A New Generation Becomes Civic Leaders in Africa
Post courtesy of the United States Institute of Peace. CRCC & USIP partner to run the Generation Change Fellowship Program. By Fred Strasser The road to leadership for Imrana, a Nigerian activist, …
Moral, Social and Political Issues
Mindfulness and Science: Who’s Winning the Game of Samsara?
In his podcast lecture, Jesse Maceo Vega-Frey, a young Vipassana teacher, raises concerns about the “Mindfulness Industrial Complex.” “We want to win at this game of samsara”—the cyclic existence of suffering, driven by …
The City of Los Angeles Celebrates Religious Pluralism Day
The city of Los Angeles celebrated its first ever Religious Pluralism Day on April 21, 2015. City Council member Mitch O’Farrell introduced the formal resolution for the day, and Mitchell Englander seconded …
U2, Justin Bieber and the Future of Christianity
What exactly is the shelf life of a headlining rock band and an equally headline-grabbing pastor? When I heard that U2 had summoned megachurch pastor Rick Warren to minister to them in …
Gay Marriage Is Legal, but Gay Christians Still Fear Rejection
This is an edited excerpt of an essay that originally appeared on Christian Brown’s blog. Read the full post, “It’s Time I Told You I’m Gay,” where he also grapples with the …
Securing God’s Sanctuary – How to Protect Your Congregation from Attacks
A version of this article also ran in LA Sentinel. The vicious killing of nine people attending Bible Study at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC has created a national concern for …
My Prayer, Post-Charleston
Rev. Najuma Smith-Pollard originally published a version of this post on her blog. During any given week, on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday nights, thousands of Christian communities—from small congregations to megachurches—open their …
Shooting at Charleston AME Church Won’t Slow Civil Rights Church
In addition to serving as the Executive Director of the Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement, Rev. Mark Whitlock is pastor of Christ Our Redeemer AME Church in Irvine, CA. Last night, …
Pope Francis Has Spoken on Climate Change – Here’s What Catholic Sisters Are Doing About It
Pope Francis says climate change is real and human activity plays a role in rising temperatures. Neither the content of his encyclical, “Laudato Si’: On the Care of Our Common Home,” nor …
The Gay Sex Worker Who Defied Sharia Law in Banda Aceh to Organize
This post originally appeared on Global Post. JAKARTA, Indonesia — Faisal Riza started as a sex worker in one of the riskiest possible places for any kind of transgressive behavior: Aceh, a …