Mark A. Kellner

KELLNER: Couple acted to save Jews when government dithered

At the end of March, a census taken by Israel's Interior Ministry reported that the Jewish population in the nation stood at 6 million, out of a total population of 8 million. The vast majority of the remainder are Arabs, with another 350,000 non-Arab Christians, press reports indicated.

April 4, 2013

KELLNER: Bucking trend, controversial pastor resurrects Dallas church

The Rev. Robert Jeffress knows how to make headlines, as witnessed by a recent kerfuffle over whether or not NFL quarterback Tim Tebow would speak to the congregation at the reverend's First Baptist Church in Dallas. (Mr. Tebow didn't). Last year, the question was whether, Mr. Jeffress, having classified the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as not being Christian, would endorse Mormon candidate Mitt Romney for president. Mr. Jeffress did.

March 29, 2013

KELLNER: With Pope Francis, a chance for the first real e-papacy

With the election of Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as supreme pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, there seems to have been no shortage of people — Catholic and non-Catholic — offering the new Pope Francis advice. Much, if not most, of that advice has been theological, suggesting a wide range of changes in Church doctrine and rules.

March 21, 2013

Many U.S. Catholics want Pope Francis to hold the line, inspire

Parishioners and visitors at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception expressed hope Thursday that Pope Francis will call the church establishment back to its core mission and values -- and perhaps bring wayward elements of the flock back into line.

March 15, 2013

KELLNER: A younger Schuller seeks ‘possibilities’ for women

Nearly 2,000 years after Jesus commissioned Mary Magdalene to announce his resurrection to his disciples, many segments of Christendom still have difficulty knowing what role to give female members and workers.

March 14, 2013

KELLNER: Finding midlife enlightenment by way of Bhutan

Lisa Napoli hails from Brooklyn, N.Y., but has lived off and on in Los Angeles for quite some time. It was there when, at the age of 43, she had a midlife crisis.

March 7, 2013

‘Survivor’ star Mark Burnett takes on ‘The Bible’ with his wife

In a sea of televised swill, reality show honcho Mark Burnett ("Survivor") is about to part the waters. With a little help from his own personal "angel," his wife, "Touched by an Angel" star Roma Downey.

February 28, 2013

KELLNER: What if we could use DNA to clone Jesus?

It's a fanciful premise, given that no credible reports exist of actual human cloning ("Walking Dead" extras don't count). But a hard-boiled New York tabloid newspaper reporter, who describes herself as both an "agnostic" and a "lapsed Catholic," believes that if human cloning could be done today, there's genetic material from which another Jesus could — conceivably — be created.

February 28, 2013

D.C. cardinal: New pope must be master of social media

While not revealing his choice for the 267th occupant of the Chair of Saint Peter, Cardinal Donald Wuerl, archbishop of Washington, said that whoever is chosen as the next pope must be conversant in social media as well as the gospel to lead today's global Catholic Church.

February 22, 2013

KELLNER: Conservative Judaism seeks reformed identity

At one point in its history, the century-old United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism was perhaps the largest and most prominent Jewish organization in the United States, claiming as many as 1.5 million members. Today, its approximately 850 congregations have dwindled to 630 in all of North America, and a recent spate of articles in Jewish-oriented media noted the United Synagogue dipped into $5.7 million of reserve funds to finance expansion projects, a move some deemed unwise.

February 22, 2013

KELLNER: Warren driven by a new purpose — religious freedom

The contentious cause of religious liberty has a new, high-profile advocate: Rev. Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Community Church in Lake Forest, Calif., and author of "The Purpose-Driven Life," the 10-year-old publishing phenomenon that has to date sold upwards of 62 million — yes, million — copies.

February 14, 2013

KELLNER: An intimate look at the man behind Jews for Jesus

Moishe Rosen led a career of preaching the message of Jesus that made an impact on his generation and far beyond. His Jews for Jesus organization says it "exists to make the messiahship of Jesus an unavoidable issue to our Jewish people worldwide."

February 7, 2013

KELLNER: Author urges prayers for ‘johns,’ porn addicts

If prayer can indeed move mountains, Anna Broadway, a 34-year-old writer in San Francisco, is focusing hers on a pretty gigantic one: asking God’s help on behalf of men who patronize prostitutes and those trapped in pornography’s grip.

January 31, 2013

KELLNER: ‘End of World’ book should inspire, not frighten

The New Testament’s last book, Revelation (no “s” on the end, please) has inspired all sorts of sermons, tracts, even entire religious movements aimed at provoking fear and repentance, when, one author says, believers should take comfort from its words instead.

January 24, 2013