Just suppose you had to choose the single motion picture that dealt most seriously and challengingly with theological matters: what might it be? Offhand I can think of a dozen or so possible answers from various countries, and probably most cinema-literate people would agree on at least a common short-list. But few such lists would include one example of an American film that really should demand our attention and, I would argue, our profound respect, and that is the 1936… Read more
March 29, 2019
The Revolt of Islam
March 29, 2019 By Philip Jenkins
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The idea for this post came from my genuine surprise at reading a passage by Winston Churchill. It made me reflect on some aspects of what we might describe as the “forgotten history” of Islam and its relations with the West, a point I raised in a recent post. In 1899, Churchill expressed grave concern about the “militant and proselytizing faith” of Islam. To put this in context, he actually wrote, Individual Muslims may show splendid qualities, but the influence… Read more
March 28, 2019
Latter-day Saint Names and Revelations
March 28, 2019 By johnturner
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Many journalists and scholars snickered a bit last year when President Russell M. Nelson announced that God no longer wanted the members of his church to call themselves Mormons. Instead, they were to use the really long full name: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They were to call themselves “members of The Church of Jesus Christ” or at least “Latter-day Saints.” The snickering was in part because the church recently spent quite a bit of money… Read more
March 27, 2019
Christabel Pankhurst: Suffragette and End-Times Seer
March 27, 2019 By David Swartz
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The second in a two-part series on Christabel Pankhurst, a fundamentalist feminist Read more
March 26, 2019
Why I Wish More Scholars Would “Think in Public”
March 26, 2019 By Chris Gehrz
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Why should scholars take the time to blog or podcast, knowing that they’re likely to reach only small audiences? Can such public engagement actually enhance teaching and scholarship? Read more
March 25, 2019
Did the Bible Predict Our President?
March 25, 2019 By Agnes Howard
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The New York Times recently profiled Jonathan Cahn, celebrity New Jersey pastor who interprets the Bible to explain—nay, predict—signs of the times. As the Times report notes, Cahn contends that the Bible predicted Donald Trump would be appointed by God, our current president prefigured by his ancient warrior-king predecessor Jehu, who, Cahn says, “also sought to drain the swamp.” Cahn writes books and preaches at the Beth Israel Worship Center in Wayne, New Jersey. He was converted from Judaism to Christianity, by way of inspiration from Nostradamus… Read more
March 22, 2019
Racism, Slavery, and Original Sin
March 22, 2019 By Philip Jenkins
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However strange this may sound, I am ever more struck by the central and continuing role of religious rhetoric in contemporary US politics, and especially from liberals and progressives. But surely, you say, a modern political leader might use conventional religious language, especially at times of catastrophe – sending thoughts and prayers – but when does modern day political debate explicitly draw on complex or demanding theology? Well, it may not sound religious, in the sense of invoking Christ or… Read more
March 21, 2019
When #ChurchToo Goes Global
March 21, 2019 By Kristin Du Mez
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Today we welcome Mary Li Ma to the Anxious Bench. A research scholar, mission consultant, social scientist, and justice advocate, Mary has been working to bring attention to the problem of abuse within Chinese churches. She has a PhD in sociology from Cornell University and is author Surviving the State, Remaking the Church and The Chinese Exodus. Mary works extensively on issues of social justice and Christian mission in China, and writes for both public and Christian media in the… Read more
March 20, 2019
Who Defines Preaching Anyway? Beth Moore and Catherine of Siena
March 20, 2019 By Beth Allison Barr
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I usually never read comments on my blogs, much less respond to them. But one recently caught my eye. It was posted on a twitter thread following a tweet by Katelyn Beaty about my last AB article posted by Scot McKnight on Jesus Creed (sorry, the social media world can be a confusing place…). This is what it says: “Women need to learn theology. Way way way too much eisigetic “teaching” today. Elizabeth Elliot witnessed and survived so, so much… Read more
March 19, 2019
“No heart would remain unstained”: The Atrocities of WWII
March 19, 2019 By Chris Gehrz
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What should we make of the atrocities committed by American soldiers against Japanese, Italian, and German prisoners during World War II? Chris considers how even “good” wars corrode the human soul. Read more
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