Glendale Baptist Church is an LGBT-welcoming and affirming congregation in Nashville, Tenn. It has an active youth group.

The Tennessean published a package of stories on Oct. 24, 2010, related to mistrust of Muslims in the state. Shariah law plays a part in that concern and is an issue in a lawsuit to block construction of a mosque in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

J. Patout Burns is the Edward A. Malloy Professor of Catholic Studies at Vanderbilt University. He has studied the issue of clerical abuse.

Weigh Down Ministries is a Christian-based fitness program founded by Gwen Shamblin, who is also a co-founder of Remnant Fellowship Church in Brentwood, Tenn. The Weigh Down Diet was at the forefront of the Christian diet craze of 20 years ago and remains very popular, despite Shamblin’s personal problems with her congregation.

Church Health Center was founded by a United Methodist doctor seeking to fulfill the Christian obligation to care for the poor by providing health care. Among its programs is On the Move in Congregations, a six-week program of Scripture, meditations and health tips designed for individual congregations to use to improve their health and fitness. The communications […]

Dr. Brian S. Carter is professor of pediatrics in the division of neonatology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn. His research and teaching interests include clinical ethics. He is author of “Ethical Issues in Neonatal Care” on e-Medicine and co-editor of Palliative Care for Infants, Children and Adolescents: A Practical Handbook.

Sid Brown is a professor in the Asian Studies Program at Sewanee, The University of the South, in Sewanee, Tenn. She is an expert on Buddhism and has taught on Buddhism and the environment.

The Material History of American Religion Project was a Lilly-funded program, based at Vanderbilt University, that ran from 1995-2001. The program produced a series of papers and books on the topic of believers and money, and it still maintains a useful website with links to programs and participants. James Hudnut-Beumler was director.

Generous Giving Inc. is an evangelical ministry and foundation based in Chattanooga, Tenn., that seeks to encourage stewardship and financially sound practices among Christians. The group’s Web site includes a page of “Statistics & Trends” that provides data and context for this issue. Contact through the website.