Dr. Marvin Oxenham believes the future of theological education must not only rest on academic excellence or professional competence but also on something more personal and transformative: the character of those preparing to serve in ministry.
Traditional churches in China tend to serve a context where poverty and need are typical and the desire for communal support and directive leadership is welcome. China's large upwardly mobile and independent population doesn't need what these traditional churches are offering. A different gospel approach and new forms of church must emerge to meet different needs in rapidly changing urban contexts.
Compassion is unquestionably a Christian virtue. But sometimes, good words like compassion get hijacked by not-so-good ideas—euthanasia is a case in point. "Medical assistance in dying" is becoming increasingly accepted in the Western world under the guise of compassion (and other euphemisms) informed by radical ideologies of individual autonomy. Followers of Jesus have a very different perspective.
FOMO (The Fear of Missing Out) erodes our joy. It edits God out of our moments. J.John tells of an experience at a Greek vacation venue where he learned that choosing the "half-board" accommodation rate came at a cost, and it was one that provided him with a valuable spiritual lesson—one we can all learn from.
The creators of AI companions have found a large market for their algorithmic personifications among lonely people seeking emotional advice and more. It is a wide open gateway for unhealthy dependency as increasingly isolated individuals seek intimate relationships.
In the Mexican state of Nuevo León, local congresswoman Paola Linares of the Citizens' Movement party presented a bill in the state Congress to prohibit minors from getting tattoos, receiving micropigmentation, or body piercings—even with parental or guardian consent.
Christians in Türkiye suffered an upsurge in hate crimes in 2024 compared with the previous year, according to a human rights report.
