There may be fewer richer moments, in our current time, than hearing an evangelical lecture us on the danger of conspiracy theories. It’s hard to believe one could be that self-unaware. It would sort of be like a morbidly obese person lecturing us about portion control. It’s what we see here, however. The writer, Andrew T. Walker, is a professor at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. I’m sure he’s nice man; he’s no doubt a gentlemanly Southern Baptist scholar who... Read more
In St. Luke’s Gospel we read: My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud... Read more
What do Protestants in general, specifically fundamentalists/evangelicals, mean when they speak of the sufficiency of Scripture? Here, in a general way, is a fairly good take on what they mean. This writer defines the idea this way: “Scripture is sufficient in that it is the only inspired, inerrant, and therefore final authority for Christians for faith and godliness, with all other authorities being subservient to Scripture.” The writer goes on to note that this doesn’t mean we should never avail... Read more
For at least the last 10 years or so, the decisions and behaviors of a wide swath of white evangelicalism have been hard to grasp or understand, to say the very least. And I’m sure many read that sentence and thought… “the last 10 years!?…” Yes, I know for many it may be many, many more years than that. Putting that aside, they’ve left many onlookers perplexed and confused. For many, their decisions and behaviors were/are a mystery—they didn’t make... Read more
This trend has been long in the making but it was amplified by the advent of the internet, social media, and the propensity of many religious people, especially fundamentalists and evangelicals, to believe in conspiracy theories. The trend I note is toward the political becoming or replacing religion as the single most important motivating factor in many people’s lives when it comes to a comprehensive worldview, the metaphysical, theology, and core values. Obviously, if we asked most Christians which was... Read more
What do Christian fundamentalists/evangelicals feel is a key distinctive of their tradition or understanding of the Bible? Evangelizing. Sharing the gospel. Verbally telling others about Christ and salvation. Everything they do, has this as their primary goal and ulterior motive. When they speak of being “purpose driven,” this is what they are talking about. If the goal or purpose of anything they do is not, ultimately, to share their witness, it is not a worthy goal or purpose. It may... Read more
Many Christians seem to believe in a concept of “freedom” that is more modern, Western, American, and individualistic than anything we find in the New Testament. As modern, Western, American consumers we have been discipled to see our connections to others, to community, in the sense of individual rights rather than responsibilities. We have rights. We have liberties. We are sovereign in our own sphere of physical existence. We are islands, even if surrounded by other islands. Thus, it is... Read more
I know what you’re thinking. How does something like this happen? Well, how much time do you have? It’s complicated. Or, maybe it’s not that complicated. After reading the linked dialogue between two demons, I’m a bit lightheaded. First, what might be a generous reading of the linked essay (performative dialogue/sermon)? It could be the writer is trying to talk about boundaries. In general, if a person has fallen over a cliff, we normally grab a hold of something so... Read more
Although purely anecdotal, I remember witnessing a strange dynamic in my fundamentalist/evangelical days as to decision making. While our church had a democratic/congregational type polity, there was always an undercurrent of potential pastor idolization and the authoritarian temptation or impulse. It mostly depended upon how well liked and respected the pastor was by those with the most power and influence (often those with the most money—the substantive tithers) in the church. If for some reason the pastor fell out of... Read more
I think I’ve mentioned this book before, but I finally got around to finishing it. Run, do not walk, to your nearest bookstore (wait, they don’t exist anymore)—I mean to your laptop/tablet—and buy this book. Is it a perfect book? No, of course not. I’ve come across two consistent criticisms as I’ve read other reviews. One, is that the book too often sweeps with a broad broom and the other is citations and sourcing. I don’t agree with either. My... Read more
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