by R. Scott Smith Surely God is at work doing many things in the United States, and evangelicals have been trying to hold to the doctrinal truths of Christianity. Moreover, Christians are to be marked by God’s presence and power. Nevertheless, it seems that, overall, evangelicals do not have much influence, especially given the promised power of the gospel and the risen Lord Jesus, and His promised presence. So, where is the power and presence of the Lord? With this... Read more
by Scott Masson The death of Fidel Castro marks the end of an era. With the Cuban dictator’s death the last icon of Marxism is gone. Like all international socialist regimes, Castro destroyed myriad lives and deployed an apparatus of oppression, torture and death to maintain his grip on power. Under his reign of terror, the truth also died, and not by accident. The Communists’ zeal for group rights for the oppressed not only entailed displacing the rich and powerful. ... Read more
by Josh Helms Christmas is a melting pot of tradition at our house. My wife brings her childhood traditions to the kitchen and I bring mine, each adding their own unique flavor to the boiling stew we call Christmas at the Helms’. Before we had kids, our stew had a somewhat mild yet tasty flavor with just the right amounts of this and that. Once we added kids to the recipe, things really got robust! It was time to make... Read more
by Satchel Johnsen and Alex Hamann Russian hackers and rigged voting systems aren’t the biggest threat to American democracy. Rather, in the aftermath of the November 8 election we must reflect on our own behaviors and attitudes as an American people. The preservation of American democracy depends on educating future leaders on college campuses about the essential importance of cultivating and maintaining a genuine respect for diversity of political viewpoints. The kind of demonization and delegitimization of those who supported, or... Read more
by Shannon Gianotti “This isn’t middle school anymore,” one of my ninth grade teachers used to say whenever someone complained about homework, “it’s not a bunch of warm fuzzies.” Neither is forgiveness, and for many of us the holidays can feel more like forgiveness boot camp than walking in a winter wonderland. As our families disappoint once us again, old hurts flare up, and holiday shopping ends in shouting matches, forgiveness can like an assault to our humanity. Could God... Read more
by Daniel Darling and Dean Inserra The opportunity to participate in a representative republic is a unique stewardship afforded to American Christians, a privilege to shape government that should not be taken lightly. If we want to fully love our neighbors, especially the most vulnerable neighbors, we must use our voices to speak up and help shape the governments that will rule over them and the policies that will affect their flourishing. And yet there is a way to participate... Read more
by Peter J. Leithart Christians often oppose truth and unity. Evangelicals are inclined to leave unity to the mushy mainline, to eclectic ecumenists, and devote themselves to the rock-hard truth, regardless of its divisiveness. The New Testament doesn’t permit this opposition. The rock-hard gospel truth is a truth about unity. The gospel announces the fulfillment of God’s plan to reconcile Adamic humanity with God. At the same time, it announces the fulfillment of God’s plan to reconcile Babelic humanity with... Read more
by Taylor S. Brown I am an orthodox, conservative Protestant. I hold firmly to every word in the Apostles’, Nicene, and Chalcedonian Creeds. I locate myself within the socio-political tradition of Classical Conservatism, alongside such thinkers as Edmund Burke, G. K. Chesterton, and Richard John Neuhaus, among others. I think abortion is one of the worst atrocities in the modern world and I think religious liberty is one of the key safeguards to a free, democratic society. Needless to say,... Read more
by Jonathan Ashbach Evangelicals and the Infiltration of Moral Relativism If the current election cycle has disclosed a number of disturbing truths, one of the more disturbing is the pervasive manner in which moral relativism has infiltrated the evangelical church. It’s a shocker because one would expect theologically conservative Christians to have resisted this particular modern infatuation better than most groups. Indeed, approach us directly with the assertion that some things are good for you and others are good for... Read more
by John Ehrett I read Shane’s recent Patheos piece, Against Evangelical Victim Culture (Stop Blaming Josh Harris for Your Problems), with mixed emotions. On one hand, I agree with Shane that some of the individuals weighing in on this debate have tended toward “histrionic” denunciations. Having said that, I’ve tended to view the recent scrutiny of I Kissed Dating Goodbye as a hugely positive development for evangelical culture, and Shane’s post does nothing to change my views on this... Read more
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