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Joel J. Miller

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April 2014

April 01, 2014

Does the adulterous woman belong in your Bible?

The story of the adulterous woman, found in the Gospel of John, is a tricky...

December 2013

December 04, 2013

Why you need the church to read your Bible

It's easy to bash the church, and there are many that do. Of course most...

November 2013

November 15, 2013

Windows to heaven: Icons in church

My church, St. Ignatius Orthodox Church, has completed the first part of a lengthy iconography...

November 03, 2013

The problem with virtual communion

Ernest Cline's New York Times bestselling sci-fi adventure Ready Player One imagines a future in...

August 2013

August 16, 2013

What we can learn from Augustine’s mom about community

When Augustine’s mother Monica moved to Milan, she was concerned about fasting. The practice was...

August 13, 2013

God uses humble means

I'm reading Samuel Tadros' new book Motherland Lost, a history of the church in Egypt. ...

August 07, 2013

Why race matters in the church

When my wife and I were in Uganda in 2011 we attended liturgy at St....

July 2013

July 29, 2013

America’s divided faith: More sectarian than Christian

In thinking today about Christian division, I recalled this thought from James Fenimore Cooper's book,...

July 01, 2013

The unity of heaven and earth in worship

In Lifted by Angels I mention the Cherubikon, or "Cherubic Hymn," which is sung during...

June 2013

June 30, 2013

The witness of the apostles

After the church celebrates the life and ministry of Peter and Paul, we commemorate the...

June 29, 2013

The hope of Peter and Paul

The news out of Syria worsens by the day. I tweeted a string of stories...

June 20, 2013

Were there priests in the early church? Garry Wills says no. He’s wrong, and here’s why

In reading Garry Wills' new book, Why Priests? A Failed Tradition, I passed through several...

June 14, 2013

The Christians you don’t know

Some people are barely aware that there are native Christian communities in Israel, extending back...

June 11, 2013

What an Orthodox bishop thinks you should know about the Book of Revelation

Yesterday I posted a Q&A with Fr. Mark Arey about his stunning new graphic novel...

June 09, 2013

You’re reading the wrong Book of Esther

The Book of Esther occupies a controversial place in the Bible. John Calvin did not...

June 06, 2013

What a coffin maker can teach us

Marcus Daly makes coffins, beautiful, simple, sacred coffins. He found his calling amid tragedy. The...

May 2013

May 21, 2013

Egyptian Christians weather ‘climate of impunity’

Christians in Egypt suffer amid a "climate of impunity," according to the U.S. State Department's...

May 17, 2013

Six books for every pastor’s library

Pastors buy a ton of books, according to a new survey by the Barna Group....

April 2013

April 30, 2013

Disillusioned by the church

I recently had an exchange in which someone mentioned leaving the church. Who hasn't? He...

April 25, 2013

Playing politics with the sacraments?

Gene Robinson, retired Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire, says the Catholic church is playing politics...

April 11, 2013

Should the church help you find your life calling?

I’m excited today to feature a guest post by my friend and fellow Patheos blogger...

March 2013

March 11, 2013

Through the joy and sorrow of Christian death

A friend of mine lost her mother over the weekend. When I hear of the...

February 2013

February 23, 2013

How not to read the Bible

"All scripture is . . . profitable for teaching," according to Paul's second letter to...

February 18, 2013

Egyptian Christians seek unity amid strife

While Egyptian Christians face ongoing strife in their Muslim-majority nation, there are signs of encouragement...

January 2013

January 09, 2013

America’s declining faith in pastors and churches

When the Gallup organization asked people to "rate the honesty and ethical standards" of various...

December 2012

December 29, 2012

Despite dangers, Middle East Christians express hope

The position of Christians in the Middle East appears today more tenuous than ever. "[T]here...

December 24, 2012

How to read icons of the Nativity

The church has long used iconography to teach and proclaim the gospel. And the Icon...

December 22, 2012

Thomas: A model for faith and zeal

Yesterday the Indian Orthodox Church celebrated the memory of the Apostle Thomas. I wrote about...

December 14, 2012

Pray for Egypt’s Christians

Egyptians will vote on a new constitution tomorrow. Newly enthroned Pope Tawadros II has so...

December 09, 2012

Why celebrate the conception of Mary?

Rare is the religious image depicting a couple hugging tenderly by their bed before lovemaking,...