ReligionWatch
Dr. James A. Beverley, professor of Christian thought and ethics at Tyndale Seminary in Toronto, examines religious controversies, new religious groups and more. Faith Today's longest-running column series.
Click a range of years below to browse a complete list of his recent columns.
2015
Can near-death experiences tell us anything about heaven? (Nov/Dec 2015)
More people are learning the truth behind the religion founded in the 1950s by L. Ron Hubbard (Sept/Oct 2015)
Study calls out errors in Reza Aslan's research (Jul/Aug 2015)
Truth and partial truth have consequences (May/Jun 2015)
Four insights on Christian responses to New Age spirituality (Mar/Apr 2015)
Help for the Jehovah’s Witnesses who may knock at your door. (Jan/Feb 2015)
2014
Not since 9/11 have so many people been so preoccupied with Islamic terrorism. What happened? (Nov/Dec 2014)
Why it can make more sense to believe miracles than to be sceptical. (Sep/Oct 2014)
Leader of popular religious group could face grilling in court. (Jul/Aug 2014)
What’s good about the religious group founded by Mary Baker Eddy? (May/Jun 2014)
The longings expressed in the Hindu religion can be truly satisfied in Christ. (Mar/Apr 2014)
What can we find in creation, history, Scripture and human experience? (Jan/Feb 2014)
2013
Will Muslims be open new research? (Nov/Dec 2013)
A Muslim scholar interested in Jesus is news, but this new book is wrecked by intellectual bias. (Sep/Oct 2013)
Three concrete reasons to have the Bible as our spiritual authority. (Jul/Aug 2013)
Let’s rest our faith on what we see, and not be put off by what others can’t. (May/Jun 2013)
Jesus enables the miracle of facing evil with hope. (Mar/Apr 2013)
We need deeper discernment around charismatic controveries. (Jan/Feb 2013)
2012
Can the Unification Church be rescued? Not unless God intervenes in miraculous ways. (Nov/Dec 2012)
What are Christians to make of New Age claims the world will end in December? (Sep/Oct 2012)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints may be making headlines, but serious problems remain. (Jul/Aug 2012)
The head of the Church of Satan says he doesn’t believe in Satan. (May/Jun 2012)
God can bring healing even in the darkest places, as changes in The Family International show. (Mar/Apr 2012)
Defending the Good News is going remarkably well. (Jan/Feb 2012)
2011
The best-selling book Love Wins by Rob Bell shows how compassion without careful research can be harmful. (Nov/Dec 2011)
The man who gunned down so many people in July claimed to be defending Christian Europe. What are we to make of this? (Sep/Oct 2011)
Some prominent religious leaders continue to do harm with predictions about the future. (Jul/Aug 2011)
When a Christian talk show host goes public with his doubts, it can get people thinking. (May/Jun 2011)
A Bible translation that changed the world. (Mar/Apr 2011)
Relations between Muslims and Christians today are still affected by events that happened nine centuries ago. (Jan/Feb 2011)