b

Christian life coaching conference tackles stress, burnout, 'compassion fatigue'

With a strong focus on tackling burnout and compassion fatigue, Hope Together conference offered essential tools and support for ministry leaders and individuals seeking renewed strength and purpose.




b

Christian Alliance for Orphans celebrates 20 years in ministry

Christian Alliance for Orphans celebrated 20 years of ministry at its annual summit where 2,400 supporters from 46 countries came together at Brentwood Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee.




b

Majority of practicing Christians admit to viewing porn, many comfortable with habit: study

A majority of practicing Christians, including pastors, admit to viewing pornography and a large share say they are comfortable with the habit, a new study has found.




b

Therapists urge churches to offer more than celibacy for people with unwanted same-sex attraction

People suffering as a result of unwanted same-sex attraction or gender confusion should be allowed to seek professional help, and the Church must offer a more hopeful message than simply telling them to be celibate for the rest of their lives.




b

'It's all God': Couple who survived Hurricane Helene by floating on couch praise the Lord

A North Carolina couple who survived Hurricane Helene by using their couch as a flotation device thanked God for protecting them and revealed how their faith has buoyed them amid the aftermath of the disaster that ravaged their community.




b

Generosity Path director shares remarkable stories of how Jesus-like giving is transforming people's lives

Bonar Tanudjaja, Southeast Asia and East Asia regional director of Generosity Path, shares the core principles of biblical generosity and how the Journey of Generosity has transformed individuals, churches and communities across Asia through sharing stories of people who are radically generous.




b

This week in Christian history: Bob Marley baptized; Billy Sunday dies; pope defends indulgences

Events that occurred this week in Christian history include Bob Marley joining the Orthodox Church, the death of Billy Sunday, and Pope Leo X defending indulgences.




b

Gateway Church removes multiple elders as Robert Morris abuse investigation concludes

Gateway Church in Texas has removed multiple elders as the result of a four-month investigation into allegations the church's founder, Robert Morris, sexually abused a minor female for years beginning when she was 12 during the 1980s. 




b

GAFCON demands Justin Welby publicly repent for speaking against ‘doctrine of Christ’

The group GAFCON has demanded that Archbishop Justin Welby publicly repent for comments that contradict the “doctrine of Christ.”




b

COGIC bishop anoints Kamala Harris with prayer, declares ‘I believe we have the victory’

Despite being rebuked by Pastor Donnie Swaggart for endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to become the next president of the United States, Bishop John Drew Sheard, presiding bishop and chief apostle of the Church of God in Christ, defiantly anointed her with prayer before his congregation Sunday after declaring, “I believe we have the victory.”




b

Sean Rowe installed as new leader of Episcopal Church; stresses unity, need to ‘finish the job’

The Rt. Rev. Sean Rowe has taken over as the new leader of The Episcopal Church, declaring at his installation service that the denomination must unify and “finish the job” of witnessing to a “hurting world.”




b

Gateway Church edits advice to abuse victims: ‘Go to the police first,’ not church

A day after urging sex abuse victims of current or former leaders of the embattled Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, to report their abuse to elders, longtime elder at the megachurch, Tra Willbanks, revised his advice on Sunday urging them instead to “go to the police first.”




b

Johnny Hunt, SBC lawsuit parties to meet next year to discuss trial

Former Southern Baptist Convention President Johnny Hunt and the SBC are scheduled to meet next year as part of his lawsuit against the denomination over allegations of defamation and invasion of privacy.




b

Breakaway Illinois church agrees to pay over $1.4 million to leave UMC

An Illinois-based congregation has agreed to pay more than $1.4 million in order to disaffiliate from The United Methodist Church following litigation over who owned its property.




b

Christians urged to look through 'lens of Scripture' to combat antisemitism, defend Jews

After a recent shooting of a Jewish man on his way to synagogue in Chicago and a surge in antisemitic incidents, a ministry focused on sharing the Gospel with Jewish communities is stepping up to equip Christians with tools to support God’s chosen people.




b

Bethel Church enters Hillsong territory with new church plant in Sydney

Bill Johnson’s Bethel Church in Redding, California, announced Sunday that it has planted a new church in Sydney, Australia, where Hillsong Church is headquartered. 




b

This week in Christian history: Georgian king martyred, Baptist denomination founded

Events that occurred this week in Christian history include the martyrdom of a Georgian king, a social reformer claims to have a vision, and the founding of a Baptist denomination.




b

Chaplain blacklisted by CofE for teaching Christian views on gender identity takes archbishop to court

The Rev. Bernard Randall, an ordained Church of England chaplain, has taken legal action against Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby for blocking a disciplinary case against the Bishop of Derby who labeled him a safeguarding risk due to his traditional Christian views on gender identity..




b

Episcopal Church loses nearly 40K members, but sees worship attendance grow

The Episcopal Church saw a decline in membership of about 40,000 people last year, but also saw an increase in average Sunday worship attendance, according to recently released statistics.




b

Ex-Southern Baptist professor Matthew Queen resigns from Friendly Avenue Baptist Church

Weeks after failing to reach an agreement with Pastor Matthew Queen to vacate his position after he pleaded guilty to making a false statement to federal authorities about a sexual abuse investigation, Friendly Avenue Baptist Church in Greensboro, North Carolina, announced that he has resigned.




b

Voddie Baucham to return to native US after decade in Zambia, asks for prayer

Pastor and bestselling author Voddie T. Baucham announced Monday that he and his family will be returning to his native United States after a decade living abroad in Lusaka, Zambia.




b

Top 7 responses to Trump win from US political, business figures

After President-elect Donald Trump was declared the 47th president during the early morning hours Wednesday, many U.S. political and business leaders have weighed in to congratulate him for his historic political comeback.




b

2024 election results show nation divided on abortion as states split on ballot measures

The 2024 election yielded mixed results for the pro-life movement, with voters in several states supporting pro-abortion ballot measures as such referendums came up short in other states. 




b

Pro-life leaders react to Trump victory: 'Clear rejection of extreme abortion agenda'

Leaders of pro-life advocacy groups are celebrating former President Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election, citing his win as evidence that the American people do not support the unfettered abortion access endorsed by the Democrats.




b

Melania Trump returns as first lady: 4 things to know about her life, marriage and more

As former President Donald Trump heads back to the White House to serve a second, non-consecutive term, his wife, former first lady Melania Trump, is returning to the national spotlight. Here are four things to know about her background, political views and marriage. 




b

Trump taps former acting ICE director Tom Homan as 'border czar'

President-elect Donald Trump announced that former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Tom Homan will serve as "border czar" in his new administration.




b

CNN guest accused of 'transphobia' for saying families don't like boys playing girls' sports

A CNN panel discussion about the 2024 presidential election results got heated Friday night as one guest faced allegations of "transphobia" for asserting that the Democratic Party's staunch support for allowing trans-identified males to compete in women's sports contributed to the election loss.




b

Trump to appoint Rep. Elise Stefanik as UN ambassador: 'Truly honored'

President-elect Donald Trump has asked Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.




b

Republicans maintain control of the US House of Representatives

The Republican Party has secured a majority of the seats in the United States House of Representatives, having already secured the White House and the U.S. Senate.




b

Kamala Harris campaign ends with over $20M in debt: report

Vice President Kamala Harris’ unsuccessful presidential campaign ended with over $20 million in debt, a report has revealed, as the introspection following the 2024 presidential election continues. 




b

Christian counselor asks Supreme Court to block Colorado’s 'gay conversion therapy' ban

A Christian counselor is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to block enforcement of a Colorado law that regulates what licensed professionals can say while discussing unwanted same-sex attractions with clients, arguing that the state government censors speech it disfavors. 




b

Judge blocks Louisiana from displaying Ten Commandments in classrooms

A federal judge has temporarily blocked a recently passed Louisiana law that would require public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments.




b

Delaware elects first trans-identifying member of Congress

Delaware elected 34-year-old Sarah McBride as the nation's first trans-identifying individual to serve in the U.S. Congress.




b

Music Studies Colloquium: Gavin Steingo, Feb. 28, 2025

Gavin Steingo (Princeton University) Title and description TBA A reception will follow.




b

The Loft Hour: Cecily Nicholson + Ana María Ochoa Gautier, Feb. 13, 2025

Cecily Nicholson is an Assistant Professor in the School of Creative Writing at University of British Columbia. Nicholson is the author of four poetry books, Triage, From the Poplars, Wayside Sang, and Harrowings, and past recipient of the Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize (2015) and the Governor General’s Literary Award for poetry (2018). She is the first honouree of the Phyllis Webb Memorial Reading award from the Poetry in Canada Society (2023) and 2024/2025 Holloway Lecturer in Poetry and Poetics at UC Berkeley.Ana María Ochoa Gautier is Professor and Chair of the Department of Music, and faculty member at the Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race at Columbia University. Her recent book, Aurality, Listening and Knowledge in Nineteenth-Century Colombia (Duke University Press, 2014) was awarded the Alan Merriam Prize by the Society for Ethnomusicology. She is also the author of Músicas locales en tiempos de globalización (Buenos Aires: Norma 2003) and Entre los Deseos y los Derechos: Un Ensayo Crítico sobre Políticas Culturales (Bogotá: Ministerio de cultura, 2003). She writes on music and cultural policy, forced silence and armed conflict, and genealogies of listening and sound in Latin America and the Caribbean. Her current projects explore the bioacoustics of life and death in colonial histories of the Americas. She has been a Distinguished Greenleaf Scholar in Residence at Tulane University (2016) and a Guggenheim Fellow (2007-2008). She has served on the advisory boards of the Society for Cultural Anthropology, the Démos project at the Cité de la Musique - Philharmonie de Paris, and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. She will be a visiting professor in UC Berkeley’s Department of Music in Spring 2025.Tom McEnaney is Associate Professor in the departments of Comparative Literature and Spanish & Portuguese, and the Director of the Berkeley Center for New Media. His research concerns the intersection of literature, sound technology, and politics. He is the author of many articles and the book Acoustic Properties: Radio, Narrative, and the New Neighborhood of the Americas. His new book, with Judith Peraino, will be out in August and is titled We’re Having Much More Fun: Punk Archives for the Present from CBGB to Gilman and Beyond. The 2024/25 series includes: Rizvana Bradley (Film & Media), Asma Kazmi (Art Practice/BCNM), Tehmina Khan (College Writing Program), Roshanak Kheshti (TDPS), SanSan Kwan (TDPS), Fae Myenne Ng (Ethnic Studies), Cecily Nicholson (English), Ana María Ochoa Gautier (Music), Andy Shanken (Architecture/Art History), and Stephanie Syjuco (Art Practice).




b

UC Berkeley Symphony Orchestra, Dec. 14

Perú Negro, LopezDaphnis and Chloe No. 2, RavelMusic from Studio Ghibli, HisaishiDavid Milnes, conductor Join us for this end-of-year concert that includes a special performance of classics from the Studio Ghibli catalog. Featuring a full orchestra and visual accompaniment, this three-day event is a fan-favorite that is certain to sell out. Get your tickets early!Safety The UC Berkeley Department of Music is committed to the health and safety of our students, staff, and patrons. Measures to protect concertgoers and musicians will be informed by state, local, and UC Berkeley Public Health policies and are subject to change.Accessibility If you require an accommodation for effective communication (ASL interpreting/CART captioning, alternative media formats, etc.) or information about campus mobility access features in order to fully participate in this event, please contact the Hertz Hall Manager at 510-642-4864 or HertzHallMgr@berkeley.edu. with as much advance notice as possible and at least 7-10 days in advance of the event. Facebook: @ucbmusicdept Instagram: @ucberkeleymusic  Twitter/X: @ucbmusicdept Youtube: Berkeley Music YouTube channel




b

UC Berkeley Symphony Orchestra, Dec. 13

Perú Negro, LopezDaphnis and Chloe No. 2, RavelMusic from Studio Ghibli, HisaishiDavid Milnes, conductor Join us for this end-of-year concert that includes a special performance of classics from the Studio Ghibli catalog. Featuring a full orchestra and visual accompaniment, this three-day event is a fan-favorite that is certain to sell out. Get your tickets early!Safety The UC Berkeley Department of Music is committed to the health and safety of our students, staff, and patrons. Measures to protect concertgoers and musicians will be informed by state, local, and UC Berkeley Public Health policies and are subject to change.Accessibility If you require an accommodation for effective communication (ASL interpreting/CART captioning, alternative media formats, etc.) or information about campus mobility access features in order to fully participate in this event, please contact the Hertz Hall Manager at 510-642-4864 or HertzHallMgr@berkeley.edu. with as much advance notice as possible and at least 7-10 days in advance of the event. Facebook: @ucbmusicdept Instagram: @ucberkeleymusic  Twitter/X: @ucbmusicdept Youtube: Berkeley Music YouTube channel




b

UC Berkeley Symphony Orchestra, Dec. 12

Perú Negro, LopezDaphnis and Chloe No. 2, RavelMusic from Studio Ghibli, HisaishiDavid Milnes, conductor Join us for this end-of-year concert that includes a special performance of classics from the Studio Ghibli catalog. Featuring a full orchestra and visual accompaniment, this three-day event is a fan-favorite that is certain to sell out. Get your tickets early!Safety The UC Berkeley Department of Music is committed to the health and safety of our students, staff, and patrons. Measures to protect concertgoers and musicians will be informed by state, local, and UC Berkeley Public Health policies and are subject to change.Accessibility If you require an accommodation for effective communication (ASL interpreting/CART captioning, alternative media formats, etc.) or information about campus mobility access features in order to fully participate in this event, please contact the Hertz Hall Manager at 510-642-4864 or HertzHallMgr@berkeley.edu. with as much advance notice as possible and at least 7-10 days in advance of the event. Facebook: @ucbmusicdept Instagram: @ucberkeleymusic  Twitter/X: @ucbmusicdept Youtube: Berkeley Music YouTube channel




b

University Baroque Ensemble, Dec. 8

“In spite of cold weather”: music for winter17th- and 18th-century music for the winter season from England, France, and ItalyDavid H. Miller, directorSafety The UC Berkeley Department of Music is committed to the health and safety of our students, staff, and patrons. Measures to protect concertgoers and musicians will be informed by state, local, and UC Berkeley Public Health policies and are subject to change. Social distancing, masks, and proof of COVID 19 vaccination may be required.Purchasing tickets in advance is highly recommended Social Media Facebook: @ucbmusicdept Instagram: @ucberkeleymusic  Twitter: @ucbmusicdept Youtube: Berkeley Music channel Accessibility If you require an accommodation for effective communication (ASL interpreting/CART captioning, alternative media formats, etc.) or information about campus mobility access features in order to fully participate in this event, please contact the Hertz Hall Manager at 510.642.4864 or hertzhallmgr@berkeley.edu with as much advance notice as possible and at least 7-10 days in advance of the event. PERFORMANCES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE




b

UC Berkeley University Chorus, Dec. 7

Saint Nicolas, BrittenChichester Psalms, BernsteinWei Cheng, conductorSafety The UC Berkeley Department of Music is committed to the health and safety of our students, staff, and patrons. Measures to protect concertgoers and musicians will be informed by state, local, and UC Berkeley Public Health policies and are subject to change. Social distancing, masks, and proof of COVID 19 vaccination may be required. UC Berkeley does not promise or guarantee that all patrons or employees on site are vaccinated. Unvaccinated individuals may be present as a result of exemptions, exceptions, fraudulent verification, or checker error. None of these precautions eliminate the risk of exposure to COVID-19. Accessibility If you require an accommodation for effective communication (ASL interpreting/CART captioning, alternative media formats, etc.) or information about campus mobility access features in order to fully participate in this event, please contact the Hertz Hall Manager at 510.642.4864 or hertzhallmgr@berkeley.edu. with as much advance notice as possible and at least 7-10 days in advance of the event. Facebook: @ucbmusicdept Instagram: @ucberkeleymusic  Twitter @ucbmusicdept Youtube: Berkeley Music YouTube channel




b

UC Berkeley Wind Ensemble I, Dec. 7

Matthew Sadowski, conductorSafety The UC Berkeley Department of Music is committed to the health and safety of our students, staff, and patrons. Measures to protect concertgoers and musicians will be informed by state, local, and UC Berkeley Public Health policies and are subject to change. Social distancing, masks, and proof of COVID 19 vaccination may be required. UC Berkeley does not promise or guarantee that all patrons or employees on site are vaccinated. Unvaccinated individuals may be present as a result of exemptions, exceptions, fraudulent verification, or checker error. None of these precautions eliminate the risk of exposure to COVID-19. Accessibility If you require an accommodation for effective communication (ASL interpreting/CART captioning, alternative media formats, etc.) or information about campus mobility access features in order to fully participate in this event, please contact the Hertz Hall Manager at 510.642.4864 or hertzhallmgr@berkeley.edu. with as much advance notice as possible and at least 7-10 days in advance of the event. Facebook: @ucbmusicdept Instagram: @ucberkeleymusic Twitter @ucbmusicdept Youtube: Berkeley Music YouTube channel




b

Composition Colloquium: Giorgio Biancorosso, Dec. 6

Pasolini, World Music, and the Demise of the Film ComposerWhile somewhat neglected in the English-language literature on film music, Pasolini’s daring use of pre-existing music in his early films—most notably Bach’s sacred music and Vivaldi—marked a watershed in the history of the subject. It also places him alongside such figures as Godard and Kubrick (among others) in an ideal pantheon of mavericks who broke away with the traditional division of labor that underpinned the creation of film soundtracks. Pasolini’s decision to hire Morricone for the music for The Hawks and the Sparrows(1966) could have signaled a change in direction. In fact, following that first collaboration, the relationship between Pasolini and Morricone soon turned into something of an embarrassment for the composer. By the early 1970s, Morricone’s role was to merely arrange already-existing repertoires “scavenged” on various recordings by the omnivorous and ever up-to-date poet/director. Pasolini’s gleeful embrace of reproduced music calls to mind André Malraux’s “museum without walls” and his celebration of the library as both a cabinet of curiosities and workshop. Focusing on Medea(1969) and the so-called “Trilogy of Life,” this talk examines Morricone’s work as mediated and indeed guided by Pasolini the consumer, curator and ultimately producer—for Arabian Nights(1974)—of recordings.Short BioGiorgio BiancorossoGiorgio Biancorosso’s work investigates the boundaries of music and sound in the theater, cinema and digital media. He is the author of Situated Listening: The Sound of Absorption in Classical Cinema(Oxford University Press, 2016) and Remixing Wong Kar Wai: Music, Bricolage, and the Aesthetics of Oblivion(Duke University Press, 2024). Biancorosso is the co-founder and editor of the journal SSS (Sound-Stage-Screen) and the co-editor of Scoring Italian Cinema: Patterns of Collaboration(Routledge, forthcoming).Biancorosso is Professor of Music and inaugural director of the Society of Fellows at The University of Hong Kong. He is currently 2024-25 Luce East Asia Fellow in Musicology at the National Humanities Center, N.C.




b

Performing Quiet: Aural Politics in Embodied Arts, Dec. 5

Max Abner and Dahlia Nayar, Ph.D. candidates in performance studies, will present their in-progress dissertation research.Max Abner is a PhD candidate, musician, and curator who hails from Louisville, KY, has deep roots in Chicago, and is currently based in Oakland. Working from an anti-colonial settler positionality, he draws together discourses from sound studies, Indigenous studies, and critical theory to approach what he calls settler sound, a concept that accounts for the ways in which contested relations to colonized land play out in aural aesthetics. His dissertation attends to settler sound in the Bay Area experimental music/sound art scene. He has essays set for publication in Revealing Posthuman Encounters in Performance (Routledge) and Power in Listening: The Sound Out! Reader (NYU Press), his recorded curations can be heard on his music label Pontac Publications, and his live performance curations can be experienced at Beauty Supply Arts in Oakland. Dahlia Nayar’s project studies embodied manifestations of Quiet in multiple mediums of minoritarian performance. Her study curates a constellation of contemporary artists working in dance, theater, sound, and visual art with an attention to how Quiet emerges through bodies in relation to layered contexts and multiple subjectivities. She proposes that, as a minoritarian aesthetic, Quiet activates an ephemeral commons through resonance and attunement that allows expansive possibilities of relationality. Prior to her doctoral studies, Dahlia toured nationally and internationally as a choreographer, performer, and multimedia artist. She is a recipient of the Jacob Javits Fellowship, Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellowship in Choreography, and the National Dance Project Touring Award.




b

UC Berkeley Philharmonia Orchestra, Nov. 15

Strum - Jesse MontgomerySymphony No. 2 - BeethovenSymphony No. 1 - BrahmsThomas Green, conductorNoam Elisha, conductor  Safety The UC Berkeley Department of Music is committed to the health and safety of our students, staff, and patrons. Measures to protect concertgoers and musicians will be informed by state, local, and UC Berkeley Public Health policies and are subject to change.Accessibility If you require an accommodation for effective communication (ASL interpreting/CART captioning, alternative media formats, etc.) or information about campus mobility access features in order to fully participate in this event, please contact the Hertz Hall Manager at 510-642-4864 or HertzHallMgr@berkeley.edu. with as much advance notice as possible and at least 7-10 days in advance of the event. Facebook: @ucbmusicdept Instagram: @ucberkeleymusic Twitter/X: @ucbmusicdept Youtube: Berkeley Music YouTube channel




b

Composition Colloquium: Karola Obermueller, Nov. 15

Karola Obermueller Composition Colloquium (Morrison 250) – Nov. 15time, timbre, and transformation  abstractMy creative research revolves around a collection of themes which I return to again and again in my composing. I will discuss these areas of inquiry, how they connect to each other, and in which ways they form / govern / appear in my compositions. short bioKarola Obermüller’s composing, described by the NYT as “hyperkinetic music”, is constantly in search of the unknown. Her unique voice began forming in collages of sound made with tape recorders and evolved later with composition degrees obtained in Nuremberg, Saarbrücken, and at the Mozarteum Salzburg. Her sense of rhythm and form was forever changed by studying Carnatic and Hindustani classical music in India. Since receiving a doctorate from Harvard, Obermüller taught composition and co-directed the composition area at the University of New Mexico before joining the Department of Music at UC San Diego in 2023. Her music can be heard on CD (WERGO, New Focus Recordings, Brilliant Classics) and at karolaobermueller.net.




b

Did a momentous event occur in the predestination vs. free will debate?

"God in Eternity and Time" has been well received by all segments of the Evangelical community, and its irenic spirit has been much appreciated, drawing accolades from across the Evangelical theological spectrum.




b

Is Lady Justice still blind?

I must confess that I have never penned a column with a heavier heart. My beloved country, the United States of America, is in trouble.




b

Is Lady Justice still blind? (part 2)

Jack Smith’s prosecution (or was it “persecution”) of Gov. Bob McConnell was so overly zealous that it provided an extremely rare unanimous Supreme Court repudiation of it. Bob McConnell’s legal expenses amounted to a devastating $27 million.




b

60 years since MLK's 'I have a dream speech': Good and bad changes since

For me, someone raised in the segregated South, having attended segregated schools, a segregated church, and living in a segregated neighborhood, his sermon to America was a clarion call to commitment and action in support of a cause that was demanded both by our founding documents and, more importantly, by the Gospel proclaimed in the New Testament.




b

Humor amid the horror: The Babylon Bee stings the gender beast

If you've spent the last several years staring into the abyss of transgenderism, you learn to endure it by drinking deeply of some good biblical medicine: laughter (Proverbs 13:22).