By David Batstone  When I was a young boy – growing up in the middle of the United States – the story of Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad fascinated me. I recall, however, that it took me a while to figure out that the Underground Railroad wasn’t actually a railroad, but a network of […]

The New Friars: The Emerging Movement Serving the World’s Poor   Authors: Scott Bessenecker ISBN: 0830836012 Publisher: InterVarsity Press Number of pages: 199 Type of cover: Soft Cover Summary:Across the ages God has consistently attracted a few in every crowd who would make and keep vows, and called them to stick out, act out and […]

Late Night Live, ABC Radio National A discussion with Father Sean McDonagh who has been a tireless campaigner on global warming, climate change and the destruction of the world’s natural resources for over 30 years. For many years Father McDonagh worked with the T’boli people in Mindanao in the Southern Philippines and saw first-hand the […]

Olive tree campaign helps keep hope alive in Palestine Over 8,000 olive tree saplings will be planted this spring in the Occupied Palestinian Territories to replace olive groves that have been uprooted. The campaign, Keep Hope Alive, makes it possible for individuals, churches and organizations from other countries to help Palestinian farmers maintain their land […]

The experience of Christian-led work for human rights and social justice in Africa poses hard questions to the anti-religious discourse of intellectuals such as Richard Dawkins…The idea that religion may be a close ally of those in civil society and human-rights organisations campaigning for a better world might surprise or even scandalise the growing number […]

Hundreds of thousands of people opposing the war took to the streets last week in Washington and many other places. I was in Los Angeles at the time and joined a march there. Destination: the L.A. Federal Building. There we were addressed by Cindy Sheehan and Ron Kovic, inspiring speakers both. And on top of […]

A small but growing number of congregations now go outdoors to bring church to the homeless and anyone else who happens along. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/06/us/06homeless.html?_r=1

The Campaign for Love and Forgiveness promotes compassion in society, shining a light on those profoundly changed by it.”Revenge is never the right response. Conflict will never go away, but from conflict, brotherhood and unity are possible.” http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0125/p13s02-lihc.html?s=hns

The Presbyterian congregation will put up affordable senior housing in the church’s place.”It’s kind of a bittersweet time because on the one hand, we’re losing something very special to all of us,” says Dr. Olinger. “On the other side, it’s a very exciting time because we’re getting to reinvent ourselves and to provide the type […]

Soldier chooses court-martial over deployment As the Iraq war’s first publicly known soldier to refuse deployment faces court-martial and potential imprisonment, the agency that has worked with him in his effort to obtain conscientious objector status urged Mennonites to remain active in the struggle against war. On Sept. 26, Army Specialist Agustín Aguayo turned himself […]

Why the mother of Jesus was more revolutionary than we’ve been led to believe. Scot McKnight | posted 11/28/2006 08:44AM There are two Marys. One wears a Carolina blue robe, exudes piety from a somber face, often holds her baby son in her arms, and barely makes eye contact with us. This is the familiar […]

Dear friends In the spirit of the homeless, refugee child Jesus, I send you hopes and prayers for a meaningful Christmas/New Year period and I also bring you some news….. The Pine Gap 4 now have a confirmed trial date! It is May 29, 2007. Two weeks have been set aside for the trial (by […]