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.

A Child Dies In The Killing Fields of Gaza

by James M. Wall History is filled with narratives about killing fields. This troubled writer looks at the killing fields of Gaza, and is driven to begin with a story: “A man kills his mother and his father. Brought to … Continue reading

Posted in Gaza, Israel, Middle East, Palestinians | 10 Comments

“Surely Goodness and Mercy Shall Follow Me”

by James M. Wall Paddington 2 is just the right film to share this Mother’s Day. To understand why, reflect back to the original 2015 Paddington film, a creative tale drawn from a British literary series.  In the series and … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments

Fox News and the Division of America

by James M. Wall President Donald J. Trump has held the U.S. presidency for 1 year, 3 months and 8 days, as of Saturday night, April 28, the night on which he chose to hold a political rally in Washington Township, Michigan, … Continue reading

Posted in Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Jimmy Carter, Media, Obama, Television | 12 Comments

Syria Bombing Designed to Distract

by James M. Wall After the Syria Bombing, did you have that pit-of-the-stomach feeling that you had been deceived about a military strike? I offer here a suggestion to clarify that feeling. It will not cure it, but clarity does … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 7 Comments

50 Years Ago They Failed to Shut Him Down

by James M. Wall The first time I almost met Martin Luther King, Jr., would have been at his father’s Ebenezer Baptist church, in Atlanta, Georgia. I was one of three Emory University seminary students assigned to visit MLK, Sr.’s … Continue reading

Posted in Gaza, Israel, Martin Luther King Jr., Religious Faith | 9 Comments

White Evangelicals Stifle Own Values For Trump

by James M. Wall The Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas, the Susan D. Morgan Distinguished Professor of Religion at Goucher College in Baltimore, posed a question in an article she wrote for Sojourners: “What values were really at stake for … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in Religion and politics, Religious Faith | 8 Comments

U.S. Politicos Embrace Israel’s Big Lie, “Oy Vey”

by James M. Wall Lying to gain and keep power, is now officially the Order of the Day. The American voting public approved lying as an established form of governing, when it elevated an established liar as President in 2016. … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Friedman Visits and Vouches for Israel

by James M. Wall   Church of the Holy Sepulchre Jerusalem Lithograph by Louis Haghe from an original by David Roberts.     When New York Times’ columnist Thomas Friedman travels to the Middle East, he brings with him a … Continue reading

Posted in Israel, Media | 4 Comments

Trump’s SOTU Reality Show Exposes His Dark Side

by James M. Wall Halfway though President Trump’s 90-minute State of the Union (SOTU) address Tuesday, it suddenly struck me: This guy is good at this. Of course he is. This is a man who spent 14 years as host … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in Donald Trump | 3 Comments

Trump’s Racism “is a tragedy in a man and a disaster in a president

by James M, Wall Say this about President Trump: His unfettered outbursts of vulgarity show no signs of being planned. They just erupt from the man as a revelation of who he is. In the film, The Best Man, Henry … Continue reading

Posted in -Movies and politics, Donald Trump, Religion and politics, USA | 6 Comments