Spirit Scholars

Helping You Connect with Great Spiritual Books; and Asking: Tell Us What You Think

For a long time, your Spirit Scholars editor (Religion Writer David Crumm) has been connecting people with powerful spiritual voices. And, those recommendations over the years often involve books that fall into a half dozen categories that readers really seem to appreciate.

So, it's time to officially name those half dozen categories. After that, we're going to give you a couple of great new examples of these kinds of books.

First, here are the categories that, over the years, thousands of readers have told us are important in their lives:

INSPIRATIONAL. Everyone can use a daily, spiritual boost. After all, as we've reported here more than once: The Three Most Important Spiritual Questions of our era are, "Why should I climb out of bed in the morning?" "How can I make it through another stressful day?" And, "At the end of the day, where is a sign that anything I did today really mattered?"

GREAT FOR GROUPS. Some of the largest churches across the U.S., these days, have hundreds of small groups within them. One of the most popular activities in small religious groups is reading a book together and talking about it. Everywhere we go, people ask for suggestions of good books for groups to read together.

BIBLE STUDY. America is becoming more religiously diverse, but Gallup Polls show that nearly 9 out of 10 Americans still identify themselves as Christian--and one of the most important goals in both Protestant and Catholic churches is to learn about the scriptures. So, books that enhance Bible study are perennial favorites coast to coast.

EXPAND YOUR HORIZON. Precisely because America is becoming more diverse (and Americans are feeling more closely connected to the rest of the world) men and women frequently ask for tips on good books that will give them an honest taste of the world's many great religious traditions. Reading more about Buddhism, for instance, opened powerful new doors in the religious life of the Catholic monk Thomas Merton.

READ THE WORLD. All of the world's great religious traditions call for peace and unity in our global family--so, it's really an ancient spiritual calling to learn more about the lives and cultures of people around the world. This idea is so important that there's an impressive international program among writers, publishers and booksellers called Reading the World. Ann Arbor-based Shaman Drum Bookstore is one of the leading sponsors of this effort to publish (and then bring to American readers) English-language editions of books about life in foreign lands. Click here and jump to Shaman Drum's site to read more about that amazing shop. Or, click here to check out the Reading the World project. Here at Spirit Scholars, our "picks" for what we're calling "Top Read-the-World Books" may differ a bit from the other national list -- but we celebrate this overall effort and would love to see American readers learning much more about the spiritual lives of their brothers and sisters around the world.

And, finally, MULTIMEDIA MEDITATIONS. Authors and artists are producing some amazing new "voices" in forms that defy publishing categories. Zondervan's terrific African-American audio Bible, "The Bible Experience," is a richly textured celebration of sound, voice and interpretive reading that transcends any one race or culture. We've heard from countless readers who are eager to learn more about all kinds of cutting-edge opportunities to explore spirituality in new forms of media.

So, with those Big 6 Categories in mind, you're probably itching for a couple of "top picks," right?

Well, we've got a couple of real gems for you -- books that you almost certainly would overlook in your stroll through a bookstore, would never find cruising Amazon -- and likely would never hear about in your local congregation. But they're absolutely great! And, you know what? You can pick them up, read the books and, if you like them, you can recommend them to a friend or organize a discussion group yourself.

In fact, we WELCOME hearing from you about any books recommended in  Spirit Scholars!

Click here to Email with us your thoughts on any book you see mentioned here.
Click here to tell us if your congregation -- or a congregation near you -- is planning a discussion group based on any of these books. We'll tell other people about it, who may want to visit and join the discussion.

So, our first, fresh recommendation falls in the category: INSPIRATIONAL.

It's a new book from Skylight Paths, the Vermont-based publisher that often surprises us by exploring spiritual issues we hardly knew we had. It's "Next to Godliness: Finding the Sacred in Housekeeping," edited by Alice Peck. There's a broom and a white-frame window on the front cover and we have to admit that when the book first arrived in the morning mail, we rejected it from further consideration because it seemed so -- so, well, so 1950s! We didn't have a clue what Peck had in mind, until a co-worker picked up the book, flipped open the front cover and stood there for 15 minutes reading it!

After that, we had to take a serious look at the book. We discovered -- and you'll discover, too -- that this is not a Retro return to "Leave it to Beaver," as funny as that series often was.

Peck is a veteran book editor (she calls herself a "Book Doctor") and somehow she has spotted a crucial spiritual void in our lives: We move so fast as Americans, these days, and we've become so disconnected to any spiritual feeling of "home" -- that we've forgotten the spiritual connections involved in the very meaning of maintaining a home.

Reading her collection of wise voices, reflecting initially on the meaning of "Washing the Dishes" (from a spiritual sage no less insightful than Thich Nhat Hanh!), we came to reflections on "Laundry" (including pieces by Kathleen Norris, Pablo Neruda and James Baldwin!) -- and we suddenly remembered one of the great spiritual lessons of the late Bishop Kenneth Untener of Saginaw, Michigan.

Ken was internationally known as a religious scholar, author and, even more than that, a prophetic voice of compassion. One year, Ken instructed all Catholic leaders throughout his diocese to begin each church meeting with the question: "How will what we are doing here involve or affect the poor?" That simple question transformed many lives that year.

Well, visiting Ken for a couple of days to report an in-depth profile of his life, Ken asked another memorable question. "You can see how crazy my life can get," he said. "Do you know the most personally satisfying work that I perform each week? It's doing my laundry. I don't let anyone do it for me. It's one of the few experiences in which I always know that I can bring order out of chaos in just a couple of hours of disciplined work."

Any good Buddhist would understand instantly what Ken meant. Ken doesn't appear in this particular book, but if you're intrigued by all of this -- grab a copy and read it for yourself. (And, don't forget to email us your thoughts -- or tip us off if you know about a discussion group using this book.)

Our second recommendation falls in the category: Expand Your Horizon.

It's a new book by New World Library, the California-based publisher that's celebrating 30 years of surprising readers with unusual voices. Take a look at an earlier book review on Spirit Scholars, written by Buddhist monk Geri Larkin, praising another New World Library title, "Sit Down and Shut Up," by Brad Warner.

Now, though, we're honoring a new book by Sage Bennet, "Wisdom Walk: Nine Practices for Creating Peace and Balance from the World's Spiritual Traditions."

We understand -- loud and clear -- that there are wise religious voices that discourage spiritual sampling. We each should choose a path and pursue it in depth and purity, this argument holds.

But, a strong spiritual counter argument by sages like Thomas Merton is that the world's great religious traditions have survived for thousands of years because each tradition preserves some spiritual genius.

That's exactly what Sage Bennet argues persuasively in nine chapters, helping us consider the facets of wisdom within a broad range of world religions.

For example, Catholics and Orthodox Christians who carefully maintain areas in their homes for sacred reflection may be fascinated to learn about the Hindu tradition of home altars. Even some evangelicals feel drawn toward setting aside a corner of their homes for prayer. How surprising -- and perhaps affirming -- it may be to read about how Indian traditions have treasured this practice for millennia.

That's more reading -- both in this Spirit Scholars article and in these two new books -- than most of us can digest in a good week of reflection. So, we'll leave you to ponder these 6 Categories -- and these 2 Top Recommendations. As we always do at Spirit Scholars, we'll also invite you (with our blessings) to READ ON!

A Red-Hot Scholar Comes to Michigan and Makes It into a Cool Summer Reading List

There's not a scholar of religion these days with a portfolio as broad as the host of global issues explored by Philip Jenkins -- whose new book on cultural collisions in Europe is highlighted in the Free Press new Top 10 List of Spiritual Summer Reading. (The list is published Saturday May 26 in the Free Press and, this year, includes two Michigan authors in the Top 10 list.)

Here's the biggest news on Jenkins: We've just learned that this red-hot scholar also is coming to Michigan for a three-day conference that's open to the public. (It costs a reasonable $95 for all three days -- with rates rising if attendees are bringing spouses or want a room on campus for the conference.)

This event is hosted by Rochester College, a Church of Christ school with a reputation for rigorous academic inquiry. Also on hand for the conference will be the multi-talented Edward John Larson, the 1998 Pulitzer Prize winner for his book "Summer for the Gods," which focused on the continuing impact of the Scopes Trial in America. Larson is a legal scholar, historian and writer and we don't recall many opportunities to hear him here in Michigan.

What's the point of this conference? Here is Rochester College's own mission statement on the three-day event: "The mission of the Christian Scholars Conference is: 'To create and nurture an intellectual and Christian community that joins individuals and institutions to stimulate networks of scholarly dialogue and collaboration.'"

Of course, that's what we're all about here at Spirit Scholars, too -- so we heartily recommend this program. You'll also see additional coverage of the conference coming up in the pages of the Free Press, as well. Click Here to jump to the Rochester conference Web site and read more -- and you can register there, as well.

Also, if you want to know more about Jenkins himself -- Click Here to jump to Jenkins' personal Bio page online. It's not much to look at graphically -- essentially it's his resume online -- but it's got a great check list of his many books.

Most teachers, clergy and even many leading lay people in Michigan already are familiar with Jenkins' work. His book, "The Next Christendom," really was his landmark publication -- bringing his voice to a whole new audience around the world. Since that book, he has shown up in countless media stories. And, at that point, rather than resting on his success -- he seems to have kicked into a scholarly sprint and has never looked back.

He has written about everything from Native American spirituality to the critical problem of child abuse. He's an expert on Christianity in the Southern Hemisphere -- and his new book examines clashing cultures in Europe.

The new book, "God's Continent: Christianity, Islam, and Europe's Religious Crisis," made the Free Press Top 10 summer list because of its fresh, solidly researched insights into Europe's religious evolution. What readers will discover as they move through his book is that the term "crisis" should have additional quote marks around it in Jenkins' title. Yes, there's a perceived clash of cultures, especially religious cultures, he agrees. But he goes on to argue persuasively that Europe actually is a fascinating and even a potentially hopeful public square where these traditions may actually be discovering new ways of accomodating one another.

ALSO -- We strongly urge Spirit Scholars readers to check out the overall Free Press Top 10 list. Two Michigan authors made the summertime list this year:

The Free Press honors Oakland University's Matthew Sutton for his superb book on Aimee Semple McPherson, which we've already highlighted here at Spirit Scholars.

Also honored is Dale Brown of Calvin College for his terrific new overview of Frederick Buechner's life and work. Of course, this is a book very close to Brown's heart, because after years of directing the Calvin College Festival of Faith and Writing, he's moving this fall to become Director of the Buechner Institute at King College in Bristol, Tennessee.

Bravo to all the terrific writers who've served up great summertime reading!

And, if you want to hear Philip Jenkins in person -- check out the June conference!

Compassionate Voice from Hope Raises Fresh Ideas on Hearing Loss and Atheism

Hope College's John Dirk Werkman Professor of Psychology David Myers is one of the most important prophetic voices on the national scene these days in a variety of fields -- and Dr. Myers is so committed to open-source conversations about emerging cultural issues that he has graciously shared with us one of his works in progress.

Myers' piece is a wonderfully optimistic article about technologies to help people with hearing loss recover full access to voices and sounds in public spaces, especially houses of worship. In his own life, Myers has adapted to severe hearing loss and has become a leading advocate of grass-roots solutions to this physical challenge, which affects millions of Americans. His innovative approach to promoting technology that's accessible to grassroots institutions around the world is a model for creative solutions to many different problems we're facing these days.

So, if you're specifically interested in hearing-loss issues -- please, read this draft-in-progress article that he's allowing us to preview. OR, if you're simply interested, more broadly, in creative solutions to complex problems, take a look at how Myers approaches a huge challenge like this by identifying, explaining and pointing people toward solutions that make sense. His work is a model for crowdsourcing solutions to seemingly insurmountable problems.

To read that article -- Click Here and you'll see it pop up in your computer window (readers with slow internet connections, be aware that it will load slowly). Or, there's also a link to this article in the "Read More" portion of our Web site's left margin.

The Myers' household in western Michigan is a virtual hive of innovation. Myers' wife, Carol Myers, has launched another international model of crowdsourcing religious resources. Virtually on her own, from their modest home there in western Michigan, Carol Myers has developed the world's largest Web site devoted to St. Nicholas, the religious model behind Santa Claus.

To see this demonstrated dramatically -- go to any search engine, type in "St. Nicholas" and hit "Go" -- and the first link that'll pop up will be Carol Myers' vast web site. Or Click Here to visit her Web site right now.

Why is her Web site an example of crowdsourcing? Because it was a bottom-up, grassroots project literally launched from a bedroom-office by a single person. So, it's a powerful example of religious self expression. And Carol's model quickly reached out to parishes, institutions, groups and other activists for St. Nicholas all around the world. She pulled them into her site -- and bounces visitors back out to them. Pure Crowdsourcing Religion in action.

Dr. Myers ALSO is on the cutting-edge of "open sourcing" online scholarly resources. Earlier this year, he was invited to be among the leading voices building Scholarpedia, a peer-reviewed Web site -- based on the general model of Wikipedia -- that will provide authoritative overviews of scholarly subjects for general readers. His initial project for that site is "The Psychology of Happiness," based on his own book on the subject. Click Here to visit Scholarpedia's home page. Or, Click Here to visit Myers' article-in-process. Again, he's inviting us to peer into that process "open source" and see the draft he's offered to the peer-review process at the site. A fascinating opportunity to see this new cultural arena emerge "real time."

The Great News about these emerging projects and discussions is that they underline the creative vitality of spiritual expressions across the U.S., these days. It's an exciting time to be part of this unfolding discussion.

Myers has a number of books for general readers on the market these days in addition to the hugely successful series of Psychology textbooks he has written for college students. If you want to read more of Myers' "voice," check out titles like "The Pursuit of Happiness."

It's not exaggeration to say that two of the major spiritual voices rising out of Michigan these days are David and Carol Myers. We're very happy to be able to help encourage and echo their voices here. So: Read on! And, as always, Click Here to Email us with your thoughts. We'd love to hear from you.

Detroit Free Press Religion Writer David Crumm Presents an Illustrated Talk

At 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 25, Kirk in the Hills is hosting an evening with Detroit Free Press Religion Writer (and Spirit Scholars Editor) David Crumm.

The talk is part of the Kirk's popular "Christ and Culture: Crucial Conversations" series that has brought other speakers to this historic Oakland County Presbyterian church.

Crumm's talk is titled: "Media 24/7: Swimming Toward the Sacred in a Sea of Sights and Sounds"

Here's a summary of the themes that evening:

Our faith says that God is everywhere, but so is media—showering us constantly in the forms of newspapers, magazines, cable TV, I-Pods, digital telephones and the Internet. Our faith is about communication and connection; and so is media.

But faith and media certainly aren’t the same thing, are they? How do we learn to swim in this sea of sights and sounds – while keeping our eyes open for the sacred?

This illustrated talk will explore the challenges of seeing the world through the eyes of faith. Our own scriptural tradition describes Creation itself as embodied in a “Word” – so communication is a divine attribute. But let’s be honest! Media, these days, is also an annoyance! We easily become overloaded with manipulative messages and lose the clarity of our vision.

After two millennia, we still see through a glass darkly most of the time.

Crumm will talk about this challenge and also will offer some creative examples from the realm of media that illustrate the difficulty of discernment – and some high hopes for the future.  Then, he’ll open up this theme even further by inviting questions.

Admission is free and open to the public. 

For more information, please contact Lana Russell at (248) 626-2515 ext. 127 or revler@kirkinthehills.org.

If you're online, CLICK HERE to jump to the Kirk's "Map and Directions" page. Once you're there, you also can explore the Kirk's other programs or read about the Kirk's remarkable history.

A Moment of Honor in the Compassionate Struggles in the Trenches of Urban Ministry

Well, here's some Very Good News in the trenches of urban ministry. Michigan's heroic United Methodist pastor, the Rev. Faith Fowler (whose work in Detroit's Cass Corridor has been covered by media across the state for a number of years), is now a finalist in a Volvo-sponsored contest to highlight "Heroes" across the U.S.

Volvo initially chose 250 candidates for their awards -- 5 people per state -- and then asked people to come to the Volvo site and vote for the finalists. Faith now is a finalist -- and already has been given a $25,000 prize. She apparently has told Volvo that she'll donate that to a fund-raising campaign for additional construction for her ministry. Now, though, she's in the running for an additional $25,000 and one of the 9 finalists will receive a "Volvo for Life."

Now, that makes us smile a little bit -- to think of Faith puttering around the Cass Corridor for years to come in brand-new Volvos. If you'd like to read more, CLICK on the link here and you'll jump to another part of this Web site -- where we're posting the entire Volvo press release.

Eco-Theology 01: Even Bishops Are Grappling with "... the moral and human dimensions ..."

ONLY a month has passed and already the 2007 Detroit Free Press Religious Voices Roundtable is proving its prophetic value. In the Roundtable's early-January list of "7 to watch in '07," one of their judgments was: Americans will hear more religious leaders talking about the need to protect the natural world. This message is proving to be popular with a wide range of people, so clergy find it easy to preach.

One month later, that message is echoing coast to coast. In Detroit, the Ecumencial Theological Seminary has identified "ecological spirituality" as a key theme for faculty and students to explore. Nationwide, the National Council of Churches has announced an Ecological Sermon Writing Contest. (Click here to read that earlier story about the contest.)

Of course, this follows years of coalition-building by the NCC and a very impressive array of Jewish, Catholic and evangelical-Protestant groups. And, the trend was fueled by the discovery that this theme is a natural "sacred space" in American culture where virtually anyone can feel comfortable joining hands. That realization is a major key unlocking this powerful trend, it seems to us. There's data now from a number of studies demonstrating that a vast cross section of Americans actually appreciate hearing this message preached by our religious leaders. (Wow! Welcoming sermons! What a concept, hmmm?)

BUT NOW, like a tidal wave that's cresting, we're seeing more people crowding toward this table.

Hitting journalists' desks coast to coast on Wednesday was a News Release from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, based in Washington D.C., headlined: U.S. BISHOPS CALL FOR MORAL FOCUS ON GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE; NEW REPORT DEMANDS URGENT ATTENTION

The opening paragraph read: WASHINGTON (February 7, 2007) – The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is urging members of Congress to address the moral and environmental dimensions of global climate change in the wake of a major international report released last week that cites human activity as the likely cause of rising temperatures around the world.

Attached was a letter that Orlando Bishop Thomas Wenski, the national chairman of the Catholic bishops' Committee on International Policy, sent to Congress. The letter is lengthy. (Click here to read the entire Catholic bishops' news release and Bishop Thomas Wenski's full letter to Congress.) Wenski said, in part: At a time of growing and overdue attention to the challenges of global climate change, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops welcomes your leadership on this issue which literally affects the future of God’s creation.

AND WENSKI SAID, LATER in his letter: The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops seeks to offer a constructive contribution to this timely and important national debate. We participate not as climate experts or as scientists, but rather as pastors and teachers who fear that the moral and human dimensions of these decisions will be overwhelmed by political, economic or ideological pressures.

AND, LATER, HE SAID: While no one has easy answers, we ask you to help define and refine what prudence and the pursuit of the common good require. We seek your help in lifting up and focusing on how climate change will affect the “least among us” — the poor, the vulnerable and the voiceless in our country and around the world. We particularly seek your leadership in shaping responses that respect and protect the lives and the dignity of poor families and children.

Read the letter yourself (use the link above) -- and think about saving a copy in your growing files on Eco-Theology. Wenski outlines a pretty solid approach to the issue on behalf of religious leaders.

As always, we'd like to know what you think about this. Click below to add a Comment. Or, drop us an email with your thoughts.

NCC's Innovative Programming: Networking from Abolitionists to Animal Lovers

Under the Rev. Bob Edgar's leadership, The National Council of Churches continues to forge innovative partnerships, especially around issues related to poverty and ecology. Two cool new opportunities came our way today from the NCC -- and we're sharing the NEWS with you here at Spirit Scholars.

The first partnership was forged by primarily evangelical groups, including the politically influential National Association of Evangelicals. But, somewhere along the line, Edgar and the Council have added their clout to the effort by sending out Web invitations to the Council's constituency, inviting them to take part in this effort. And we applaud that linking of online networks!

This is, indeed, a Cool and a Spiritually Important Effort! It's called Amazing Grace Sunday and -- examining this particular project in terms of evolving media and culture -- it represents another outgrowth of the Mel Gibson-inspired cross promotion of religious feature films. (We know. We know. We've all got issues when it comes to Mel -- but objectively he was a pioneer in this field of media.) In this new project, religious leaders are issuing a nationwide call for a special observance on February 18th in churches coast to coast. The date was picked to coincide with the February 23 release of a British film, "Amazing Grace," which dramatically retells the story of the abolition of the slave trade by Britain 200 years ago.

The cross-promotion effort includes a number of new books that have been published about William Wilberforce as well as a couple of new books about combatting the modern slave trade. By one estimate, human trafficking enslaves 27 million people around the world. (See a mini-review in our right-hand margin of David Batstone's book, "Not for $ale.")

(The Photo at right shows actor Ioan Gruffudd playing Wilberforce in the new movie opening on Feb. 23.) Here's how Wilberforce's life is summarized on one of the NCC Web sites about this event: William Wilberforce (1759-1833) was the original Great Emancipator. His twenty-year fight to end the British slave trade continued until Parliament finally acted. ... Wilberforce is less well known than Lincoln but the U.S. president said the British statesman was one of his political models. Wilberforce also advocated for child labor laws, campaigned for education of the blind and deaf, and founded organizations as diverse as the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) and the National Gallery (of Art). "Good causes," it has been said, "stuck to him like pins to a magnet."

So this is truly a convergence of media, culture and religious motives. Note how the NCC Web posting describes Wilberforce's life -- accurate, to be sure, but also focusing on his agenda as it might relate to the NCC today. (Among other observations that could be made about the life of Wilberforce is that he played a huge role in finally convincing John Wesley to come out against slavery. Wesley, who had seen slavery first-hand in the American South, spent many years contemplating this social ill before finally coming down forcefully against the practice -- and he credited his friend Wilberforce with helping to shape his spiritual conscience on this issue.)

BUT THAT's NOT ALL! Click here to visit the main Amazing Grace Sunday Web site. The NCC and many other groups are sending Web surfers ultimately to this multi-media site. Once you reach this Web site, you'll find a host of media resources -- from bulletin inserts for your parish to Web graphics to post on your Internet site. There are various lyrics for the "Amazing Grace" hymn and clips from the movie that multi-media parishes could show to their congregations. There's even a way to register your congregation on an ever-growing national "map" of participating churches.

  AND AS IF THAT WEREN'T ENOUGH? The NCC also is announcing a national preaching contest on themes related to ecology. Click Here to jump to the NCC site about this new effort. Here's how the NCC site introduces the contest: As stewards of God’s creation, it is our commitment to protect God’s creation and ensure justice for all of God’s children. But while our nation and the rest of the world progresses into a society of technology and convenience, we may let our commitment to the Earth slip aside, and let God’s precious gift of creation waste away. Please limit your submission to 1,500 words maximum. The deadline for this contest is March 1, 2007. Send us your sermons by email at info@nccecojustice.org (please write 'Environmental Sermon Contest' in the Subject line). There's also a mailing address for sermons on the NCC site.

As we often do at Spirit Scholars, we realize that we're sending you off into other Internet realms. But, we'd also like to hear what you think about all of this. Either add a Comment (by clicking below), or click here to send us an email directly.

Is the Most Important A-Word: "Aging" ... Or Is It "Anxiety"?

AGING is proving to be one of the most pressing issues we face as Americans -- yet one of those topics we just can't bring ourselves to discuss. (If you're interested in this issue, please click on the Category "Aging" in the left margin of this site to read other articles on the topic.)

The current issue of the New Yorker Magazine skewers this kind of anxiety in the cartoon above. (You can click on any image in Spirit Scholars to see it enlarged.)

THEN, beyond the New Yorker cartoon, here's another example of our aversion to aging: Have you seen the new international Web site for the United Methodist Church? It's worth taking a good look, even if you're not United Methodist. This new Web site is a $1-million-plus investment in the hope of networking Methodists in new ways around the world. However, what's curious about this brand-new site, which was launched in late January, is to look over the pristine landscape at all the places Web surfers are NOT flocking.

One gaping hole in the new United Methodist site is: Aging.

If you want to check out this area of the site, here's how to find it. First, Click Here to go to www.umc.org, which is the new home page. Then, there are various ways to navigate through this overly complicated Home Page. The easiest way to find the Aging network is to click on the "CONNECT" link on the right-hand side of the page. When the next page loads, scroll down to "Discover Villages."

These "Villages" are supposed to be online networks through which United Methodists can talk with each other around the world about pressing issues.

QUESTION: Beyond the 1 Administrator of the Web site, how many of the 10 million United Methodists around the world have flocked into the AGING Village in this vast, global Web site?

ANSWER: As of noon Eastern Time on February 3 -- exactly, uhhhh -- Zero.

It could be that the vast new Web site is so daunting that no one has even found these Villages within the site. But we suspect it's more a question of our natural anxiety when the A-word is raised. Perhaps it's time to invest in the stock of "Stay Well Cards"?

What's New? Rob Bell's on the Road Again, Packing New NOOMA and His Long-Awaited Book, "Sex God"

Mark your calendars! Rob Bell, Michigan's hottest evangelist, is hitting the road again and he's stopping first at the University of Michigan Power Center in Ann Arbor at 8 p.m. on Thursday, February 8. Late on Monday, this free public appearance was announced by Rob's staff. The latest tour is planned to debut his new NOOMA film, "You," as well as his long-awaited book on the theology of human sexuality, "Sex God."

(UPDATE February 4: Click Here to jump to the Detroit Free Press Web site and read even more fresh news about Rob Bell and his plans. At the Free Press, you'll find a "Spiritual Life" story about "NOOMA" films,  Rob's style of preaching and why he approaches ministry in this unusual way. And, now, back to our original January 23 Spirit Scholars story ...)

We're starting with Rob Bell today, though, because we know lots of our readers will want to know about his latest tour, film and book. So, here's a summary of that news:

Monday and Tuesday this week, Rob has been the headliner at Mars Hill Bible Church's first international conference on the future of The Church, a series of talks and "break-out" sessions aimed mainly at pastors and pastoral leaders of churches. (Even though Grandville, the home of Mars Hill, is situated in western Michigan near Grand Rapids, the crowd at the conference is estimated to be 90 percent from outside Michigan, mainly from other states across the U.S. -- but with a number of foreign countries, including Norway, Sweden, England, Australia and Kenya, well represented in the mix.)

On Monday, Day No. 1 was an amazing roller coaster ride through issues as diverse as the theology of a Christian community, the spiritual need to pitch in on the global effort to combat AIDS, the divine nature of creativity -- and the courage necessary to pursue ministry in an age of global conflict.

Rob's own talks restlessly ranged from the New Testament to Rolling Stone Magazine, from the earliest Hebrew hymns to the final recordings of Johnny Cash, from the challenges of preaching on difficult Bible texts to the challenges of wrestling with abusive Email messages.

At this point, Rob is a Triple Threat in competing for ears and eyes in the modern media mosh pit. His first book, "Velvet Elvis," quickly reached Best Seller status. His hugely popular short inspirational videos, collectively called "NOOMA," are considered a cultural innovation. And, last summer, he rewrote the guidebook for touring evangelists with his sold-out, stand-up preaching gigs at clubs nationwide.

For at least a year, Rob watchers have been waiting for his second major book, "Sex God," to hit bookstore shelves. Finally, it's just about to debut, and we're told that the Feb. 8 event at UM's Power Center will be the first chance people will get to buy copies of the new book. That's even before the book is sold in bookstores, we're hearing.

Also, Rob will debut his latest "NOOMA" at the Power Center, called "You," a spiritual reflection on self esteem. Not even the crowd at the Mars Hill conference was given a peek at the new movie. So, Feb. 8 is shaping up as a "must attend" event for those curious about Rob's ministry.

If you live in Ann Arbor, we're told, you'll see posters going up around town in the week or so before the event. Rob and his ministry team are hoping that the event will draw heavily from the university community itself, but it's open to anyone who wants to attend. No tickets required.

If you live in other states, Rob tentatively is slated to visit the University of Kentucky on February 15 and, then, March 5 through 9, he's making a West Coast swing that will include the University of Washington and UCLA, passing through the Bay Area sometime in the middle of the tour.

Want to know more? Naturally, Rob's got his own Web site in the works. A cryptic "Coming Soon" page already is online at www.sexgodtour.com   Stay tuned for more.

A Cardinal Still Trumps a Bishop, Even in the Egalitarian Online World

UPDATE on this Story, posted February 2: At Spirit Scholars, we're interested in emerging issues in faith and culture -- and we're following the story of Detroit's famous Catholic Auxiliary Bishop Tom Gumbleton, because this is a fascinating case study of a perennial kind of religious dispute -- transformed in new ways by the use of "new media" in the battle.

There is NO indication that Catholic leaders will consider returning Gumbleton as the pastoral administrator of St. Leo's parish in Detroit. That seems to be a closed issue -- and even Gumbleton seems to have moved on from the parish and is starting the next phase of his international ministry. Nevertheless, the dispute continues to simmer.

What's interesting in our Spirit Scholars consideration of the story is that this dispute -- now that it has spilled into "new media" -- is echoing across the country and spilling over into skirmishes that Gumbleton's Detroit supporters probably never envisioned. Recently, Gumbleton's plan to speak to a progressive Catholic group in the Tuscon, Arizona, area was derailed by Tucson Catholic Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas. The group hosting Gumbleton in Arizona had to move to a nearby Protestant church.

All of these "headlines" and all of this "online" activity now is bringing out some of Gumbleton's perennial foes to take fresh shots at him and his ongoing work. A good example of this appears in a Blog that you can find by clicking on this link to the site. We include this "update" so that our readers, who are watching the various tools and techniques in this dispute, can see this next phase in the struggle.

Bottom Line: Once a dispute heads into online realms -- all control over the discussion vanishes and a whole array of people suddenly feel that they're a part of the unfolding conflict.

UPDATE on this Story, posted January 25:
        After reading the story, below, it's interesting to learn that Tom's followers did not give up on his cause as easily as Catholic leaders hoped. Tom asked that news media not cover his final mass on Sunday January 21, HOWEVER, he allowed someone to sit in the front row and videotape his final remarks to his followers. Those remarks included a pointed shot at his superiors in the church, claiming that they had forced him out as administrator of St. Leo's in retribution for his advocacy on behalf of victims of sexual abuse.
        So far, neither Tom nor his followers have presented any "smoking gun" evidence to prove that such punitive action was taken. Tom declines even to describe Who might have delivered this news to him or When such punitive news was delivered to him. Perhaps it's simply a matter of Tom's best guess that this is LIKELY what happened.
        Meanwhile, other Catholic officials deny that Tom was punished. They point out that, at 77, he's 2 years past the retirement age of 75 for a bishop.
        HOWEVER: In an age of online skirmishes those basic questions about firm evidence don't seem to matter as much as the raw power of the dueling online posts -- and this film clip, which surfaced on a National Catholic Reporter Web site in the middle of this week was a pretty good shot from Tom's followers.
        Take a look by clicking to the National Catholic Reporter page. There's a story on the page, but also a video clip of Tom's remarks embedded in the middle of the story. If your connection is speedy enough, the clip should play immediately and you'll hear Tom's remarks for yourself.
        Word of Warning to Church Leaders in the Future: Be aware of who's videotaping you! The whole world might wind up watching!

AT THIS POINT, you're reading the Gumbleton story "backward" chronologically, starting with the most recent updates (above). IF you care to "catch up" on all the coverage -- you can jump immediately to our ORIGINAL January 19 story on the Gumbleton dispute, click here to read that earlier article. AND, then, on January 21, we published this second installment in the story.

Just a couple of days ago, we wrote a Spirit Scholars article about the forces who were supporting Detroit Catholic Auxiliary Bishop Tom Gumbleton's plea to remain in Detroit as the pastor at St. Leo's. From a Spirit Scholars perspective, we were struck by the sophisticated use of YouTube to plead Tom's case -- and we were impressed by the technical proficiency of his supporters in producing a top-notch, 5-minute, video overview of their campaign. (If you missed that earlier story, Click here to read it now.)

Well, things move very rapidly in this new 24-7 world of instant communication. Detroit Cardinal Adam Maida, apparently seeing the need to quickly pull the pastoral plug on this growing campaign, delivered the word to Tom on Saturday that today (Sunday) would be his final chance to celebrate Mass as the Pastor of St. Leo's.

Tom sent out some Saturday-night Emails to friends expressing that it finally was time for him to move on from St. Leo's. He expressed no bitterness -- just the news. However, his personal plea was that he wanted no media coverage of his last Mass as pastor. He prefered to keep it a fairly private event for his own pastoral reasons.

Meanwhile, what Tom's supporters had Started online, the cardinal's office Finished online -- and that's what we regard as the newsy innovation worth pointing out here at Spirit Scholars. Just as Tom's supporters had fired their shot via YouTube, the Archdiocese of Detroit also loaded up its online cannons (which they possess in addition to their powerful Canons) -- and the archdiocesan staff had a two-page letter by Cardinal Maida as well as a one-page Biography of Tom posted on the archdiocesan Web site in time for anyone to read, especially folks who might be processing the news over the weekend.

They were fast and they were clear on the Cardinal's "take" on this controversial move. Click here if you'd like to read the whole thing for yourself in a PDF file. The Cardinal's letter said, in part:

"The time has come for a transition in pastoral leadership at St. Leo Parish. For the last 23 years, Bishop Gumbleton has faithfully served your community and shared your joys and sorrows, challenges, hopes and dreams through Sunday Eucharist, works of Christian service, and reflecting on the Gospel of Life in today's society. I know how much you have valued his service and availability, and appreciated his witness to the Gospel. As Bishop Gumbleton now reaches the age of 77, it is now appropriate for him to retire from pastoral leadership of a parish."

The cardinal then explained the Canon Law concerning this move. And he further explained: "Like all our retired auxiliaries, Bishop Gumbleton will still function as a priest and bishop, celebrating the sacraments, including Confirmation, throughout the parishes of the Archdiocese as need arises and his health and schedule permit."

A new pastor is on the way, the Cardinal said: "Effective tomorrow, January 22, Father Gerard Battersby is being appointed administrator of your parish in addition to his ministry at Sacred Heart Major Seminary. ... The Detroit Jesuit community will also be supportive of Father Battersby as administrator, providing sacramental ministry as requested."

We're not commenting here on the wisdom of these moves -- but we are pointing out to religious leaders with fewer online resources that they might want to look into such strategies soon. Tough pastoral decisions, it seems, are heading into the public glare of the Web.