Thinking About Faith? Here's Food for Thought...

I consider myself a person of faith, not a "religious person."  To me, the difference has always been that faith is goal, reward and gift alike in the relationship between man and God, while religion is--in most cases--various stuff that men have introduced into the equation in attempts to (somehow) codify or regulate that divine gift of faith.  I don't always get it right--who does?--and I've made some spectacular mistakes, but I do keep trying...

As you might expect, then, I'm interested in anything that feeds my introspection into faith, religion and the differences between the two.  In that respect, I have come to greatly enjoy the Christian Reflection series, published by Baylor University's Center for Christian Ethics.  Each issue is dedicated to a single topic; while I don't necessarily need the hymn selection or responsive readings in each issue, there are always several thought-provoking articles.  They aren't afraid to tackle controversial issues, either; recent editions of Christian Reflections have covered "Christianity and Islam," "Consumerism" and "Immigration."  I won't even pretend that I agree with the writers in every instance--I'd worry if I did, I think--but, as I said, their articles always make me think.

All back issues are available in PDF format, and one can also subscribe to the print edition at no charge.  (If you do request a print subscription, please join me in a small donation to keep the journal going...)  Happy browsing.

Baylor University || Christian Ethics || Christian Reflection