The common ground for Buddhism and Christianity is not then found in texts or philosophical musing. It is found in the hungry, the poor, the suffering, the sick.

A top Salvadoran church official says the elevation of Cardinal José Maria Bergoglio to Pope Francis could advance the plodding campaign for sainthood for Msgr. Oscar Arnulfo Romero, an outspoken peace advocate and possibly the country's most revered figure, assassinated for his views on March 24, 1980.

Pope Francis could use the choice of his name to recall the message of St. Francis' teaching on the holiness of self-chosen poverty, not just for individuals but especially for the church which claims to represent the message of Jesus himself.

Nowhere is the human toll of our American consumption more obvious than in the United States/Mexico border region. And nowhere is the border nightmare more clearly visible than in Ciudad Juárez. Also obvious is the passion and resilience of the residents.

For several years, I have waged an internal battle on how to bridge the gap between these two worlds: Latin America became one reality, and the Bible Belt of Kentucky another. In this disjointing of my life, the plague of stereotypes has become all too common.

Benedict's discernment in appreciating the frailties of advancing years and his wisdom in acting accordingly are extraordinary. But the question of his legacy arises. How do we put his career into perspective?

As far as I know, I am the only practicing Hindu at Union Theological Seminary right now, and this leaves me in a tough spot. This is because I am not sure how I, as a Hindu, as a "Hare Krishna," fit into the fabric of social justice that defines Union.

Each successive year I feel like the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas speeds up and I long for spiritual practices that will slow me down. Each year I am grateful for the season of Advent.

Winning the future means that the future is not a monster seeking to devour us but is instead a promised land of possibilities whose potential rests in us.

Rappers have been as instrumental in my theological development as any of the scholars I've read. A larger-than-life revolutionary who was simultaneously real and relatable, Tupac lived and he invited us all to live with him.

Retired Catholic Bishop Samuel Ruíz Garcia, known as the champion of the poor and indigenous in southern Mexico, died Jan. 24 of complications from diabetes. He was 86.

So, for all their differences, all religions share the same essential purpose. It has long been my hope that religious people would learn to celebrate our similarities and respect our differences.

When preachers pontificate too much from on High about the sins of homosexual sex, the cautionary tale is to be careful of what you say, because your ...

It's not hard to see what Beck has against "liberation theology." It's the same reason people are often against "social justice." Both ideas ask us to consider the plight of the poor.

Catholic critics of the Church can expect to find themselves attacked by both the left and right wings of the Church and the community at large -- and they are rarely disappointed.

As I write this, our students are collecting Bibles from across the nation, packing them in boxes, and sending them to your offices. We've marked a few of the social justice passages, just in case you can't find them.

In the West, two alternatives exist: Marxism and Christianity. This panel sought to point out common ground between the two.

Jesus may not have been primarily concerned with politics, but for what politics he did have, it is virtually impossible to argue that he was anything but a progressive thinker.