Hillsong Church of New York City has landed in the news recently. Reed Kelly and Josh Canfield, a gay couple, have apparently been serving in the ministry of Hillsong NYC while remaining in their relationship. Over at The Stream, I made the case that if Hillsong failed to call this couple to repentance for their homosexual [Read More…]
Don’t Pump the Brakes: Engaging Hillsong’s Doctrine of Church Membership
August 17, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Must Jesus Bow to Homosexuality? A Response to Brandon Ambrosino
July 23, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Brandon Ambrosino, a “gay Christian,” just suggested that Jesus was wrong about homosexuality. The title of his essay is “The Best Christian Argument for Marriage Equality Is That the Bible Got It Wrong.” In the blog, Ambrosino–a former Liberty University student who made waves by “coming out” while there–argues that Jesus had to get things [Read More…]
What Does John Calvin Say About Same-Sex Attraction?
April 20, 2015 by Leave a Comment
As you’ll see in my just-published article (here is the HTML, and the PDF) in the brand-new, newly-redesigned Spring 2015 Journal for Biblical Manhood & Womanhood, John Calvin offers piercing commentary on what is called “internal temptation.” Calvin’s illuminating remarks have not yet been referenced in the vigorous debate over whether same-sex attraction occasions repentance or not. (Get [Read More…]
Frank Bruni Commands Christians to Cave on Homosexuality
April 4, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The New York Times just published one of the more rough-handed pieces we’ve yet seen regarding “gay Christianity.” In “Bigotry, the Bible and the Lessons of Indiana,” opinion writer Frank Bruni takes the gloves off and seeks to bully Christians into caving on homosexuality. The column is frank, direct, and brutalizing. Let’s consider five takeaways from this striking [Read More…]
The Future of Progressive Evangelicalism Is…?
March 18, 2015 by Leave a Comment
You’ve likely just heard the news: the PCUSA has formally endorsed same-sex marriage, rendering marriage between “two people.” Yes, it’s that indeterminate: two people. This landmark decision comes on the heels of another professedly evangelical church publicly affirming same-sex marriage (SSM). City Church of San Francisco just announced that they would no longer require “LGBT” [Read More…]
On Writing Your Own Name in the History Books
February 5, 2015 by Leave a Comment
I just published a short essay with First Things on the supposed heroism of “affirming pastors.” It’s a piece that builds on some of my earlier work in tracing how we’re constantly being told by people today that they are heroic. For how can a bell ring, but we sound it? Here’s a section from the essay, [Read More…]
Gay-Affirming Pastor: “We Believe in the Holy Polyamorous Trinity”
February 4, 2015 by Leave a Comment
I just read an interview that took me aback. In it, two gay-affirming pastors say that they would not perform church discipline on members in polyamorous relationships (in which people enter an open-ended sexual relationship with more than one partner). I’ve highlighted a few sections from the published conversation of Jeff Hood and Danny Cortez, both of [Read More…]
Another Pastor Self-Congratulates for Endorsing “Gay Christianity”
January 30, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Elizabeth Dias, a Wheaton College graduate and TIME magazine reporter, just gave notice of another formerly-large church that has embraced “gay Christianity” as a legitimate spiritual state. The church is GracePointe Church of Franklin, Tennessee. The location of this one gets your attention: this is a Bible belt church. The pastor, Stan Mitchell, just preached for over [Read More…]
Cultural Capitulation on Homosexuality Is Not Courageous
January 16, 2015 by Leave a Comment
A recent article by Elizabeth Dias for TIME magazine seeks to chart a shift among evangelicals on homosexuality. “Inside the Evangelical Fight Over Gay Marriage” (preview version, though I’m a subscriber) is engaging, well-sourced, and includes perspectives from both sides of the issue. As you engage the material, see my Southern Seminary and Boyce College colleague Denny [Read More…]
Same-Sex Friendship: The Possibilities of Renewal
December 22, 2014 by Leave a Comment
In the last week, I have been thinking and conversing about the topic of “gay Christianity.” In reading the thoughtful reflections of a number of fellow believers, I’ve realized that the possibility of finding common ground between those who have advocated for “gay Christianity” and those who do not may be greater than we might [Read More…]
Follow Thought Life!