Author Archives: wallwritings

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About wallwritings

From 1972 through 1999, James M. Wall was editor and publisher of the Christian Century magazine, based in Chicago, lllinois. He was a Contributing Editor of the Century from 1999 until July, 2017. He has written this blog, wall writings.me, since it was launched April 27, 2008. If you would like to receive Wall Writings alerts when new postings are added to this site, send a note, saying, Please Add Me, to jameswall8@gmail.com Biography: Journalism was Jim's undergraduate college major at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia. He has earned two MA degrees, one from Emory, and one from the University of Chicago, both in religion. He is an ordained United Methodist clergy person. He served for two years in the US Air Force, and three additional years in the USAF reserve. While serving on active duty with the Alaskan Command, he reached the rank of first lieutenant. He has worked as a sports writer for both the Atlanta Journal and Constitution, was editor of the United Methodist magazine, Christian Advocate for ten years, and editor and publisher of the Christian Century magazine for 27 years. James M Wall died March 22, 2021 at age 92. His family appreciates all of his readers, even those who may have disagreed with his well-informed writings.

Sanders First Jewish Politician To Win A Primary

by James M. Wall Two weeks before the Iowa caucus, New York magazine’s Frank Rich delivered a campaign analysis for New York magazine under the headline, “Getting serious about Bernie“. Rich admits, “I have never believed — and still don’t — … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in Hillary Clinton, Israel, Middle East, Palestinians, Religious Faith | 7 Comments

2016 U.S. Politics Envisioned by Groucho Marx

by James M. Wall British critic Patrick McCray has described the Marx Brothers’ 1933 film, Duck Soup, as “an absurdist essay on politics and warfare. . . which can stand alongside (or even above) the works of Beckett and Ionesco.” Mrs. Teasdale … Continue reading

Posted in -Movies and politics, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Jimmy Carter, Obama, Politics and Elections | 7 Comments

Discerning “Signs of the Times” in Iowa and Israel

by James M. Wall Jesus told his disciples they must learn to “discern the signs of the times” (Matthew 16:3). In the Iowa caucuses, Monday, February 1, voters will offer their secular versions of political signs for the future when they select two potential presidential … Continue reading

Posted in Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Israel, Middle East | 6 Comments

Time To “Keep Singing” to UMC Church Leaders

by James M. Wall On October 10, 2010, I gave a talk to a small group  at a United Methodist Church in Naperville, IL, a city in the western suburbs of Chicago. In the talk I referenced the film, Grapes … Continue reading

Posted in Israel, Middle East, Palestinians, Religious Faith | 6 Comments

United Methodists Target Guilty Banks, Not Israel

by James M. Wall The $20.9-billion Pension and Health Benefits Fund of the United Methodist Church has placed Israel’s five largest banks off limits for investment, placing them on what The New York Times terms the church’s “black list”. The denomination’s … Continue reading

Posted in Human Rights, Israel, Palestinians, United Methodist Church | 6 Comments

Duma Murders Expose Israel’s “Mindless Violence”

By James M. Wall Duma is a Palestinian town 25 kilometers southeast of Nablus in Northern Palestine. It is an old town, surrounded by olive trees (above). Pottery sherds from the Hellenistic and Roman eras have been found. Southwest of the village is … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in Israel, Jewish faith and tradition, Judiasm, Middle East | 6 Comments

“Know Nothings” Could Deliver Clinton Vs. Trump

by James M. Wall As the nation enters 2016 in search of a new president, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton seems certain to derail Bernie Sanders while anti-immigrant Republican candidate Donald Trump is expected to recover quickly even if he loses the Iowa … Continue reading

Posted in -Movies and politics, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Jeb Bush | 5 Comments

Rob Malley Links ISIS Crisis to Palestine Issue

2. and pushed for “a more nuanced and realistic” analysis

–change “ to ‘ before and after the phrase

3. Earlier this year, the “critics” screamed loudly when in March, Obama

–delete a space

4.

“President Barack Obama delivered a stinging response to the latest in a series of Netanyahu diplomatic insults”.
“The President chose Robert Malley (right) as Special Assistant to the President and White House Coordinator for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf Region.

–delete the ” and move The President up

5. Pro-Israel media outlets, however, rushed to sound the alarm.

–start with “

6. Special Assistant Malley will begin his new assignment April 6.

–start with “

7. (note the false allegation “Hamas adviser):

–adviser”):

8. Atlas readers are long familiar with this subversive jihad operative.

–precede with “

9. Malley and Barack Hussein Obama.___

Robert Malley told the NY Times that he had regularly been in contact with Hamas, which is designated a terrorist

–merge these sentences

–delete space after a

Republican candidates are currently dominating the space and bandwidth of that media

–those

“Let’s hope so, let’s just hope so.__

–add “
Continue reading

Posted in Israel, Media, Middle East, Middle East Politics, Obama, Religious Faith, Uncategorized | 5 Comments

“Have You Got Any News of the Iceberg?”

by James M. Wall On May 24, 2000, I wrote a column for The Christian Century magazine reflecting on yet another “peace agreement” between Palestine and Israel.  I wrote that to the U.S. government, then led by President Bill Clinton, the … Continue reading

Posted in Israel, Middle East, Middle East Politics, Uncategorized | 6 Comments

Bigoted U.S. Governors Display Ignorance

by James M. Wall It did not take long for a group of opportunistic U.S. Governors to respond to the horrors of the Paris bombings. They did so with racist, religiously bigoted responses against Muslims. Their responses were degrading to … Continue reading

Posted in Middle East Politics, Obama, Religious Faith | 6 Comments