Emerging Spirit @ The United Church of Canada Emerging Spirit @ The United Church of Canada

"I'm an atheist, and I go to church"

Would you expect to find an atheist in your church? How would you treat them once you knew they were there? Caryn Solly, writing on the blog of RevolutionNYC church in (you guessed it) New York City, shares her experiences as an atheist among the Christians.

For Solly, the primary attraction for attending RevolutionNYC is the ability to challenge her own beliefs and maintain an open mind. Although she has made friends and has connected to the community there, and respects the teachings of Jesus, Solly wants to see the other side of the conversation, and to be part of elevating the tone of that conversation between Christians and atheists.

To find out more about what attracted an atheist to church, and just where she sees that Christian/atheist conversation going, check out the full article here.

Should Christianity Separate Itself from Politics?

Where should the church stand in relation to government? Should churches as denominational bodies (or interdenominational alliances) lobby government directly on issues? Should they attempt to field candidates, or provide organisational support to those they wish to promote?

For progressive evangelical Tony Campolo, the answer is none of the above. In an interview with Al Jazeera's news show Inside USA, Campolo expresses his belief that "Christianity as whole should not be linked with government and public policy. However he also believes that Christians as individuals should continue to voice their concerns."

Check out the video (and a short preamble) here.

The Making of Mary

Have you ever wondered how Mary the mother of Jesus went from a few (important) appearances in the New Testament to being one the most important biblical figures for global Christianity? Writing this past April for Macleans.ca, Brian Bethune examined the history and power of Mary, via Miri Rubin's new book Mother of God: A History of the Virgin Mary.

From Mary's place in the modern church, to her role in the colonization of the Americas, and back to the early church, Bethune gives an able survey of the sweep of Rubin's book. To read the full article, take a look here.