I have attended weekend retreats the past couple of years with more than 100 men from neighboring churches. For the most part, they are good experiences, filled with worship, prayer and fellowship. But there are times when I feel a little bit worse than I did before – those times when the retreat directors show […]

Which religious concept is embraced by the poor, is associated with increased giving and service attendance and may help improve work satisfaction? And is in general more likely to be rejected by Americans as their incomes rise? The answer is Hell, which still retains much of its fury – along with potential social benefits and […]

“I want to know one thing, the way to heaven; how to land safe on that happy shore.”   —Methodism founder John Wesley In attending the annual convention of the End-Time Handmaidens some 15 years ago, what made an immediate impression was the intensity of the faith of followers who believed the Second Coming was […]

This week, as I was browsing the New York Times nonfiction best sellers list, I couldn’t help but notice “Heaven” in the title of four books in the top 20.  Number 20 was “Waking Up in Heaven,” a book about what happened during nine minutes of unconsciousness.  Number 17 was called “When Will the Heaven Begin?” a […]

Americans find it is a lot easier to contemplate an eternal paradise than a place of everlasting damnation. In the 2006 Faith Matters Survey, 49 percent of respondents said they were “absolutely sure” of the existence of Hell. Two-thirds of respondents said they were “absolutely sure” there is a heaven. Ask people in the pews, and slightly […]

One of the biggest movie hits of the summer is about a haunted house in Rhode Island. “The Conjuring,” which claims to be based on a true story, taps into the public fascination with paranormal phenomena that is evident in scores of TV shows from “Ghost Hunters” to “Paranormal Witness” that populate the cable universe. […]

“Doubt isn’t the opposite of faith; it is an element of faith.” – Theologian Paul Tillich “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” – Gospel of Mark 9:24. The wounds of the Oklahoma City bombing were still fresh, and the rescue worker quietly, almost apologetically, admitted to a group of churchgoers that he wondered where God was […]