Author: Gordon Govier

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — In the beginning was the book. Long before Christmas became a retail explosion, before Christian-related toys, doodads and décor became a $4.5 billion industry, faithful Protestants needed their Bibles. And the Dutch Reform farmers and small businesspeople who settled here between Holland and Grand Rapids, Mich., planted the seeds of what is now a world center of Bible publishing, scholarship and devotionals. Read more.

GREEN BAY – Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila always has been passionate about his faith. Agree with his beliefs or not, it most certainly defines who the Green Bay Packers defensive end is. Read more.

What does The Da Vinci Code have to do with a letter written by the archbishop of Alexandria in the year 367? As it turns out, quite a lot.Call it part of the Gnostic connection, a long, fine thread of influence connecting contemporary cultural debates with an important struggle in the early Christian movement to define the meaning of Jesus’s life and teaching. In that struggle-arguably the most important waged by self-styled correct believers against so-called heretics-orthodox Christians battled Gnostic Christians over their respective interpretations of divinity, human nature, sin, salvation, and other crucial theological and philosophical points. The soldiers…

From its opening trumpet fanfare to its closing solo soprano voice, Zoltan Kodaly’s "Te Deum" is a riveting, highly dramatic and sometimes showy composition that pulls no musical punches.It also proved a brilliant showcase for this weekend’s performances by the University of Wisconsin Choral Union and Chamber Orchestra, one that earned cheers and a standing ovation from its Sunday audience.Read more.

(AgapePress) – The man who served as a spiritual guide for one of the most notorious serial killers in modern history chronicles the murderer’s brief journey of faith in a new book called Dark Journey, Deep Grace (Leafwood Publishing, 2006). Working with co-author Lindy Adams, the Christian minister traces a convicted multiple murderer’s path from sin and repentance to redemption. Read more.

Everybody knows Americans are big givers. But their charitable impulses keep generating surprises. Consider just a few conclusions from recent research: • Charitable giving plays an even larger role in the economy than is suggested by some $260 billion in annual contributions. Each dollar of giving appears to create $19 of extra national income, according to a book released this past weekend. • Demand for nonprofit services gets proportionately bigger, not smaller, as a locality’s income rises, a Federal Reserve economist finds.Read More

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. (BP)–The third largest criminal activity in the world is growing, church leaders, social groups and politicians were told at a recent conference on human trafficking.More than 200 people from across the country attended the second Preventing Abuse Conference to network and learn how to combat the "evil practice" of human trafficking, as described by President Bush in a letter to conference attendees.

Parents who think their children are growing up too fast may not be simply lamenting the passage of time. Child development experts agree that physical and emotional changes that would have happened to teenagers years ago are now common among children age 8 to 12, or “tweens,” according to the Associated Press.

T hose sleigh bells ringing might as well signal stress and gluttony. With all the parties you need to attend, presents to be wrapped and people to please, the holidays can certainly take their toll. But they can also be surprisingly good for you — really. Here’s how.

This week two very smart Christian believers — one by extending an invitation, the other by accepting it — have helped the fight against AIDS and burnished their respective reputations. But in the process, they also created a defining dilemma for the Religious Right. Read more.