How can we talk about the issues that are affecting people’s lives in a way that does not alienate people on different ends of the political spectrum? How do we find the “Purple Zone”? This year, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary will host its 40th annual Henderson Lectures. The theme of this year’s conference is: “Faithful Resistance: Choosing…
Tag: faith and politics
What Can Faith Offer a Secular Society?
In many parts of the world, “Christendom”—the reality of the Church wielding political, economic, and/or cultural power—is over. Scholars may debate to what extent this is a good development for the Church or the world, but one thing is clear: in the West, the Church no longer exerts the influence on international, national, or even…
When Faith Gets Political
Years ago, I was serving as a short-term supply pastor for a very small congregation in rural Virginia. My third Sunday there fell on the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, so I decided to weave a couple of sentences from Dr. King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech into my sermon. It seemed appropriate, especially…