Briefs: The World

Prominent English biochemist and Anglican priest Arthur R. Peacocke,76, has won the 2001 Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion. The annual award ($1 million this year) is given to an individual whose work has deepened the world’s understanding of God and who has shown a commitment to spiritual life and public service. An Oxford professor with doctorates in both science and theology, Peacocke is the founder of the Society of Ordained Scientists—an international ecumenical organization that aims to bridge the gap between science and religion and to foster spirituality among scientists. Peacocke, who describes his theologically liberal Christianity as “critical realism,” is the third scientist in a row to win the Templeton Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in religion.

Kenneth Ragoonath has been appointed president of the Evangelical Association of the Caribbean. He replaces A. Wingrove Taylor, who was president for eight years. A Trinidadian, Ragoonath served for more than 25 years as regional promoter of the Hospital Christian Fellowship.

Yahya Jammeh, president of Gambia, has announced plans to institute Shari’ah law in the tiny West African nation, which is surrounded by Senegal. Muslims make up about 90 percent of Gambia’s 1.3 million people. The proposed social and penal code calls for strict enforcement of Islamic law, such as beheading apostates and segregating men and women. Gambia’s Christians, mostly Roman Catholic, Methodist, and Anglican, fear that the church’s small gains will be eroded and that the Gambian Constitution, which guarantees religious freedom, will be discarded.

The Dalai Lama has disappointed Christians in India by rebuking both Muslim and Christian attempts to spread their religions. “I always believe it’s safer and better and reasonable to keep one’s own tradition or belief,” he said at a Hindu festival in January while sharing the platform with the radical Vishwa Hindu Parishad. Christians later expressed frustration with the peacemaker for associating with a group dedicated to persecuting Christians and Muslims.

In Thailand, a contemporary translation of the Gospel of John is now available. Staff members at the World Bible Translation Center (Fort Worth, Texas) recently completed the first translation in everyday Thai instead of the formal royal language. The center distributed 10,000 copies of the translation in Chiang Mai and Bangkok. The center plans to publish the New Testament later this year.

Copyright © 2001 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Also in this issue

Myth Matters: Why C.S. Lewis's books remain models for Christian apologists in the 21st century.

Cover Story

Myth Matters

Fraud: Jury Convicts Greater Ministries of Fraud

My House, God's House

Old Wisdom for New Times

Reimagining Missions

Slouching into Sloth

Unfair Use Alleged

Homosexuality: Presbyterians Vote Down Same-Sex Prohibition

Church-State: Evangelicals Squabble Over Charitable Choice

Briefs: North America

Readers' Forum: Truth at Risk

New Study Reveals Which Churches Grow

Sri Lanka: Christians Mediate for Peace

Jerusalem: Holy Land Roadblocks

India: Christians Help Overlooked Villages

Zambia: Church Leaders Publicly Oppose Third Term for Christian President

Brunei: Christians in Detention for Prayer

Making Space for God

Wire Story

Updates: Defrocked Episcopal Bishop Resigns

Wire Story

Anglicans: Discipline of Episcopal Church Derailed

Wire Story

Equal Access Case Argued

Wire Story

Christian Zionists Rally for Jewish State

2001 Christianity Today Book Awards

Review

Rap's Demon-Slayer

The Wright Stuff

News

Left Behind: Author LaHaye Sues Left Behind Film Producers

Life Is Unfair (and That’s Okay)

Latest Books by CT Staff

Letters

The Morality Supermarket

Bad Ideas Have Consequences

The Violent Face of Jihad in Indonesia

Quotations to Stir Mind and Heart

View issue

Our Latest

Train Up a Village

Modern parenting can be isolating and exhausting. But in the church, raising children is a shared responsibility.

Excerpt

Kids Should Learn the Minor Prophets Too

A new children’s book series explores the neglected prophetic books and how they point to Jesus.

Where Ya From?

Leading with Excellence with Nicole Martin

Nicole Martin stops by to share some of the lessons of servant leadership she’s learned behind the pulpit, in the classroom, and in her new role with Christianity Today.

Yours, Mine, and ‘Our Father’

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus calls his divided followers to pursue unity as the family of God.

Public Theology Project

How to Get Through the Next Four Years

The nonstop news cycle will be crazy. You don’t have to be.

News

And the Word Became Accessible: Publishers Release Dyslexia-Friendly Bibles

Designer hopes a new, custom typeface will be a life-changing tool for those with reading disorders.

‘Heretic’ and the Truth That Sets Us Free

In the Hugh Grant horror movie, Latter-day Saint missionaries are entrapped in more ways than one.

The Russell Moore Show

Media and Leadership in a World on Edge

Jeffrey Goldberg, editor in chief of ‘The Atlantic,’ talks about politics, Palestine, and publishing.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube