(RNS) — Emerging from the narrow entrance to a cave south of Jerusalem, scholar Joan Taylor found herself saying a blessing for Salome. Salome is described in the Gospels as following and ministering to Jesus and is named as one of many women present at his death and at his tomb after his resurrection. Ancient Greek graffiti inside the cave also asks “holy Salome” for mercy, suggesting to Taylor and her travel companion, scholar Helen Bond, that Salome may have been remembered as a healer in the early centuries of the church, just as many of Jesus’ male disciples were. “These early women...…(RNS) — Emerging from the narrow entrance to a cave south of Jerusalem, scholar Joan Taylor found herself saying a blessing for Salome. Salome is described in the Gospels as following and ministering to Jesus and is named as one of many women present at his death and at his tomb after his resurrection. Ancient Greek graffiti inside the cave also asks “holy Salome” for mercy, suggesting to Taylor and her travel companion, scholar Helen Bond, that Salome may have been remembered as a healer in the early centuries of the church, just as many of Jesus’ male disciples were. “These early women...WW…

Last year, White’s Chapel, a large congregation in a wealthy suburb outside of Dallas, overwhelmingly voted to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church. Today, the church, which draws more than 2,000 people on a Sunday, belongs to a denomination of one, a network it is calling the Methodist Collegiate Church. Since 2019, 2,996 churches have formally broken from the United Methodist Church over theological disagreements about ordaining or marrying LGBTQ members of the church, according to the United Methodist News Service. Of those, about 2,000 have joined the Global Methodist Church, a...…Last year, White’s Chapel, a large congregation in a wealthy suburb outside of Dallas, overwhelmingly voted to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church. Today, the church, which draws more than 2,000 people on a Sunday, belongs to a denomination of one, a network it is calling the Methodist Collegiate Church. Since 2019, 2,996 churches have formally broken from the United Methodist Church over theological disagreements about ordaining or marrying LGBTQ members of the church, according to the United Methodist News Service. Of those, about 2,000 have joined the Global Methodist Church, a...WW…

Support our work(RNS) — Steven Newcomb, who is Shawnee and Lenape, recalls first writing to the pope in 1992 to ask him to revoke the papal bulls behind the Doctrine of Discovery.That was Pope John Paul II. Two popes ago.So when the Vatican released a statement last week saying it repudiated that doctrine — which, backed by a series of 15th-century papal bulls, justified the domination by European Christians of lands already inhabited by Indigenous peoples — Newcomb said he wasn’t terribly surprised.“I just think it’s fascinating and it’s really great because what it does is it catapults...…Support our work(RNS) — Steven Newcomb, who is Shawnee and Lenape, recalls first writing to the pope in 1992 to ask him to revoke the papal bulls behind the Doctrine of Discovery.That was Pope John Paul II. Two popes ago.So when the Vatican released a statement last week saying it repudiated that doctrine — which, backed by a series of 15th-century papal bulls, justified the domination by European Christians of lands already inhabited by Indigenous peoples — Newcomb said he wasn’t terribly surprised.“I just think it’s fascinating and it’s really great because what it does is it catapults...WW…

Most PopularYou've read 0 of 5 of today’s most popular posts.Everything RNS© Copyright 2020, Religion News Service. All rights reserved. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our and , and . The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Religion News Service.This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are...…Most PopularYou've read 0 of 5 of today’s most popular posts.Everything RNS© Copyright 2020, Religion News Service. All rights reserved. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our and , and . The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Religion News Service.This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are...WW…

(RNS) — Faith-based organizations are celebrating the creation of a task force to help reunite separated children with their families.Those same organizations had been involved in caring for children separated from their parents at the United States-Mexico border under the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy.President Joe Biden issued an executive order creating the task force Tuesday (Feb. 2), one of several immigration-related executive actions he signed that afternoon.“As my grandfather would say, by the grace of God and goodwill of neighbors, we’ll reunite these children and...…(RNS) — Faith-based organizations are celebrating the creation of a task force to help reunite separated children with their families.Those same organizations had been involved in caring for children separated from their parents at the United States-Mexico border under the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy.President Joe Biden issued an executive order creating the task force Tuesday (Feb. 2), one of several immigration-related executive actions he signed that afternoon.“As my grandfather would say, by the grace of God and goodwill of neighbors, we’ll reunite these children and...WW…

SUPERIOR, Ariz. (RNS) — Waya Brown, barefoot and clad in a flicker-feather headdress and red-tailed hawk cape, waved a handful of feathers toward the ground. Brown, who is Apache and Pomo, twirled in a circle as he blew a double cane whistle.His father rattled a bamboo stick and sang in the Pomo language, while his aunt pounded on a deerskin drum. His sister and cousins danced in place as they all blessed the ground and those surrounding the circle.This was the scene on Saturday (Feb. 27) at Chi’chil Biłdagoteel, known widely as Oak Flat, as the Brown family offered a prayer from the...…SUPERIOR, Ariz. (RNS) — Waya Brown, barefoot and clad in a flicker-feather headdress and red-tailed hawk cape, waved a handful of feathers toward the ground. Brown, who is Apache and Pomo, twirled in a circle as he blew a double cane whistle.His father rattled a bamboo stick and sang in the Pomo language, while his aunt pounded on a deerskin drum. His sister and cousins danced in place as they all blessed the ground and those surrounding the circle.This was the scene on Saturday (Feb. 27) at Chi’chil Biłdagoteel, known widely as Oak Flat, as the Brown family offered a prayer from the...WW…

(RNS) — Pastors, bishops and the head of the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States are calling on Congress to support the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, which President Joe Biden proposed on the first day of his administration.published Thursday (March 4), leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America threw their support behind what they called “fair and compassionate transformations to our nation’s broken immigration system.” The  would create a pathway to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. It also would provide resources to...…(RNS) — Pastors, bishops and the head of the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States are calling on Congress to support the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, which President Joe Biden proposed on the first day of his administration.published Thursday (March 4), leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America threw their support behind what they called “fair and compassionate transformations to our nation’s broken immigration system.” The  would create a pathway to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. It also would provide resources to...WW…