I’ll start by admitting that Lily Burana’s memoir, Grace for Amateurs, is not the type of book I regularly read. As a theology nerd, my nose is often in scholarly tomes that I have to read over and over in order to understand half of what the author is talking about. I know, call me a masochist. Nevertheless, when Lily’s publicist reached out and asked for a review, I was actually more than happy to jump on board. (It’s nice... Read more
On December 14, my family and I will be heading down to Orange County, California to, among other things, record a live episode of the Heretic Happy Hour (we are also going to Disneyland, but who is counting?). To be perfectly honest, though, I’m more excited about the podcast than visiting Disneyland for the umpteenth time. First off, it will be our tenth episode, so it is a milestone of sorts. To celebrate, we’ll have special edition merch—koozies, mugs, and... Read more
On October 1, 2016, I published an article entitled “What My Universalism Is and Is Not.” I did this as a way to explain, among other things, what I truly believe about the end, because it seems that more often than not, people don’t actually understand what universalism (in the Christian sense) actually entails. So, I wanted to clear the air so to speak. Now, a growing number of people have been sharing this piece (to which I’m super grateful),... Read more
It’s nearly Christmas, which means it’s that time of year when certain Christians lose their ever-loving minds over which design Starbucks will choose for their coffee cups. In 2015, it happened to be those minimalistic red ones that had conservative activist Joshua Feuerstein—with his over 2 million Facebook followers—going bonkers; this year it’s a festive little white and red number that has folks up in arms. Why the controversy? Because it includes a depiction of two women holding hands. And... Read more
In case y’all didn’t know, I co-host a podcast called “Heretic Happy Hour” with fellow Quoir Publishing authors Jamal Jivanjee and Keith Giles. I must say, even though we are only 8 episodes in, this is one of the funnest endeavors I’ve ever embarked on. Sharing a platform with these fine folks is such a blessing. That said, I wanted to catch everyone up on what we’ve been chatting about, as I believe the conversations we’re having a quite vital... Read more
Last month, many in the LGBTQI+ community, as well as those who identify as allies, celebrated Coming Out Day. As most of us are probably aware, coming out can be a momentous occasion, but it can also be quite terrifying. And I can understand why: those who are more religiously-inclined tend to shun and scapegoat any and all who are not heterosexual—with God on their side of course—and even those who stand in solidarity with non-heterosexual folks. So needless to... Read more
In this special episode, our hosts discuss how they deal with their own disagreements over theology and what it looks like to extend grace to one another. To listen, click here. To subscribe to the Heretic Happy Hour on iTunes, click here. Or, to follow us on PodBean, click here. Thanks, and enjoy! Read more
This week, hundreds of millions of Americans [1] will celebrate Thanksgiving. I’ll be one of these (in Nashville with my brother and sister in-law—hooray!). But I’ll also be lamenting because, as my friend and fellow Patheos blogger Chuck McKnight points out in his piece “A Day of Thanksgiving?,” millions of my fellow Americans still face oppression, xenophobia, racism, sexism, and all other sorts of -isms. And it’s time for that bullshit to stop. That said, I am still thankful for so... Read more
“I believe that justice and mercy are simply one and the same thing; without justice to the full there can be no mercy, and without mercy to the full there can be no justice.” ~ George MacDonald Too often, when Western Christians hear the phrase “God is love,” they feel all-too-inclined to interject with something like “Yeah, BUT, God is also . . . . . . just . . . wrathful . . . holy . . . you... Read more
If you’ve spent any time discussing theology with other Christians, you’ll likely hear about so-called biblical truths. Now, there is nothing inherently wrong with using language such as this—that is, there are things that are pretty clear—but what it generally comes to mean is “I’m right, you’re wrong, and the Bible agrees with me.” Then, what will typically happen is that you’ll be met with a litany of prooftexts that, on the surface at least, back up whatever theological claim... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In