Several news sites have accused televangelist Pat Robertson, host of CBN's "The 700 Club," of pushing a prosperity gospel after he encouraged viewers to join the Club for $20 a month following a story about a Christian family that came out bankruptcy.

Opposing Views and Raw Story both claimed that Robertson was asking "poor families who could not pay their bills" to "send him $20 a month," but the actual CBN video where the televangelist explains his comments does not quite tie in with those alleged statements.

"They were faithful," Robertson concluded following a CBN report on the story of D.L. and Deborah Hobby, a Christian husband and wife who kept on tithing despite going bankrupt. Eventually, their business started to rebound, and two years later they were back on their feet – thanking God for giving them hope that things can get better. more >>

Phillip Pullman, the famous atheist author behind the best-selling His Dark Materials trilogy, has recently said that Jesus Christ is a great speaker that children in school can learn from.

"Jesus was a great storyteller. To invent the story about the Good Samaritan, you hear it once, you never forget it, you tell it to somebody else and it still has the same effect. The man was a genius of storytelling, if nothing else," Pullman said at the Oxford Literary Festival on Sunday, according to The Australian News.

Pullman, who is an honorary associate of the National Secular Society and supporter of the British Humanist Association, insisted that it is "very important" that children be familiar with biblical stories, as well as classic folk tales. more >>

An emeritus professor of the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands is claiming in his newly-released book that a 1,200-year-old Egyptian text depicts Jesus as a shape-shifter and Pontius Pilate as a compassionate person.

The author also claims that the text describes the reason behind Judas' kissing of Jesus, as well as offers a different timeline for the Easter season, stating that Jesus was arrested on a Tuesday rather than a Thursday.

Roelof van den Broek makes these claims in Pseudo-Cyril of Jerusalem on the Life and the Passion of Christ. more >>

As Pope Francis began his first full day as leader of the Roman Catholic Church on Thursday, Desiring God founder, John Piper, attempted to clarify a controversial statement he made in 2009 about heresy in Roman Catholic theology.

During the reign of Pope Benedict XVI in 2009, Piper was asked on video if he had two minutes to question the Pope on an issue, what would he ask, and he chose the subject of justification.

"I think Rome and Protestantism are not yet ready – I don't think the Reformation is over. I don't think that enough change has happened in Roman understanding of justification, and a bunch of other things," he said in the video. more >>

To usher in the release of his new book What We Talk About When We Talk About God, Rob Bell spoke at a live streaming event at Brooklyn's PowerHouse Arena in New York City Tuesday evening.

His talk revolved around the theme of his book and his belief that the current culture is resisting conversation about God and seeking to reconnect with a God who is "for us, with us, and ahead of us." Bell stated that the purpose of the book is to introduce new ways to talk about God.

Bell, who formerly led Mars Hill Bible Church in Michigan, told those in attendance at Tuesday's talk that he believes Christians are seeking to move forward with their faith and shedding a doctrine-centered God in search of a God who can connect with humans at their most flawed existence. more >>

The producer behind the hit TV series "The Bible" Mark Burnett and Roma Downey are promoting a book that serves as a tie-in companion to the History's Channel's 10-hour miniseries, called The Story of God and All of Us.

"Beginning with the creation of man and ending with the revelation of a new world, readers will revel in this epic saga of warriors, rebels, poets, and kings, all called upon by God to reveal His enduring love for mankind. Ultimately, God's plan is fulfilled in the story of Jesus the Messiah, whose life, death and resurrection brings salvation to one and all," a synopsis for the book reads.

Burnett and Downey on Monday stopped in Dallas, Texas, for a book signing, a day after the airing of the second episode of "The Bible," which focused heavily on the stories of Samson, Saul and David. Dallas News reported that over 500 guests came to the book signing, which included a number of famous figures. more >>