July 20, 2017

Reflections on Fear and Faith

By Arthur Brown “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ All the […]
June 15, 2017

What the Poor Have Taught Me?

By Rupen Das* A 2009 study by Tomas Rees on the relationship between poverty and religiousness found that personal insecurity (due to stressful situations, such as poverty) was an important determinant of religiosity.[1] The poor tend to be more religious. I find the faith of the poor both intriguing and challenging. […]
April 27, 2017

Middle East Consulation 2017 – The Church in Disorienting Times: Leading Prophetically through Adversity

CLICK HERE TO APPLY Places at MEC 2017 are filling up fast. If you are planning to attend MEC this year, and have yet to apply [or have had your application approved but have not gone on to register] please do so as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. IMES’ […]
April 20, 2017

Social Capital: Seeds of Friendship Growing into a National Symbol for Reconciliation

By Manal el-Tayar Her voice quivered as she started speaking. One could sense how intimidating it must have felt for a twenty-year-old to address a crowd of religious leaders, politicians, ambassadors, civil society leaders, academicians and other notable delegates about her vision for a united Lebanon. As Alaa spoke, she […]
March 30, 2017

A Reflection on Traffic through a Theology of Sin

By Caleb Hutcherson Have you ever thought about your theology of sin in the middle of being stuck in traffic? That chortling I hear doesn’t faze me. And of course, you are right. My friends and family chuckle, too, at my goofy probing of the everyday with theological lenses. But, I think there is […]
March 16, 2017

Re-Reading Our Times

The 1970s were defining for me. Those were my high school years. Growing up between Lebanon and the US gave me the opportunity to experience those formative high school years cross-culturally. I was a mid-western boy living in a Middle Eastern home. Recently, I’ve decided to reread some of my […]
February 9, 2017

Middle East Immersion: Learn. Serve. Experience the Middle East!

What is the Middle East Immersion? The Middle East Immersion (MEI) is a six-week intensive practicum designed for students from beyond the region wanting to experience firsthand the opportunities and challenges of Christian service in the Middle East. Under the mentorship of respected scholars and experienced practitioners, students in the MEI […]
January 13, 2017

Reflections on the Humanitarian Crisis in Syria (Part 1)

By Rupen Das This post is based on a plenary presentation made at the ACCORD Annual meeting in North Carolina on Oct. 25, 2016 by Rupen Das to the 70+ Christian US relief and development member NGOs. It is presented here in two parts. I was asked to share my perspective on the […]