Mark Twain considered it his most important book, and his best book. It was fourteen years in the making, twelve years of research and two years of writing. The book is Joan of Arc, a book of which I had never heard. Having only a sketchy acquaintance of Joan of Arc, I decided to read [...]

Speaking of a war between science and religion is quite common. I find that ‘war’ metaphor quite objectionable. A far better metaphor, to my mind, is to consider these two areas of human existence as ‘siblings.’ For although science and religion can be at odds with each other (what brothers and sisters don’t fight), they [...]

Only in the same sense that, for example, George W. Bush was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, … and no one ever asks whether the spoon was sterling or silver plate. No one asks that question because we all know that ‘silver spoon’ is a figure of speech. Its point is that [...]

Two reports on child abuse in the Catholic Church arrived on my desk today. Incredibly, as bad as one was, the second was even worse. The first report was from Chicago and the second from Ireland. The Archdiocese of Chicago this week agreed to pay $3.9 million to settle six sexual abuse cases. Along with [...]

As memorable as any passage of scripture or words of Lincoln or King is the familiar statement of Lord Action written as an oppositional response to the declaration on papal infallibility made by the First Vatican Council in 1870. Acton wrote,  “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” With that sentence in mind, [...]

Garrison Keillor in his daily blog notes that 18 July is the anniversary of the declaration of papal infallibility by the First Vatican Council in 1870. There has always been much confusion about this doctrine, even among Roman Catholics. Papal Infallibility does not state that everything the Pope says is divine truth. Nor does it [...]

On vacation in a place without an internet connection. Blogs will return at the end of July. May these summer days entice you into them with anticipation and joy. Bob Tucker

Does a Minister Need to believe in God? Apparently not … at least not in the Netherlands. Pastor Klaas Hendrikse is a self-confessed atheist. He has been a Protestant minister in the Netherlands for more than 20 years, serving churches of the combined Lutheran and Reformed denominations. Two issues of interest strike me: the response of church [...]