Christians Launch Ad, Grassroots Campaign Calling for Comprehensive Immigration Reform: (Washington, DC) – According to Faith in Public Life, “Evangelical Christians from across the ideological spectrum will launch a national grassroots and ad campaign calling for comprehensive immigration reform that is consistent with biblical values Monday at 11:30 AM on Capitol Hill. Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform will mobilize at least 200,000 letters, tens of thousands of calls, and hundreds of lobby visits to Members of Congress by the August recess. Ads announcing the campaign will run in Roll Call and CongressDaily on Monday to coincide with the launch.” Read More »

My reflections re: Carl F. H. Henry’s The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism (1947) are admittedly clouded, or, better said, biased. Why? How so? Well, maybe my admitted short-sightedness has something to do with the days in which I live, the thick socio-political atmosphere of my country and the larger world, and/or too much 24 hour news? Whatever the reason(s), I do know this: I have little sympathy for anything labeled “fundamentalism.” So, obviously, my opinion(s) regarding The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism goes without saying … but I’ll say it anyway, of course! Henry’s challenge to press contemporary culture with fundamentalist belief does not resonate with me at all. In fact, I’ll pass, and totally so, thank you. Read More »

Walter Rauschenbusch advanced the social gospel from a position of wealth and privilege. Washington Gladden at least tried to build a bridge between Protestantism and the working class poor; the same can’t be said for Rauschenbusch. The real-time separation existing between poor, working class people and social Gospel aficionados is a reality with which few supporters openly wrestle. Relevant connections between social gospellers and the people to whom they ministered were very rare, indeed. The only social connection shared between Rauschenbusch and the people he served was the act of ministry itself. Rauschenbusch was neither poor, nor working class. He was a member of the white, male clergy. He was inundated with unspoken authority and power. These supplied him with more than a little prestige and position, for his day. This does not mean, however, the social Gospel was a complete failure. People were unarguably served by Rauschenbusch and other social gospellers, in spite of their superior social positions. Read More »