A Sense of Belonging

From Russia, Without Love: Ukraine Marks Orthodox Christmas with Biggest Schism Since 1054

This article was first published at Christianity Today, on January 6, 2019. The Orthodox Church of Ukraine has been born again. On January 6, it received the tomos of autocephaly—the documentation of its independence among Eastern church bodies—from one Orthodox heavyweight, the Patriarch of Constantinople, despite the vociferous opposition of another heavyweight, the Patriarch of … Continue reading →

Covenantal Theology: Can Muhammad’s Ancient Promise Inspire Muslim-Christian Peace Today?

This article was first published at Christianity Today, on December 21. Christians esteem the biblical progression of covenants—Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic—finalized by Jesus as he ushered in the New. But for the sake of religious freedom in the Muslim world, should they embrace a further covenant: Muhammadian? Recent scholarship suggests the potential promise, newly fulfilled in … Continue reading →

O Come, Ye Gazan Christians, to Bethlehem

This article was first published at Christianity Today, on December 20. Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity has restored its sparkling mosaics and marble columns to their original glory for the first time in 600 years. “It has become such a beautiful church,” Ziad al-Bandak, head of the local project committee of Christian leaders, told the … Continue reading →

Jesus’ Baptism Site is a Minefield to Navigate. Literally.

This article was originally published at Christianity Today on December 19. For fifty years, John baptized Jesus in private. But last week on the western bank of the Jordan River, landmines were cleared to allow visitors a first look at a faded fresco of the baptism in a crumbling Ethiopian monastery. Trudging through mud while … Continue reading →

Egypt Approves 168 More Churches

This article was published at Christianity Today on December 17. Egyptian Christians now have an additional 168 legal church buildings. On November 30, a cabinet committee approved the requests of Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox, Protestant, and Catholic churches to formally register facilities long functioning as centers of worship. Prior to a new law passed in August … Continue reading →

The Cost of Religious Freedom

This article was originally published on September 20, 2018, and in the October issue of Christianity Today. This article expands my previous coverage of Andrew Brunson and the US-Turkish crisis to include also issues related to advocacy for Christians in Iran. Why did advocacy succeed for the drug dealers but not the pastor? And what … Continue reading →

Bearing False Witness

This excerpt was first published at Christianity Today on August 24. So what if a Muslim invites you to a celebration? The lamb might be tasty, but should Christians be wary? Statistics show they already are. The 2018 American Muslim Poll from the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) found only 36 percent of … Continue reading →

Will Trump’s Turkey Sanctions Help Andrew Brunson More Than They Hurt Turkish Christians?

This article excerpt was originally published at Christianity Today, on August 16. … But some analysts say high-level pressure may do more harm than good, for both Brunson and Turkey (and Europe). And Americans who serve the gospel overseas often have dual sympathies, pained by the resultant suffering of the local citizens they serve. “I … Continue reading →

Evangelical Ethiopian Helps End Orthodox Schism

This article was first published at Christianity Today, on August 14. Ending 27 years of schism, Ethiopian Orthodox Christians in their homeland and in America reunited the two feuding branches of one of the world’s oldest churches. Ironically, the push came from the Horn of Africa nation’s new evangelical prime minister. “It is impossible to … Continue reading →

Under the Law: Israeli Christians Worry About Secondary Status in Jewish Nation-State

This article was first published at Christianity Today, on July 31, 2018. In a legislative act both obvious and inflammatory, this month Israel cemented its nature as a Jewish state. By a narrow vote in the Knesset, Israel’s legislature, the law entitled “Basic Law: Israel as the Nation-State of the Jewish People” was adopted to … Continue reading →

What Next for Syria?

The conflict has turned a corner as the Syrian government regained control of Damascus and begins pushing into rebel-held areas. LobeLog interviewed Josh Landis of Syria Comment to ask him what happens next. The full interview is worth reading, but here are a few excerpts on competing regional policies. Turkey: Idlib was one of the … Continue reading →

Mideast Christians See Russia–not the US–as Defender of their Faith

This article was first published in the July print edition of Christianity Today. War was swirling in Syria. Rebels were pressing. And Maan Bitar was the only hope for American help. “Because I am evangelical, everyone thinks I have channels of communication,” said the pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Mhardeh. “Syrians believe the … Continue reading →

What Jordan’s Evangelicals Think of Templeton Winner King Abdullah’s Interfaith Acclaim

This article was first published at Christianity Today on July 2, 2018. Photo by Pietro Naj-Oleari/© European Union 2015 – European Parliament/Creative Commons For his lifelong commitment to religious peace, King Abdullah II of Jordan recently became the second Muslim ever to win the prestigious, $1.4 million Templeton Prize. And Jordan’s Christian minority is … Continue reading →

Spanning the Great Schism between Evangelical and Orthodox Christians

This article was first published in the June print edition of Christianity Today. Three brief excerpts in the efforts to unite evangelicals and Orthodox believers. Four years ago in Istanbul, a humble Turkish book partially reversed the 11th century’s Great Schism. Catholics joined Eastern and Oriental Orthodox—alongside Protestants—to publish a slim, 12-chapter treatise on … Continue reading →

How Sunday School Sparked Revival in Egypt’s Oldest Church

This article was first published at Christianity Today on June 19, 2018. My wife had just dropped off our kids at the local Coptic Orthodox Church we attend in Cairo and sat down with her Egyptian friend at the adjacent church-owned cafe. After initial pleasantries, she spoke of this current article I was then … Continue reading →

Friday Prayers for Egypt: Homeland Future

God, Give Egyptians their right representation. May they bear well the concerns of their district. But in whose name? Many MPs have publicly signaled their intention to switch parties, and the Future of a Homeland is poised to receive them. Doing so would make them the largest party in parliament. Some are current independents, leaving … Continue reading →

Christ at the Checkpoint in the Age of Trump

This article was first published May 25 at Christianity Today. Fares Abraham grew up in the West Bank village of Beit Sahour, where tradition says the angels sang “Peace on Earth” to the startled shepherds. But his clearest memory is of his mother shot in the back by an Israeli soldier as she shuffled … Continue reading →

Abortion and its Complications, in Egypt

Ireland is in fierce debate over its future with abortion. Such high-stakes battles are often called a culture war. Abortion, like war, is a terrible thing. Even if one believes it is necessary, it is still death. Defining it otherwise, depending on one’s convictions, makes it almost worse than war. It is the prevention … Continue reading →

Friday Prayers for Egypt: Fasting

God, Bless those who deny themselves as they deny their stomach. Bless those who celebrate with others as they celebrate your mercy. Bless those also, who push either to greater piety. And if in their encouragement they lack piety themselves, God, bless them, too. May they deny their pride. May they discover your mercy. May … Continue reading →

In Shadow of Death, Palestinian Christians and Messianic Jews Relapse on Reconciling

This article was first published at Christianity Today, on May 21. Hanna Maher’s wife is nine months pregnant, due any day now, with only four hours of daily electricity. Her two older boys scurry about in the dark, kept ignorant by parents about the dead at the border. But it is hard to be … Continue reading →