Author: Gordon Govier

When the Supreme Court ruled that a Christian student group could only be recognized at a small public law school if it accepted non-Christians and gays as potential leaders, some lawyers and campus advocates grew nervous. While the 5-4 decision in Christian Legal Society v. Martinez was primarily aimed at public colleges and universities, some conservatives say the decision has upended university religious life, with both public and private schools reconsidering nondiscrimination rules. Now, nearly two years after the decision involving the University of California’s Hastings College of the Law, the case is causing strife across U.S. college campuses: Madison-based InterVarsity…

On Thursday, May3, 2012, close to 100 people gathered on the Wisconsin Capitol steps to observe the National Day of Prayer by worshipping and praying. The theme verse for this year was Psalm 33:12, “Blessed is the people whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen for his own inheritance.”

MADISON Wis. — On June 5, the eyes of the country will be on the state of Wisconsin, where voters will decide whether Scott Walker should be recalled as governor of their state. It’s only the third time in American history this has happened to a sitting governor. The vote is expected to be very close. But Walker remains ever confident. “I don’t plan on losing. I’m going to run a campaign to win,” he told CBN News.

New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan drew a large crowd of Catholics and well-wishers to Holy Hill on Saturday for a special Mass of Thanksgiving, some arriving as early as 4:30 a.m. to ensure a spot in the historic Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians.

Chuck Colson came to Madison once, that I remember, but probably several more times than that. Hearing the news of his death on Saturday, I recalled that the only time I ever talked with him was at a Prison Fellowship event in Milwaukee, where he was speaking. He always made it a point to visit a prison somewhere on Easter morning. I think Colson was pretty familiar with Wisconsin prisons. In fact the federal prison at Oxford, 60 miles north of Madison, figured prominently in the early history of his Prison Fellowship ministry.

Whether he’s called to testify about faked antiqutities at a sensational trial in Jerusalem, consulted about ancient tomb inscriptions for a TV documentary, or lecture at the Madison Biblical Archaeology Society, Christopher Rollston is in demand for his expertise in ancient writings. In introducing him before his lecture two weeks ago at Edgewood College, MBAS president Jeff Blakely called Rollston, “the leading epigrapher of our generation.” Rollston is a professor of Semitic Studies at Emmanuel Christian Seminary in Johnson City, Tennessee, and the author of the recent book, Writing and Literacy in the World of Ancient Israel. During his Madison…

Almost every night for the last six weeks, Lauren Anderson and several friends have gathered at midnight at Faith Community Bible Church in Madison for an informal, self-led communion service. The UW-Madison students break bread together and pray, believing the intense, focused devotional time elicits tangible results, from deeper personal connections to God to greater unity among believers.

In a lengthy television interview with the political correspondent for Christian Broadcasting News, a calm but determined Gov. Scott Walker talked openly about his faith, his determination not to lose the recall election set for June, his views on unions, and what he would have done differently in the winter of 2011 regarding changes to collective bargaining.

There was a time when everything the Rev. Richard Pritchard did or said made news in Madison. For several decades starting in the 1960s, Pritchard was a prominent culture warrior. He decried X-rated book stores, massage parlors and nude dancing. He fought against same-sex marriage and lent his spiritual counsel to Citizens Concerned for Our Community, an anti-pornography group. He was a beacon of morality to some, a homophobe and a prude to others. Still, even his enemies found him gentlemanly and good-humored. That was the Pritchard who met me at the door of his Downtown independent-living residence late last…

Good Friday is not the holiday it was a few decades ago. No longer can every Christian employee count on getting time off to attend Good Friday services. And for those who do get the day off, a new dilemma: attend the traditional afternoon services or the evening services that some churches now offer. For Madison residents the coming Good Friday offers one additional option, a display of art and music by local Christian artists focusing on the events of the Passion narrative, from Jesus’ betrayel to the resurrection.