One thing I can’t get over is how quickly so many Christians will sell their souls for the promise of being made great again. It’s as if they’ve never read that whole “temptation narrative” from Luke 3 and 4. You know, the one where the devil promises Jesus all the religious and political power the world has to offer, and Jesus rejects it like Wenbanyama rejects weak layups. So why is it, 2,000 years later, and Christians are willing to... Read more
April 16th is Emancipation Day, and it commemorates the ending of slavery in Washington D.C. in 1862 and the freeing of over 3,100 slaves. That’s right: 1862! That’s nearly 100 years after the founding of this country! But wait, if you listen to Christians on the Right–those who thump the same Bible a certain presidential candidate is currently hawking–then you’ll likely hear how this nation was founded on Christian principles. Some even go so far as to emphatically say how... Read more
Throughout history, different groups of Christians have defined their faith in different ways. From the earliest versions of the Apostles’ Creed all the way to the monstrosity that is known as the Westminster Confession of Faith, statements about how Christians are to be defined have been offered, countered, reoffered, and re-countered on countless occasions. But what if we threw out all notions that Christianity should be defined by a set of beliefs about Jesus and God, and instead thought of... Read more
Well, Donald Trump is at it again. After peddling a run of goofy-ass gold sneakers to suckers with at least $400 of disposable income–a smart move to lure in Black voters, according to the always racist and out of touch Fox News–he has now put his name on … you guessed it … the Bible itself; or, what many Christians call the “Word of God.” And while a litany of self-respecting Jesus followers are condemning him for it, a whole... Read more
How did Jesus use his “Bible?” Where did Jesus’ authority come from? When Jesus approached the Scripture, does he do it in the same way as modern evangelicals? Or, did Jesus have a specific hermeneutic. Watch this 10 minute video to find out my thoughts. Read more
Over the course of the coming months, I am going to post a handful of letters I am writing to friends and readers. They will be collected by the end of 2024, and will make up the third book in my Tolkien series. The first letter I am going to include here is on theodicy and God’s action (or inaction) in the face of evil and suffering. “I am fascinated by the internal theology and role of providence or divine... Read more
The following will be included in the forthcoming book, Who is Jesus to You? from Quoir Publishing (2024) Who is Jesus to me? I love the question, but it’s also unfair in so many ways. First off, whose Jesus are we even talking about? The real-world Jesus has proven rather difficult to pin down, though we assuredly know he walked this earth. Precisely who he was as an historical figure—let alone a theological one—is a different story. Bart Ehrman and... Read more
In Luke 4, before Jesus ever preaches from the word of Gawd, he is first tempted in the desert by the biggest baddie of them all: the devil. “If you worship me, all the kingdoms of the world will be yours,” says the red-horned demigod. “Piss off,” Jesus replies, not batting an eye at the infamous grifter. “Okay,” retorts the devil, “How about this church? Do something cool and you’ll be a God.” Jesus still doesn’t budge. Fast forward to... Read more
(I intentionally included an image created by AI, and yes, I realize it’s completely messed up. I had to include it because I simply typed “republican” in the prompt, and without anything other context, this is the first image that it gave me, which I find hilarious, and perfect for this article.) If you know me or have read this blog for any length of time, you’re probably thinking that the title to this piece suggests it is verifiable clickbait.... Read more
We’ve all heard sermons on the temptation of Jesus from Luke 4. I’ve personally witnessed it used as “proof” of an ontological devil, and that Jesus is perfect in some ambiguously obscure way simply because he succeeded on his vision quest. Pretty boring, am I right? But what if there is something much more going on here? What if this little narrative is an admonishment of mixing two means of power? The state and religion. Notice, Jesus is first tempted... Read more
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