“Activity by Asheville groups gives us hope that we can transcend our narrow views — going beyond one political party, one program or one set of policies.”
Tag: religion
Showing 1-21 of 43 results
Coffee business offers employment opportunities to formerly incarcerated individuals
One might never know that a 650-pound industrial coffee roaster sits in the Trinity United Methodist Church basement if not for the smell of freshly roasted beans.
Letter: Where are the involved local churches?
“What would it be like if each church would have small group meetings regularly addressing social issues that determine our way of life? Issues like economic security, health care, the environment, and war and peace.”
Maia Toll’s memoir recaps spiritual journey
Letting Magic In is a coming-of-age story about her connection to the Earth, her intuition and the unseen realm that may surround us all. “I wanted to show the slow ebb and flow of moving from one place to the other, questioning and doubting, stepping forward and back and forward and back.”
Many Gen Zers in WNC explore new kinds of spirituality
When Marc Mullinax began teaching at Mars Hill University two decades ago, the school’s Southern Baptist roots were still plain to see in the student body. “I would say eight or nine people out of every 10 in my classes strongly identified as Christian,” says Mullinax, a professor of religion and philosophy. “We had a […]
The work goes on
The murder of George Floyd, a Black man, by white Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on May 25, 2020, spurred nationwide Black Lives Matter protests. In Asheville, Floyd’s murder had the immediate effect of religious institutions looking inward and engaging with their congregations around racial justice. More than a year on from those events, many […]
Letter: We need creative responses to transform our institutions
“I believe preschool and primary grades of schooling are more attuned to children’s needs, but after that, the schools are geared more to fitting children into our dysfunctional and polarized society.”
That ‘friendly’ neighborhood website
Letter: Let’s recognize that we are all humans
“We cannot lose ourselves to the oversimplification of differing political ideologies to the point where we no longer recognize that we are all humans and that we have much more in common than we often choose to recognize.”
Byron Ballard’s latest book gives a prophetic warning
In her new book ‘Earth Works: Ceremonies in Tower Time,’ Byron Ballard forecasts dark days ahead as patriarchy gasps its last breaths. But she also offers hope with practical strategies for rebuilding from the waste.
The changing faces of faith
While Asheville thrives on a diverse spiritual life, shifting demographics and evolving notions of religion’s role in daily life have many historic congregations reconsidering the part they play in local culture — and how best to address a changing community’s concerns.
Lawful house breakfast
Asheville, N
Nanny state
Asheville
A conversation with Clare Hanrahan
If you’ve ever driven past the Vance Monument during one of the many protests held there over the last 20 years, there’s a fair chance that Clare Hanrahan numbered among the folks making their voices heard. For the Asheville resident, writer and activist, visibility is a key tool in the fight against injustice. Hanrahan has […]
Tow and do likewise
Warning signs
Prodigal children: Returning to covenant from the spiritual playground
“Just for the record, I’m spiritual, not religious.” If you live in Asheville, this probably sounds familiar. But when does spiritual exploration become more of a distraction than a path to a deepening connection with others and our best selves?
Letter writer: Sunday Celebrations offer nonreligious alternative
“Many nonreligious persons still enjoy the experience of getting together for fellowship and discourse without using religious language.”
Letter writer: Asheville offers multiple spiritual (and nonspiritual) paths
I enjoyed the cover article for a December issue (posted online on Dec. 24) entitled “Churches in the fall: local churches get back to their roots in a rapidly changing millennial culture” [Dec. 25, Xpress]. Howard Hanger, founder of Jubilee! definitely helps with the hanging chads left behind by more conservative expressions of orthodoxy and orthopraxy […]
Stones and bones: Volunteers help resurrect local African-American history
A revitalized volunteer push is underway to rescue Western North Carolina’s oldest known African-American cemetery from the ravages of neglect and obscurity. The effort includes a new website that features an interactive map of the cemetery and a digital guide to each of its graves.
Video: Did ‘Obama’s spiritual advisor’ go on ‘race rant’ in Hot Springs?
Calling Dr. Jim Wallis President Barack Obama’s “spiritual advisor,” the popular conservative news and opinion website The Daily Caller reported July 7 that the liberal evangelical leader went on a “race rant” at a recent event Hot Springs. But was it really an accusatory, racist rant, from a man “who has the ear of the leader of the free world,” as the website alleges? Or was it part of a constructive dialogue on a tough topic?
