Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
Grounded in Faith, Formed in Community
A Celebration of God’s Faithfulness The word “Pentecost” comes from the Greek word pentēcostē, the feminine form of the word meaning “fiftieth,” as in “the fiftieth day” (hē pentēcostē hēmera). The festival was also called the “Feast of Weeks” (Exodus 34:22; Deuturonomy 16:9–10) because it was observed seven weeks (= a week of weeks) after…
Whenever I return home to India, I am always asked questions about the church in the United States— questions such as, “How many Christians are there in the city you live in?” and “How is church attendance in the U.S.?” In fact, I get similar questions from friends in the U.S. inquiring about Christians in…
Trying to pray as, for, or with someone in the grips of uncertainty or lack of faith is a little like a modern poet’s trying to compose a new piece in the “genteel lyricism” of the 19th-century masters. Joy Ladin has written about how much of modern poetic expression is a skeptical reaction to the…