The United Methodist Church’s highest court has ruled that congregations seeking to leave the denomination over theological differences cannot do so via a church closure provision. ... Read full Story
First Baptist Church of Dallas has revealed ambitious designs to reconstruct its historic sanctuary, which was devastated by a fire earlier this year. ... Read full Story
Christians across the United Kingdom are calling for Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby’s resignation following his comments supporting sexual intimacy in same-sex relationships. ... Read full Story
A Texas megachurch continues to honor the memory of K.P. Yohannan, the founder and director of Gospel for Asia, months after his passing. ... Read full Story
This year marks 507 years since German monk Martin Luther nailed 95 theses to a church door in the German city of Wittenberg, sparking the Protestant Reformation. ... Read full Story
Events that occurred this week in Christian history include the vision of Constantine, the debut of Martin Luther’s German language Mass, and the baptism of a notable hymn-writer. ... Read full Story
Parents in East Yorkshire, England, are outraged after children were exposed to porn during a harvest sing-song at the United Reformed Church that was part of the church’s 150th-anniversary celebrations. ... Read full Story
Baptists engaged in thousands of faith conversations with fairgoers at this year’s Mississippi State Fair that culminated in 373 decisions being made for Christ. ... Read full Story
Evangelist Donnie Swaggart, the only son of controversial televangelist Jimmy Swaggart is now coming under fire from black Christians after he delivered a scathing rebuke of the black church and Bishop John Drew Sheard, the presiding bishop and chief apostle of the Church of God in Christ, Inc., for endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris for president. ... Read full Story
Evangelicals have expressed "disbelief" at comments made by the Archbishop of Canterbury in which he claimed that gay sex is not sinful if it is within a committed relationship. ... Read full Story
Pastor John MacArthur says the response by Vice President Kamala Harris to the phrase “Jesus is Lord” at a recent campaign rally is all Christians need to know about who to vote for in November. ... Read full Story
Despite pleading guilty last Wednesday to making a false statement to federal authorities about a sexual abuse investigation, former Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary evangelism professor Matthew Queen has not resigned from his role as pastor at Friendly Avenue Baptist Church in Greensboro, North Carolina, church leaders said. ... Read full Story
On Reformation Sunday, 2 million Evangelical Christians in Korea are expected to unite for prayer and worship as they take a stand against a law that they fear will ultimately lead to the legalization of gay marriage. ... Read full Story
The United Methodist Church’s highest court will soon determine whether congregations can continue to leave the denomination in response to its progressive stance on LGBT issues. ... Read full Story
A new Bible designed specifically for children with dyslexia has been launched by Lifeway Christian Resources. Called the CSB Grace Bible for Kids, it's intended for children ages 7 to 12 and aims to enhance readability for young readers who experience visual stress. ... Read full Story
Events that occurred this week in Christian history include the Treaty of Westphalia, the death of Benjamin Randall, and Johann Brenz defending Anabaptists. ... Read full Story
Are Christians required to believe in miracles? That’s the question Pastor Andy Stanley tackled in his latest sermon at North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia. ... Read full Story
A church in Alabama has filed a complaint against a regional body of The United Methodist Church, seeking a court order confirming that they own their historic property. ... Read full Story
The Rev. Jaehoon Lee, who serves as senior pastor of Onnuri Church in Seoul, South Korea, pointed to his role in the Congress as a sign of how Lausanne 4 was different from previous Congresses from the start. ... Read full Story
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 30, 2024 is:
syncretism \SING-kruh-tiz-um\ noun
Syncretism refers to the combining of different forms of belief or practice.
// As a scholar of religion, Laila is especially interested in the syncretism of Manichaeism, which was influenced by Christianity, Buddhism, and Zoroastrianism.
"Explore the archaeological wonders of Chavín de Huantar, where history comes alive. This village, steeped in cultural richness, provides a journey into Peru's ancient past. 'The village of Chavín de Huántar is an example of how tourism can foster syncretism between religious traditions and ancestral cultural elements, generating experiences with a positive impact for the population and improving the quality of life of its residents,' said the UNWTO [United Nations World Tourism Organization]." — Laura Begley Bloom, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2023
Did you know?
The ancient Greeks used the term synkrētismos to refer to Cretan cities allied in opposition to a common enemy. In the early 17th century, English speakers adopted the term in the anglicized form syncretism to refer to the union of different religious beliefs. Three centuries later, lexicographers of the 1909 edition of Webster's New International Dictionary of the English Language added a new definition of syncretism ("the union or fusion into one or two or more originally different inflectional forms, as of two cases"), but this specialized sense is rarely encountered outside of the field of linguistics. Some related terms that you are more likely to encounter are syncretize ("to attempt to unite and harmonize"), syncretist ("one who advocates syncretism"), and syncretic and syncretistic ("characterized or brought about by syncretism").