Conflict over homosexuality in Christian churches is only intensifying. We can do better. We have to do better. The stakes are too high to do otherwise. Conflicts are difficult and ugly, but the good news reaches even here. It is possible to have healthy conflict, to disagree and struggle together in ways that make us better and that make the church stronger. By looking deeply into the nature of religious conflict, we can cultivate practices and values that will mature our abilities as peacemakers, and strengthen our faith and our churches. ""Paris is a realist: seeing this conflict is not...

For more than one hundred years, North American Christians have been choosing one of two stories about the gospel of Jesus Christ. One story, often referred to as the ""true gospel,"" holds forth a narrative that this world is a ""sinking ship"" without possibility of redemption. For adherents to the ""true gospel,"" human suffering in this life is mostly a distraction to be ignored, for all that truly matters is to ""win souls for Jesus"" so that as many as possible can be assured of eternal life. The other story, known by many as the ""social gospel,"" holds that the gospel of Jesus...