The death of Nelson Mandela offers Christians a chance to reflect on the great protest leader at the center of their religion, the historical Jesus, with his anger at ostentatious wealth and his disdain for social inequality, as Rev. Howard Bess reflects.
Tag: Howard Bess
Does Christmas Obscure Jesus?
The Christmas season celebrates the regal myth of Jesus his supposedly miraculous birth and royal lineage as a king of kings but that loses sight of the historical Jesus and his revolutionary message of justice for the poor and powerless,…
In Case You Missed…
Some of our special stories in October focused on the Republican government shutdown, the bravery of Edward Snowden, the grim history of American slavery, and the rise of the Israeli-Saudi alliance.
In Case You Missed…
Some of our special stories in September, featuring exclusive reports that challenged the U.S. government’s hidden evidence for attacking Syria, articles that contributed to the public resistance which first delayed and then deterred another war.
Jesus’s Idea of God’s Kingdom ‘on Earth’
From the gospel accounts, Jesus was a fierce critic of the economic injustices of his day, demanding within his Jewish tradition a radical redistribution of wealth and a recommitment to Israelite teachings about caring for one another. That was his point…
Was Jesus a Zealot?
The turning point of Jesus’s fateful week in Jerusalem was his protest at the Temple, which the Jewish priests saw as a challenge to their authority and which led to his trial and execution. But was this disruption violent or non-violent, a question posed by Reza…
Would Jesus Love Ayn Rand Economics?
Many on the American Right say they’re strong Christians, but have bought into Ayn Rand economics which disdains government help for the poor and needy. Other Christians, like Sojourners’ Jim Wallis, see Jesus’s teachings enshrined in the Constitution’s commitment to…
In Case You Missed…
Some of our special stories in May focused on the Right’s racist past, the Republican scandal-mongering, Ronald Reagan’s ties to genocide, Barack Obama’s defense of drone attacks, and new tensions in the Middle East.
Finding ‘Salvation’ in ‘Shalom’
Christian churches have convinced many believers that “salvation” only exists in the afterlife. But a truer understanding of the word and its synonym “shalom” reveals them to be messages calling for the present world to become a place of human fulfillment,…
Rethinking the Genesis Message
Since ancient times, mankind has struggled against chaos, often seeking to control differences and manage conflicts though violence and war. The Bible has played an insidious role in this history, though an alternate interpretation of its opening chapter would recognize…