Julia Duin

DUIN: UCC takes lead discussing race

The United Church of Christ has not been one of the major newsmaker denominations until this year when it came into view as Barack Obama's spiritual home.

December 14, 2008

Vatican forbids designer babies

Designer babies, human/animal hybrids, cloning, stem cell research and a whole range of common biomedical innovations are forbidden, the Vatican said Friday in a document about procreation and genetic technologies.

December 12, 2008

Evangelical quits after gay-union uproar

A top official for the National Association of Evangelicals resigned Thursday after his earlier remarks favoring same-sex unions caused an uproar among evangelicals.

December 12, 2008

Seminary discovers Latin

An unusual Mass, with all the stops pulled out, was celebrated Monday at Mount St.

December 11, 2008

DUIN: ‘Last Call’ proves to be prophetic

Funny how the moment things seem out of control, everyone goes to God or gods.

December 7, 2008

Anglican conservatives propose constitution

A group of about 70 Anglican conservatives on Wednesday released a proposed constitution for a new Anglican province in the United States that will directly compete with the 2.1-million-member Episcopal Church.

December 4, 2008

DUIN: Pastor preaches it raw

I first began to hear about Mark Driscoll's Christian sex series in September. Mr. Driscoll, 37, is the founder/pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, one of the nation's most unchurched metropolises. The church, which went from 1,200 to 6,000 people in four years, boasts about 7,000 congregants at several campuses around town.

December 4, 2008

Orthodox leader seizes own ‘Obama moment’

They already are calling him "His Beatitude," and comparing him to Barack Obama. In less than a month, Metropolitan Jonah, 49, will be enthroned as the leader of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), the nation's second-largest branch of Eastern Orthodoxy.

December 1, 2008

DUIN: Activist seeks madrassa reform

There are a few bright lights in this era of grim news, one of which is a little-heralded effort to modernize Pakistan's 15,000 to 20,000 madrassas.

November 30, 2008

Struggle to stay Christian

He sat in my office, a Turkish scholar and theologian who helps people who are tortured for their faith.

November 27, 2008

Catholics rebuffing controversial charity

Several priests and parishes in Northern Virginia's Arlington Diocese balked Sunday at taking up a collection for the much-criticized Catholic Campaign for Human Development, whose contributions to the voter-registration group ACORN got a dose of bad publicity this fall.

November 26, 2008

DUIN: Transformation for ‘God-rock’

Christian music has come a long way from the days of Keith Green concerts at the state fairgrounds.

November 23, 2008

Requiem for Susan

When I landed at Washington Dulles International Airport the afternoon of Feb. 17, 2007, after flying 7,000 miles with my newly adopted daughter, only one person met me to drive me home.

November 20, 2008

Pope names Bowie priest bishop in D.C.

Pope Benedict XVI named a Bowie priest as one of three auxiliary bishops for the Archdiocese of Washington, the first time a native of Prince George's County has been selected to such a post.

November 19, 2008

Breakaway Episcopalians to unveil constitution

Leaders of 100,000 disaffected former Episcopalians will unveil a proposed constitution for a new 39th province of the Anglican Communion at a Dec. 3 ceremony at the evangelical Wheaton College in west Chicago.

November 18, 2008

DUIN: Riding coattails to plug books

I am wearied by how the children of famous evangelicals make money off their parents' reputations.

November 16, 2008

DUIN: Obama faces fight on faith

Dear President-elect Barack Obama, I know you're kind of taken up these days with forming a Cabinet and finding new schools for your daughters, but you might want to know that many evangelicals and Catholics are preparing for a pitched battle.

November 13, 2008

Bishops warn Obama about abortion issue

BALTIMORE | The nation's Catholic bishops on Tuesday served notice to the future Obama administration that they will oppose "a culture of coercion" on abortion, even if they have to suffer doing so.

November 12, 2008

Catholic voting tied to economy

U.S. Catholic bishops at their annual meeting Monday brushed off an apparent disregard among Catholic voters for church doctrine on abortion, saying the economy, not their teachings, was to blame.

November 11, 2008

DUIN: A fresh look at ancient faith

I got hooked on it three weeks ago. Ancient Faith Radio is an Internet station filled with allusions to people with names like Methodius, Basil the Great and Ephraim the Syrian.

November 9, 2008