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Salvation

Why Do We Call It 'Maundy Thursday' and 'Good Friday?"

William B. Bradshaw | Posted 03.28.2013 | Religion
William B. Bradshaw

The celebration of Good Friday is ancient, dating at least to the 4th century. But why is it called a "good" day?

A Biological Depiction Of Grace

Rev. G. Jude Geiger | Posted 03.21.2013 | TED Weekends
Rev. G. Jude Geiger

The most basic act of Grace is the fact that we are alive. We have entered into this world through no efforts of our own. The value of this gift is inestimable.

This Is What Hope Looks Like

Holly Robinson | Posted 03.05.2013 | Parents
Holly Robinson

Where there is despair, there is hope -- if we can come together to grieve, to comfort one another and to shine light into our darkest corners.

Stepping Through the Door... Into Yourself

Steve McSwain | Posted 02.13.2013 | Religion
Steve McSwain

You cannot imagine -- or, maybe you can -- how many religious people, mostly religious leaders, say to me, "I agree with much of what you say... much ...

From Fear And Trembling To Refuge

Morgan Guyton | Posted 02.10.2013 | Religion
Morgan Guyton

I need to believe that God will in fact preserve a refuge for those who live under His mercy by keeping out those who aren't. Yes, I'm talking about heaven and hell.

If Jesus Hates Anything Maybe It's Theology

Frank Schaeffer | Posted 01.16.2013 | Religion
Frank Schaeffer

  Having elevated the Bible -- or at least the nicer bits that they like -- to the status of a magic book Ā evangelicals Ā have demoted God. The...

Saying Goodbye To Tolerance

Marilyn Sewell | Posted 12.19.2012 | Religion
Marilyn Sewell

In spite of our long history and tradition of tolerance, I am finding myself increasingly intolerant -- specifically, of the theology and practice of many evangelical Christians. But I say this with some real sorrow, and some measure of guilt.

I Tried So Hard To Please...

Steve McSwain | Posted 11.24.2012 | Religion
Steve McSwain

Through much of my adult life, I tried so hard to please. Then, one day, I realized no one was watching. Correction! I realized I was no longer watching.

Toxic Faith: Did Jesus Die To Save Us From God?

Derek Flood | Posted 11.17.2012 | Religion
Derek Flood

Why did Jesus have to die? Was it to appease a wrathful God's demand for punishment? Does that mean Jesus died to save us from God? How could someone ever truly love or trust a God like that?

Hell On Earth

Rachel G. Hackenberg | Posted 10.25.2012 | Religion
Rachel G. Hackenberg

've come to believe that the differences among American Christians can be boiled down to one fundamental theological difference: hell. The belief in hell on earth (or not) is especially evident in the platforms of politicians who reference faith among their significant influences.

The Salvation Of Extraterrestrials

Thomas F. O'Meara, OP | Posted 09.15.2012 | Religion
Thomas F. O'Meara, OP

The power of a divine person is infinite and cannot be limited to anything created. Could the Word of God could be incarnate in creatures other than Jesus of Nazareth?

Ask Pastor Paul: Answering Questions About The Afterlife

Paul Brandeis Raushenbush | Posted 04.08.2012 | Religion
Paul Brandeis Raushenbush

Dear Pastor Paul, When I was eight I was taught two things in the same week. The first was that accepting Jesus was the only path to heaven; and the second was that there were a billion people in China who had never heard the name Jesus.

None Is Saved While One Still Suffers

Christian Piatt | Posted 03.27.2012 | Religion
Christian Piatt

What if we don't each possess "a soul"? What if there is some greater Collective Soul in which we get to take part, but which we never own, so to speak?

St. Hildegard Of Bingen: Honor The Dead By Carrying Them Forward

John Backman | Posted 11.30.2011 | Religion
John Backman

It is more than keeping their memory alive or remembering their birthdays... as important as these practices are; it is about sustaining the ideals, values and passions that they cared about so deeply.

Salvation Boulevard: Audiences Love It, Critics Hate It

Larry Beinhart | Posted 09.14.2011 | Home
Larry Beinhart

I've seen the movie Salvation Boulevard five times. Why have I seen it five times? Why do I care? I wrote the book that it's based on.

Harry Potter And Christian Theology

Danielle Tumminio | Posted 09.06.2011 | Religion
Danielle Tumminio

Between 2,000 years of theologians and seven volumes of J.K. Rowling's nuanced prose, there is more than enough fodder for discussion. Consider, for instance, whether there's a God-figure in the series.

Pastor Loses Job Amidst Rob Bell Debate

AP | By TOM BREEN | Posted 05.25.2011 | Religion

DURHAM, N.C. -- When Chad Holtz lost his old belief in hell, he also lost his job. The pastor of a rural United Methodist church in North Carolina wr...

What Is Universalism?

Rev. Peter Morales | Posted 05.25.2011 | Religion
Rev. Peter Morales

As president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, I am fascinated and encouraged by the current public discourse around Rob Bell and the concept of universalism.

The Soul of Christmas

Matt Idom | Posted 05.25.2011 | Religion
Matt Idom

How loud does the pain have to shout at us, in our back-lit comfort and heat pump luxury? While we indulge our wanting, the bulk of the globe cries out in misery or hunger.

Merry Christmas, China!

Tom Doctoroff | Posted 05.25.2011 | World
Tom Doctoroff

Just because China has embraced Christmas does not mean the country is becoming Western. Looks can be deceiving. Christmas tunes play on radio sta...

The Unfortunate Effects Apocalyptic Beliefs Can Have On Morality

Jonathan D. Fitzgerald | Posted 05.25.2011 | Religion
Jonathan D. Fitzgerald

When I was a kid I knew The World was going to Hell in a hand basket. I didn't know what that phrase meant, still don't really, but I knew that it was one of the only times I could get away with saying hell.

Saints And Salvation

Roger I. Abrams | Posted 05.25.2011 | Sports
Roger I. Abrams

New Orleans is the kind of place that invites all to share in the redemption of their sweet triumph, even if others had not experienced the misery and despair that came from losing.

A Rousing Rendition of Messiah: A Holiday Classic at Historic Massey Hall

Marissa Bronfman | Posted 05.25.2011 | Entertainment
Marissa Bronfman

Tafelmusik's Messiah sing-along has become an annual traditional full of holiday merriment that brings together friends and loved ones to sing aloud one of the season's most joyous songs.

Tiger Woods, Buddhism And Redemption

David Nichtern | Posted 11.17.2011 | Healthy Living
David Nichtern

It occurred to me that many folks here in the West may not really know much about the Buddhist tradition and what it has to say about redemption, salvation, or anything else for that matter.