According to the New Oxford American Dictionary, a firestorm is “a raging fire of great intensity, as one fueled by oil or gas, that spreads rapidly.” That might be the best way to describe what Kristen Kobes Du Mez’s work around her book, Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured … Continue reading
Where did you get your concept of what the Bible is and its function in our lives? Where did that idea passed down to you come from? Just how old is it as a concept? The theology established in the early church and later confirmed by various councils was that God is Father, Son, and … Continue reading
Human emotions are fascinating. And, if we believe we are made in the image of God, then all emotions are God-given. What do we do with shame, then? What’s the emotional design behind that powerful emotion? “Shame is often associated with wrongdoing, but the older I got, the more I realized that I didn’t have … Continue reading
For many, the association between certain an American political party and Conservative Evangelical Christianity is synonymous. Why is that the case? Is that the mischaracterization by outsiders? Or an unfortunate accurate matching? Whatever the case may be, we must consider the full ramifications of our political persuasion as Christians in America. How we vote directly … Continue reading
What do missions look like in a post-colonial world? So much of our understanding of missions has been shaped by the way that Euro-Americans have done it for the last several centuries. “As we broaden our thinking about how we might go into the world, we also need to be wise about the minefields that … Continue reading
I’m sure you have heard a line like this before, “It was so much easier to raise kids back when…” The real question is, when was it easier to raise kids? And why do you think raising kids in that era was easier? For whom? Contextually and generationally, being a parent is difficult, no matter … Continue reading
It’s been over two years since the insurrection on January 6, 2021. A day sociologists and psychologists can point to as the natural outcome of pushing and shoving incendiary political rhetoric down the throat of people already on edge due to political demagoguery. Was this the dying gasp of a failing movement or the next … Continue reading
We’ve always had versions of Jesus. In the past, we might have labeled those versions of Jesus by denominational tradition. The Jesus sold in many American churches today solely focuses on personal salvation. Faith and participation in the church are consumer products in which you show up to receive the latest platitudes from a megachurch … Continue reading
I can remember our honeymoon like it was yesterday. We enjoyed a seven-day cruise on the Western Caribbean: Sun, all-you-can-eat food, entertainment, and fantastic excursions with my best friend. All was well until we reached Roatán. An island of Honduras, Roatán is a popular tourist destination for snorkeling, glass boat rides, and more. Except, we … Continue reading
We know the names Fred Rogers and Bob Ross, two staples of PBS television for many decades. But did you ever catch PBS re-airing the BBC’s Sister Wendy’s Odyssey, Sister Wendy’s Grand Tour, or Sister Wendy’s Story of Painting? I can remember thumbing through the limited number of channels before there were countless TV options … Continue reading