Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Progressive Christian

2024-02-22T12:51:19-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Navalny and Benedict: Words Have Power

Last updated on: February 22, 2024 at 12:51 pm By Christine Schmertz Navarro

In the news recently, the deaths of two people have reminded me that words have power. Words Have Power for Good: Alexei Navalny In some ways, Alexei Navalny was a regular guy. He grew up as an “army brat,” for the Red Army, and moved from base to base. He was a lawyer and married an economist. They were raising two kids. One might use the term “yuppie” to describe the couple. Words of Protest His captivity smelled of free... Read more

General Christian

Politics and Religion

Religion and Generalizations

2024-02-13T15:45:55-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Assumptions Make it Hard to Love

Last updated on: February 13, 2024 at 3:45 pm By Christine Schmertz Navarro

You may have encountered a few first-time parents who say something like this: “I was an expert on parenting until I became a parent.” People find some experiences easier to understand in theory rather than in practice. These assumptions make it hard to love others. Life “in Theory” It is a human temptation to think we understand various life situations from the outside. It is a human flaw if we do not learn over time that experiencing something personally differs... Read more

General Christian

Relationships and Religion

Religion and Generalizations

2024-02-08T14:03:12-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

See the Good in God’s Gifts of Grace

Last updated on: February 8, 2024 at 2:03 pm By Christine Schmertz Navarro

I encourage you to read “What I Wish More People Knew About American Evangelicalism,” by John Fea in the February 7, 2024 issue of The Atlantic. Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family made a positive difference in John Fea’s upbringing. Fea also urges those who are concerned about aspects of Evangelicalism to see the good that he finds there. Challenges to Seeing the Good The reports that Catholic bishops covered up priests’ abuse of children and shuffled them... Read more

General Christian

Politics and Religion

Religion and Generalizations

2024-02-04T18:12:24-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Thoughts of a Lector with An Altar View

Last updated on: February 4, 2024 at 6:12 pm By Christine Schmertz Navarro

I would like to think that when I am up on the altar as a lector, I am focusing on Jesus. Instead, all sorts of thoughts, some procedural and others anxious, come to mind. Other times, my altar view is distracting. Lectoring A lector reads Scripture passages from a lectionary. I have served as a lector for many years; I do not know how many. I usually read the second reading and my husband reads the first. In our parish,... Read more

Catholic

Religious Events

2024-01-22T15:59:21-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Oral Tradition Makes Literal Bible Reading Challenging

Last updated on: January 22, 2024 at 3:59 pm By Christine Schmertz Navarro

People passed the content of the Old Testament down by word of mouth for many years. The process of sharing stories verbally is called Oral Tradition. Oral Tradition Have you ever played the game “telephone,” or observed people doing so? One person thinks up a statement, whispers it to the next person, who whispers it to the next person until everyone in the group has heard it. While at times, the last person knows what the first person said, the... Read more

General Christian

Education and Religion

2024-01-16T15:59:36-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Can You Read the Bible Literally with Varied Translations?

Last updated on: January 16, 2024 at 3:59 pm By Christine Schmertz Navarro

Part II: Translations The Bible cannot be read literally because what I buy today is a translation from centuries ago. Even when reading English as a native speaker, it is not always possible to determine what the author means or intends. We ask these types of questions. Is the writing a translation from another language? Has the writing been updated from an earlier version of English? Did someone who speaks English elsewhere in the world add references that Americans might... Read more

General Christian

Education and Religion

Bible

Uncategorized

biblical translations

Septuagint

Vulgate

2024-01-15T16:12:39-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Why I Do Not Think the Bible Can be Read Literally

Last updated on: January 15, 2024 at 4:12 pm By Christine Schmertz Navarro

Part I: Religious Truth I believe that God inspired biblical writers. Writing, translating, and interpreting the Bible has also involved human beings. I believe there is religious truth in the Bible, but it is not found by reading it word-for-word as from God’s mouth. The Bible as a Book of Books The word “Bible” does come from the word for “book,” or more specifically, the area on papyrus used for writing. Unlike a book with chapters, the Bible does not... Read more

General Christian

Education and Religion

Bible

forms of writing

literal interpretation

religious truth

2023-12-29T16:51:25-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

What About Santa is Real?

Last updated on: December 29, 2023 at 4:51 pm By Christine Schmertz Navarro

I struggled years ago to explain to my daughter that Santa is not real and is real at the same time. I believe in the “Santa spirit” we encounter around Christmas. Santa is Not Real I do not profess that there is a man dressed in red who delivers presents worldwide on Christmas Eve. I certainly do not believe in the very lengthy “naughty or nice” list portrayed in “The Santa Clause.” The North Pole, elves, descending via the chimney,... Read more

Religious Events

2023-12-20T16:29:16-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

“It’s a Wonderful Life” and Our Lives

Last updated on: December 20, 2023 at 4:29 pm By Christine Schmertz Navarro

0 Comments

My favorite movie of all time is also a Christmas movie: “It’s a Wonderful Life,” starring James Stewert and Donna Reed. Though the movie came out in 1946, it is amazing how much psychological insight it has for us today. (If you have not seen the movie, I recommend it for 2023. This article has a spoiler alert! Though I want to spend more time on its relevance for today, you may want to stop and watch the film yourself... Read more

General Christian

Relationships and Religion

It's a Wonderful Life

Mr. Potter

2023-12-19T10:39:04-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A Guide for the Christmas Masses

Last updated on: December 19, 2023 at 10:39 am By Christine Schmertz Navarro

0 Comments

Depending on size, Catholic churches offer multiple opportunities for people to attend Christmas Masses. What is the difference between them? Catholics Have an Unusual Schedule This Year In 2023 and in other years when Christmas is on a Monday, Christmas Eve is the same day as the Fourth Sunday of Advent and Christmas Day itself is the following day. If a family usually prefers to attend Mass on Christmas Eve, they may attend Mass twice on Sunday. If people think... Read more

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

In which garden did Jesus pray before His arrest?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Eden Golgotha Paradise Gethsemane

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Bible Call and Vocation Cars and Religion Christian Behavior Christmas Generosity Family and Religion Law and Religion Money and Religion Moral Leadership Music and Religion Nature and Religion Politics and Religion Religion and Athletics Religion and Generalizations Religion and justice Ritual and Religion Uncategorized

Select a Month June 2026 April 2026 June 2025 February 2025 January 2025 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023

TRENDING AT PATHEOS Progressive Christian