Is consciousness just a function of the brain — or something more?
Theories of consciousness cut to the quick of what it means to be alive.
A minister talks about growing up in Adolf Hitler’s Germany
Martin Rumscheidt on his father’s complicity in the Nazi extermination of Jewish people.
Don Hume was a minister nearing retirement. Then he tried crack cocaine.
At first, he used the drug about once a month. Then it was every few weeks. Then every few days. Before he
Interview with Sister Teresa Forcades
The Benedictine nun, physician and feminist theologian from Catalonia, Spain talks about her social activism
11 immigrants putting down roots in Canada and the United Church
"Lima was a bit difficult. It’s a Catholic society; I was never out of the closet there."
What does it mean to be ‘in essential agreement’?
The writer explains why United Church ministers aren't expected to have "literal adherence" to the denomination’s statement of doctrine.
Attracting the spiritual but not religious through ‘un-churching’
Some church leaders are attempting to entice new members by laying off the faith community's biggest buzz word: God.
Living young in Canada’s oldest town
With the highest percentage of seniors in the country, Qualicum Beach, B.C., offers a glimpse into our greying future.
Ktunaxa First Nation fights a ski resort to protect sacred land
A Supreme Court of Canada case pits a resort developer against B.C.’s Ktunaxa First Nation. At issue: does the development infringe on
Liberal Christians in the U.S. test their faith against a demagogue
After Donald Trump's election, The Observer visits United Church of Christ congregations to learn more about how the denomination is responding to
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July/August 2025 Issue In this issue: New approaches to dementia care to help people live a full life; How to talk across polarities; How white evangelicals incite homophobia in Uganda |
