Q&A: Barack Obama
"I believe in the redemptive death and resurrection of Jesus Christ." (Christianity Today)
Interview by Sarah Pulliam and Ted Olsen | posted 1/23/2008 02:18PM

Barack Obama wants to set the record straight. He is not a Muslim, as recent e-mails falsely claim.

The Democratic presidential candidate is fighting the e-mails that have been widely circulated. Obama has been continually speaking about the role of faith in politics since his Call to Renewal address in June 2006.

In the days before the South Carolina primary, he is driving efforts to speaking with media to emphasize his Christian beliefs. His campaign also sent out a recent mailer portraying the candidate with his head bowed in prayer and says that he will be guided by prayer when he is in office.

The senator from Illinois spoke with Sarah Pulliam and Ted Olsen today about his faith, abortion, and the evangelical vote.

Continued at CT's website.

Imperials Embroiled in Lawsuit Over Name
One of Christian music's most popular singing groups is entangled in a legal battle that puts father and son on opposing sides. (Christianity Today)
Sarah Pulliam | posted 2/28/2008 09:09AM

The Imperials, one of Christian music's most popular singing groups in the 1970s and early '80s, are currently embroiled in a complex legal battle over who owns the group's name — and who gets to reap the profits from that name.

Armond Morales, who in 1964 cofounded the group that went on to win four Grammys and 13 Dove Awards, and his wife, Bonnie, are being sued for the Imperials name by a younger group that includes Armond's son, Jason Morales.

Continued at CT's website.

Larry Norman, 'Father of Christian Rock,' Dies at 60
Musician left a large footprint before he became estranged from the Christian music industry. (Christianity Today)
Sarah Pulliam | posted 2/26/2008 10:32AM

Christian music legend Larry Norman died Sunday of heart failure, according to his brother Charles Norman. He was 60.

Norman, a blonde, long-haired rocker who is often called the father of Christian rock music, was a giant in the Christian music industry, said Chris Willman, senior music writer for Entertainment Weekly.

"His influence outweighed his sales so much that it's comical," Willman said. "He certainly had a heart for evangelism — almost to his detriment, I might say. He really could've been a star if he were singing about something other than Jesus."

Continued at CT's website.

The Megachurch Primaries
How the leading Democratic candidates are trying to win evangelical votes. (Christianity Today)
Sarah Pulliam | posted 1/09/2008 09:05AM

South Carolina pastor Ron Carpenter was a popular guy as the 2008 presidential candidates geared up for the primaries. After he gave seven minutes of pulpit time in October to Sen. Barack Obama to talk about his faith, other campaigns began calling the megachurch pastor, asking for equal time.

For Carpenter, it wasn't easy to determine where to draw the line for his Greenville, South Carolina, congregation, which sits in key territory for the early primaries. He decided elected officials could speak about their faith in the pulpit, but not candidates who are not in office.

"I'm not willing to open up the floodgates and let somebody different in here every Sunday," said Carpenter. "I'm not foolish, I know why they're here. I'm not going to subject the church just to political pandering."

Continued at CT's website.