Disarming Scripture: Derek Flood tackles the problem of violence in the Bible

Last updated on: December 10, 2014 at 2:54 pm By Christian Piatt

Derek Flood’s new book Disarming Scripture has just been released this month, and has already received endorsements and accolades from some pretty big names: Walter Brueggemann, Jim Wallis, Peter Enns, and Steve Chalke to name a few. Disarming Scripture deals with the problem of violence in Scripture, taking on some pretty huge issues—from commands to commit genocide and infanticide in the Old Testament to passages in the New Testament that have been used to justify slavery, child abuse, and state... Read more

Jesus Can’t Breathe: a Spiritual Problem That Begs a Spiritual Response

Last updated on: December 10, 2014 at 12:07 am By Christian Piatt

My friend, Peter Heltzel, and a cohort of some 75 faith leaders in New York have called the lack of Police accountability in New York and elsewhere “a spiritual problem.” They’re right, and it’s a problem that requires a spiritual response. Those faith leaders converged on New York’s city hall for a “Die in” protest in response to the death of Eric Garner, an African-American man who died of suffocation while being choked by officer Daniel Pantaleo, a New York... Read more

A Miracle Turned Six Books Into a Website (and will help in #Feeding5000) #MyJesusProject

Last updated on: December 6, 2014 at 8:14 pm By Christian Piatt

I’m really excited to let folks know that we have a new trade that’s taken place in our effort to feed 5000 people. In case you haven’t been following. I’m trying to “feed the multitudes” as part of my year-plus-long #MyJesusProject, in which I’m trying to better understand what it really means to follow Jesus in our world today. But rather than starting with five fish and two loaves of bread, I started out with six copies of my own... Read more

Considering Twelve Sides of Jesus (#MyJesusProject)

Last updated on: December 3, 2014 at 7:42 pm By Christian Piatt

Not surprising, this whole endeavor to understand what it really means to follow Jesus in today’s world is proving to be nothing short of overwhelming. Though I’d like to start my year-long effort to live this out on New Year’s Day, I’m not entirely sure I can get my hands around this Jesus we’re talking about by then. I mean, I grew up reading scripture, have written several books about Jesus and the Bible, but somehow I’m always left with... Read more

Beer, Hymns, Protesters and PostChristian in Tulsa? Oh yeah.

Last updated on: December 3, 2014 at 6:25 pm By Christian Piatt

On Christian’s recent “postChristian” book tour stop in Tulsa, Oklahoma, he caused quite a stir. No, folks weren’t distressed by his claims of the decline of Christian empire, or his challenges to the religious powers that be… They were up in arms about serving 3.2 percent beer in (GASP!) church. The weekend culminated in a Beer and Hymns event at East Side Christian Church (DOC), followed by this live CultureCast recording with Christian, Phillips Theological Seminary’s own Josh Linton, and... Read more

AJ Jacobs Tells Me How to Be More Like Jesus #MyJesusProject

Last updated on: December 2, 2014 at 8:12 pm By Christian Piatt

For the next 14-18 months, I’m doing a sort of “Human Experiment” project in which I try to figure out what it REALLY means to follow Jesus in the 21st century western world. To help me, I called on bestselling author of “The Year of Living Biblically” and Esquire Editor-at-Large AJ Jacobs to be my spiritual advisor. In this conversation, he gives me advice for my project, and he shares a little bit about his current project, the Global Family... Read more

So…Am I Jesus Yet? #MyJesusProject

Last updated on: November 24, 2014 at 11:26 pm By Christian Piatt

It’s been a week now since I announced my newest project, which is to spend between 14 and 18 months figuring out what it seriously means to follow Jesus in our 21st century western world. Like, really. Tons of people say they are Christians, or even go so far as to say they follow Jesus, but which Jesus? And what exactly does it mean to follow him, especially today, in my life right now, with a mortgage, an iPhone, two kids, a... Read more

We Have a New Trade-up! Get Your Book Designed & Edited #Feeding5000 #MyJesusProject

Last updated on: November 24, 2014 at 6:04 pm By Christian Piatt

Sometimes it takes a little bit of imagination to realize how much we really have to offer. I was messaging back and forth this weekend with someone who had just taken my “Jesus Dos and Don’ts” survey, and they noted how exciting the project was, especially the idea of how to feed 5000 people. Basically, instead of starting with five loaves of bread and two fish, I started with six signed copies of my books, and I’m in the process... Read more

A nun, an astrophysicist and a Post-Christian walk into a radio show…

Last updated on: November 22, 2014 at 6:09 pm By Christian Piatt

I always enjoy chatting with radio talk show host Welton Gaddy, based out of Washington DC. His syndicated weekly show, in partnership with the Interfaith Alliance, airs on nine stations around the country. But they also rebroadcast the segments on their website. To listen to my talk with Welton about the state and future of faith in a post-Christendom world, CLICK HERE. Or you can listen to the entire program BY CLICKING HERE. Also on this program, he talks with... Read more

AJ Jacobs on Being Other People’s Version of Jesus (Ugh) #MyJesusProject

Last updated on: November 22, 2014 at 12:58 am By Christian Piatt

I had a chat with my friend and fellow author, AJ Jacobs, today on Skype. Aside from being a veteran journalist, he is the most experienced “human guinea pig” I know. After all, he wrote “The Year of Living Biblically,” in which he spent a whole year trying to live according to the Bible, as literally as possible. And though he had great advice and words of encouragement for me, he also left me with a few challenges in my... Read more