Pilgrims are flowing back to the traditional site of Jesus' baptism on the Jordan River as Israel removes 40-year-old land mines. But barbed wire remains.
Baptism is much more than a comforting ritual, says Savi Hensman. It is to be marked with the sign of a condemned criminal, to refuse imprisoning and narrow identities, to face up to mortality, and to be immersed in a new world where justice and peace reign.
Health concerns relating to water quality have triggered an environmental advocacy group to call for the banning of baptisms in the lower Jordan River.
The Baptist Union of Great Britain has seen an increase in church attendance along with a decline in church membership. The figures are likely to fuel debate about the relationship between participation in a church and formal membership.
The message of Advent is that, in the face of our human crises, change is coming and change is possible, says Simon Barrow. And it is a curious desert prophet who signals its depths and possibilities.
The recent debate about waterboarding raises awkward questions about the religious associations of torture in US policy, says William Schweiker. He argues that it is time for repentance.
German Catholics and Mennonites gathered in September for a conference on the “Healing of memories”. Representative of the two Christian traditions are meeting again in Rome right now, and the agenda is once again peace and reconciliation.
The place of baptism in the Established Church, and consequently wider society, has changed greatly in the last century, a new book from the Church of England acknowledges. It offers assistance with developing the rite but does not explore post-Christendom in any depth.