDS funding.(SOCIAL JUSTICE)
September 1, 2011... The U.S. government cannot require organizations fighting AIDS with USAID money to oppose prostitution, according to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. The ruling may lead to a Supreme Court case about First Amendment rights. Evangelical...

Evangelism.(DISCUSSION STARTER)(worship disruptions)(Brief article)
September 1, 2011... At South Carolina's NewSpring Church, children are not admitted to the main service and doors are locked after the sermon starts. In North Carolina, Elevation Church leaders removed a boy with cerebral palsy from church because he was disrupting...

Should churches try to minimize disruptions in services?(UNDER DISCUSSION: Topics in the current debate)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2011... YES NO "We put a priority on creating an environment that helps people engage in worship without distractions. If a disruption arises, the guest ministry team assesses the situation and takes appropriate steps, which could mean suggesting...

Growing in the word: what the Ethiopian Orthodox have learned from the expansion of evangelicals.(GLOBAL CHURCH: ETHIOPIA)
September 1, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Preacher Yoshanis Asrat's frenzied homily pulsed over the tin shacks and mud homes of the Megenanga neighborhood in Addis Ababa. If you followed his voice and the blaring synthesized piano that accompanied it, you would...

The Gospel at ground zero: The horrors of 9/11 were not unlike those of Good Friday.(September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks)(Cover story)
September 1, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IN AMERICA, we debate our wars not just with heated speeches but also with dueling banjos. After the attacks of September 11, 2001, the radio dial seemed to lurch between the children of Woodstock and the heirs of the...

How I have changed since 9/11: Christian leaders describe how that fateful day transformed their lives and ministries.(THE CT FORUM)(2001 World Trade Center terrorist attacks)(Christianity Today)
September 1, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Philip Yancey Author of What Good Is God?: In Search of a Faith That Matters The decade since 9/11 has taught us the limits of force. Imposing democracy on Iraq and Afghanistan has come at a terrible cost to all...

Flames of love: how a terrorist attack reshaped efforts to reach Muslims.(MISSIONS)(2001 World Trade Center terrorist attacks)
September 1, 2011... TEN YEARS AGO, my wife, Roberta. and I were in Peshawar, Pakistan, two blocks from the Taliban hospital: we Were in the home of our son and his family, joining in a farewell part, for a Christian pilot. Another pilot approached us and said, ,I...

Believers on the move: a suburban Chicago church ministers to Muslims at home and abroad.(FLAMES OF LOVE)(Wheaton Bible Church's MOVE Initiative)
September 1, 2011... Shortly after our son Paul graduated from high school this spring, we put him on a plane with seven other students for a two-week trip to France and Italy. Their trek, led by four adults, was a small piece of Wheaton Bible Church's (WBC) MOVE...

Loving muslims one at a time: the 'vicar of baghdad' says the key to muslim-christian relations is very personal.(Andrew White)(Interview)
September 1, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ANDREW WHITE was in the thick of matters in Iraq long before September 11. In 1998, at age 33, he was appointed a canon at Coventry Cathedral, England, as director of international ministry and head of the International...

Saving the superheroes: Portland-based ministry Responder Life sees police officers, firefighters, and dispatchers as an unreached people group.(EVANGELISM)
September 1, 2011... THE CALLS BEGAN flooding into New York's emergency dispatch center just before 9 A.M. on September 11, 2001. People choking on smoke inside the World Trade Center begged operators to send help after one plane, then another, hit the Twin Towers....

'A Plain, Ordinary Christian': John Stott Made Extraordinary Contributions to the Global Evangelical Movement
September 1, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] AN EVANGELICAL is a plain, ordinary Christian," John Stott told Christianity Today in an October 2006 interview. From his conversion at Rugby secondary school in 1938 to his death on July 27, Stott exemplified how...

Sadly, very few Christians are talking about the true cultural crisis that is the foundation of all the others: the demise of the godly family.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2011... Sadly, very few Christians are talking about the true cultural crisis that is the foundation of all the others: the demise of the godly family. That is the source of all the other issues. L. Garvin E-mail

Family values.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2011... The July cover story, "Refocusing on the Family," was so encouraging. My policy was to listen to Focus when its hosts were talking about biblical principles for building up the Christian family, and to turn it off when they started talking about...

Insight into India.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2011... "India's Grassroots Revival" [July] was the best I have read on the subject. Tim Stafford demonstrated an amazing grasp of the complexities and multifaceted dynamics of the caste system, church planting, and the movement of God in India. It has...

Kroeger's legacy.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2011... Thanks for "A Liberating Woman" [July], Christianity Today's tribute to Catherine Clark Kroeger. Years ago I felt a call to ministry and was devastated when I was put down by male church leaders. It haunted my spiritual life for years. When I...

What Paul meant.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2011... In "The Paul We Think We Know" [July], Timothy Gombis stated that "[f]irst century Judaism didn't have a legalism problem." Instead, "it had an ethnocentrism problem." Nobody doubts the existence of ethnocentrism. But readers of CT shouldn't...

What got the most comments in July's CT.(TOP 3)
September 1, 2011... 29% Harry Is Here to Stay John Granger 11% Refocusing on the Family Sarah Pulliam Bailey 11% The Paul We Think We Know Timothy Gombis

When Harry met CT.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2011... In "Harry Is Here to Stay" [July], John Granger writes, "Harry Potter revealed rather than created the great spiritual hunger of our time." I can't think of a better way to summarize the cultural phenomenon. I have enjoyed the imaginative...

Ruler of all.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2011... John Witte Jr.'s article had some insightful comments ["No Ordinary King," July]. I disagree, however, that popular sovereignty is "a reflection of the absolute sovereignty of God the Father." Popular sovereignty is the polar opposite of the...

Medical ethics.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2011... I appreciated the thoughtful Village Green discussion ["Dying Decisions," July]. Robert Orr suggests intervention may be appropriate when a patient refuses care because of cost concerns. If Orr is correct, then surely medical providers are...

Worth repeating: things overheard at CT online.(Christianity Today)(Brief article)
September 1, 2011... "When one investigates this further, one learns this isn't a once-off foot-in-mouth incident." Karen, citing the care she puts into her speech and e-mails amid discussion of Mark Driscoll's Facebook post on "effeminate" worship leaders. He...

[Cartoon].(VIEWPOINTS: OPINIONS AND PERSPECTIVES ON ISSUES FACING THE CHURCH)(Cartoon)
September 1, 2011... If god is all-knowing all-good, and all-powerful, why does he allow evil? IMPROPER USE OF SHOPPING MALL INFORMATION BOOTH [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Battle for the Bible translation: our movement is wide enough to include a variety of methods.(WHERE WE STAND: CT'S VIEWS ON KEY ISSUES)(Christianity Today)
September 1, 2011... At their annual summer convention, the Southern Baptists passed a resolution expressing "profound disappointment with Biblica and Zondervan Publishing House" for publishing the 2011 New International Version, concluding that "we cannot commend...

Have Muslim-Christian relations improved since 9/11?(Confronting Hate and Fear)
September 1, 2011... YES Rick Love is president of Peace Catalyst international and consultant for Christian-Muslim relations with the Vineyard USA. Terrorist attacks. Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Guantanamo Bay. Abu Ghraib. Violent Muslim responses to Terry...

A wordless presence: where spit, blood, and sweat are to be found, so is God.(STONES to BREAD: LESLIE LEYLAND FIELDS)
September 1, 2011... The wrestling season is finally over (cheer)! Its duration--and my 16 years spent in the bleachers for this particular sport--always test my heart and stamina. Wrestling tournaments bring a special kind of torment to both spectators and...

Criminalizing circumcision: we have secularized the ancient Jewish rite--but it is still inescapably religious.(PAST IMPERFECT)
September 1, 2011... The year 1999 brought me one of my most memorable moments. Because my grandson was born at home, hospital circumcision was not available. So we went to a Jewish physician who was also a mohel, or professional circumciser. Holding my grandson for...

The virtues of engagement: Miroslav Volf invites Christians to bring their faith commitments out of society's private bedrooms and into its shared spaces.
September 1, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] One of the great preoccupations of political thinkers during the past quarter century has been, as Stanley Fish once put it, "setting the just bounds between church and state." Fish himself finds the task exceptionally...

My top 5 books on TV and movies.(Brief article)(Book review)
September 1, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE GRAHAM GREENE FILM READER Reviews, Essays, Interviews & Film Stories GRAHAM GREENE, EDITED BY DAVID PARKINSON (APPLAUSE BOOKS) An influential film critic, screenwriter, and producer, as well as a...

Kicking the habit: why worship may be the antidote to alcohol and drug addiction.(Addiction and Virtue: Beyond the Models of Disease and Choice)(Book review)
September 1, 2011... A friend of mine, let's call him Bob, was a faithful and lifelong churchgoer. He sang hymns with gusto, responded to the liturgy, insisted that his kids be baptized, and mingled at coffee hour. He even served in various leadership roles within...

The King Jesus Gospel: The Original Good News Revisited.(BITS & PIECES: Excerpts from recent books.)(Excerpt)
September 1, 2011... THE KING JESUS GOSPEL The Original Good News Revisited SCOT MCKNIGHT (ZONDERVAN, 176 PAGES) The apostles evangelized by telling the story of Jesus. Our gospel preaching and evangelism tend to tell the story of how to be saved...

A Sunlit Absence.(WILSON'S BOOKMARKS: From the editor of Books & Culture)(Brief article)(Book review)
September 1, 2011... A SUNLIT ABSENCE Silence, Awareness, and Contemplation MARTIN LAIRD (OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Books that talk about "contemplation" often seem to have been written on Jupiter. This one is a sterling exception....

The Final Hour.(WILSON'S BOOKMARKS: From the editor of Books & Culture)(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Book review)
September 1, 2011... THE FINAL HOUR ANDREW KLAVAN (THOMAS NELSON) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I shudder to think of all the books occasioned by the 10th anniversary of 9/11. I won't read most of them, but I did make time for The Final Hour, the concluding...

Owen Barfield On C. S. Lewis.(WILSON'S BOOKMARKS: From the editor of Books & Culture)(Brief article)(Book review)
September 1, 2011... OWEN BARFIELD ON C. S. LEWIS Second edition OWEN BARFIELD, EDITED BY G. B. TENNYSON AND JANE HIPOLITO (BARFIELD PRESS) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Most of these pieces were first published elsewhere in scattered ! volumes. It is good to...

The science of shacking up: why cohabitating couples are putting their future at risk.(INTERVIEW)(Interview)
September 1, 2011... Glenn T. Stanton has made a career studying the role of families in our society--both as a consultant in the George W. Bush administration and today as director for family formation studies at Focus on the Family. His latest book, The Ring Makes...

Defending the defenseless Kathy Bates helps the least of these in Harry's Law.(Television program review)
September 1, 2011... Imagine you're a Hollywood scriptwriter pitching an idea for a new TV show--a courtroom dramedy with a 62-year-old frumpy female lawyer as your protagonist. That's the first strike against you: TV and the movies have not been kind to aging women...

'Crazy, bizarre, wonderful'.(Lakeland documentary)(Television program review)(Brief article)
September 1, 2011... The documentary Lakeland (Bubble Up! TV) ** explores the Lakeland Revival of 2008, led by pierced, tattooed--and controversial--Canadian evangelist Todd Bentley. Director Roy Petersen narrates with a slightly skeptical tone, seeking to discern...

Tow minutes with ... Jason Gray.(Interview)
September 1, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For years, Jason Gray was oft introduced as a thoughtful musician who happens to have a speech impediment; he used it to talk about finding God in weaknesses. When he signed with Centricity Records in 2006, they said,...

The song's the thing Ginny Owens's latest fall short of her usual.(Get In I'm Driving)(Sound recording review)
September 1, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] By trade, Ginny Owens is a songwriter, a term that defines the most essential, fundamental truth of her as an artist. Before she was a recording artist or a Christian radio staple, Owens was writing and selling songs....

With: Reimagining the Way You Relate to God.(Brief article)(Book review)
September 1, 2011... WITH Reimagining the Way You Relate to God SKYE JETHANI (THOMAS NELSON) **** We were made to live with God; sin cuts us off from him. Unfortunately, many in the church adopt a posture toward God that only exacerbates the severed...

God in a Brothel: An Undercover Journey into Sex Trafficking and Rescue.(Brief article)(Book review)
September 1, 2011... GOD IN A BROTHEL An Undercover Journey into Sex Trafficking and Rescue DANIEL WALKER (INTERVARSITY) *** While the book fails to shed new light on the problem of global sex trafficking, or to suggest ways for the church to help end it,...

Seven Days That Divide the World: The Beginning According to Genesis and Science.(Brief article)(Book review)
September 1, 2011... SEVEN DAYS THAT DIVIDE THE WORLD The Beginning According to Genesis and Science JOHN C. LENNOX (ZONDERVAN) **** As ongoing debates over the historicity of Adam clearly reveal, evangelicals continue to wrestle with how to reconcile the...

Gillian Welch: The Harrow & the Harvest.(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
September 1, 2011... GILLIAN WELCH THE HARROW & THE HARVEST (ACONY) ***** Near the end of Gillian Welch's first album in eight years, she introduces us to a plowman who works long days in the field, a mule his only companion. To make it through each...

Fernando Ortega: Come Down o Love Divine.(Brief article)(Book review)
September 1, 2011... FERNANDO ORTEGA COME DOWN O LOVE DIVINE (WORD ENTERTAINMENT) **** Fernando Ortega is a master at creating melancholy, contemplative acoustic folk songs that can just as easily double as inspirational worship music. Simple piano lines...

Sam Phillips: Solid State: Songs from the Long Play.(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
September 1, 2011... SAM PHILLIPS SOLID STATE: SONGS FROM THE LONG PLAY (INDEPENDENT) **** Sam Phillips devoted a year to writing for an ambitious subscription music service called the Long Play, yielding more than 40 songs over six records--among them a...

Hollywood Faith: Studio exec DeVon Franklin says it's alive and well.(WHO'S NEXT: PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW)(Interview)
September 1, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] DeVon Franklin was on track to become a mover and shaker in Hollywood when he hit what he calls "development hell." For a time, his upwardly mobile career path was stalling, if not dying altogether. His employer, MGM,...