Faith as velvet Elvis; philosophy for children

Today RNS features a story by Charles Honey about the Rev. Rob Bell, who has just published his first book, Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith: '"What often happens in religion is people freeze the faith at acertain point,' Bell says. 'There's no more need to paint. We've got the ultimate painting.' On the contrary, he asserts, religion, like art, must keep exploring and reforming, or 'you end up with a velvet Elvis on your hands."'

We're also running a story by Ronni Gordon about the philosophy-for-children movement, which is gaining momentum in the United States and around the world: "Mount Holyoke College philosophy professor Thomas E. Wartenberg teaches a course called 'Philosophy for Children.' College students help develop questions based on picture books and then lead discussions for second- and fifth-graders at Jackson Street Elementary School in Northampton, Mass. Out of the adventures of storybook characters come such questions as 'What is courage?' Lively discussions develop around the topics of beauty, truth, justice and reality."