To the well-meaning Christians, please stop. If a loving relationship between two adults is filled with mutual care, generosity, compassion, and respect, but those two adults are of the same gender, you call it sin. Meanwhile, as long as they are of opposite gender, you call a marriage where two people might treat each other with contempt, act abusively, or attempt to use and control one another, a holy union blessed by God. When you call loving and life-giving committed… Read more
June 24, 2019
To the Well-Meaning Christians, Please Stop
June 24, 2019 By Guest Contributor
367 Comments
June 5, 2019
For Rachel: A Tribute to Rachel Held Evans
June 5, 2019 By Matthew Distefano
0 Comments
On May 4, 2019, our friend and wildly popular author Rachel Held Evans passed away. At the time, I had no idea what to say. So, I said nothing. Instead, I partnered with my friends Meg Calvin, Jordan Butler, and Victoria Lybarger (under the name “The Unwonted”), and wrote a tribute song, which can be found at https://soundcloud.com/theunwonted/for-rachel. It is also embedded just below: The lyrics are below: For Rachel Quandaries of doctrine Shook her foundation Pressed pause on Sunday… Read more
May 15, 2019
Introducing The Bonfire Sessions Podcast
May 15, 2019 By Matthew Distefano
0 Comments
I’m really excited to announce that I have a new podcast launching on May 20, 2019 with my best friend and fellow author Michael Machuga. But as of right now, the introductory episode is available at thebonfiresessions.podbean.com. If you follow the link, you can give this 15-minute episode a listen to see if this is a show you want on your regular rotation. In the episode, we introduce ourselves, the show, and why you should be listening. In case you… Read more
May 14, 2019
What the Parable of The Prodigal Son Teaches Us About God
May 14, 2019 By Matthew Distefano
18 Comments
There are many stories throughout the Scriptures that teach us what happens when families fight. In fact, it could be argued that that is what a good majority of the book of Genesis is all about. From Cain and Abel to Jacob and Esau, all the way to Joseph and his older brothers, this book is chock full of family drama, vengeance, and out-and-out violence. These stories are not included without reason, however. It’s not just drama for the sake… Read more
April 18, 2019
The Suffering Servant of Second Isaiah: A Non-Penal Consideration
April 18, 2019 By Matthew Distefano
3 Comments
Tomorrow is Good Friday, which means that you’ll likely hear all about how the death of Jesus spares us from the wrath of God. You’ll hear about how Jesus was a substitutionary sacrifice, one who died in our place, so that God wouldn’t have to violently punish us for our sins (the ones who believe, anyway). Because . . . justice. Or wrath. Or honor. Or something like that. Then, you’ll likely be pointed to many passages throughout the Bible,… Read more
April 15, 2019
7 Assumptions About Universalism That Are So Often Wrong
April 15, 2019 By Matthew Distefano
152 Comments
Universalism is the belief that all will be saved and reconciled to God in the end, and while there are many varieties floating around out there, from those that have little to do with Christian theology all the way to Patristic Universalism (the sort of Universalism that was present within the early Christian church), sadly, when many Christians first hear about it, they make a litany of assumptions that are, for most Universalists, simply untrue. That is to say, much… Read more
April 10, 2019
Transcending Our Labels
April 10, 2019 By Matthew Distefano
0 Comments
Labels, in and of themselves, are neither good nor bad. They are pointers, and, when properly used, can help us navigate the world and communicate with one another. When we use them to name cities and streets, they help us get from one place to another. When we use them to name menu items, they help us order the correct meal. However, labels can be used—and often are—in such a way so as to limit what something or someone is… Read more
April 4, 2019
Christianity Shouldn’t Be This Exhausting
April 4, 2019 By Matthew Distefano
11 Comments
Growing up in the Evangelical church, I was often told that I needed to “win souls for the Lord.” I needed to get out there and be bold for my faith and my God. If the world and the people in it were like those trapped in a blazing high-rise building, I was the first responder. And if I refused to lead the charge up the stairs, then what kind of rescuer would I be? A pretty horrible one, as… Read more
March 25, 2019
There Is No Such Thing as a Plain Reading of the Bible
March 25, 2019 By Matthew Distefano
162 Comments
Last week, I published an article for the new NRSV website entitled “Reading the Bible Through the Lens of the Forgiving Victim.” And while I was happy to do so—it’s not often folks like me get to write for historically conservative outfits like Zondervan—I knew that once they shared it on social media, you-know-what was going to hit the fan. And it did. It certainly did. Besides all the troll-status comments—and there were many—one reply that really stuck out to… Read more
March 21, 2019
Many Traditions, One Message
March 21, 2019 By Matthew Distefano
44 Comments
As one who grew up in the Christian faith tradition, Jesus has always been a large part of my life. Throughout my childhood and then into my young adult years, I held the belief that Jesus was the exclusive savior of the world. Let me rephrase. Jesus was the exclusive savior of those who accepted him as “lord and savior.” The rest, of course, were no doubt destined to the utter darkness, where the worm dies not, where their thirst… Read more
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