When the Rev. George Conger is on an Anglican story, it’s hard to top his firsthand reporting for thoroughness, relevant details and good humor.
Reporting vs. fear-mongering
Please respect our Commenting Policy
Parson Clinton rides the circuit
As Sen. Hillary Clinton makes centrist sounds on abortion, Kristen Lombardi of The Village Voice expresses some predictable misgivings: Clinton is “getting serious about God and guns” and “trying to sound like the second coming of John Wesley.”
Please respect our Commenting Policy
Another Jerry Springer slapfight
My colleague Jeremy Lott has observed that when you argue with puppets you are bound to lose. Andy Havens of Church Marketing Sucks has argued a broader point: Never argue with a fictional character.
Please respect our Commenting Policy
Prayers in the media spotlight
One of the most damning film portrayals of media hordes came years ago in Philip Kaufman’s The Right Stuff, which repeatedly made the sound of whirring cameras sound like so many locusts. Those scenes came to mind when I saw this detail in the Los Angeles Times‘ coverage of the scene at Christ Lutheran Church in Wichita, which Dennis Rader, the accused BTK serial killer, has attended for more than 30 years:
Please respect our Commenting Policy
Gonzo TV preaching
No obituary this week can do full justice to Dr. Gene Scott, the most contrarian Christian ever to have his own TV show. His hometown papers, the Los Angeles Times and the Pasadena Star-News, cover the wildest highlights.
Please respect our Commenting Policy
Revved up for God
Back in the 1980s, while working as the religion editor for the Baton Rouge Morning Advocate, I interviewed a man who was a chaplain to NASCAR racers and their families. The chaplain was kind, and patient with my astonishment that NASCAR drivers would feel any interest in his services.
Please respect our Commenting Policy
Press on, John Paul
John L. Allen Jr., the National Catholic Reporter‘s Vatican correspondent, makes a four-point case for why Pope John Paul II should not resign.
Please respect our Commenting Policy
This revolution will be televised
The New York Times‘ coverage of Patty Bouvier’s coming out party on The Simpsons follows a familiar script — the religious right is the sole aggressor in the culture wars — and, in a breathless search for Ultimate Meaning, manages to drain the episode of every moment of humor.
Please respect our Commenting Policy
Stop presses: W is a politician
David Kirkpatrick of The New York Times is doing yeoman’s work on the conservative beat, especially in observing conservatives saying and doing the darndest things.
Please respect our Commenting Policy