I have heard people say that purity culture preached a “sex prosperity gospel.” The basic message went like this: If you don’t have sex before marriage, you will have wonderful marriages with amazing sex. Naïvely, church youth bought the promises of purity culture. And, sadly, unintended consequences followed. Read more
Christianity Today's article rejects the use of shame to combat racism. The writer says, “Guilt is about action with a clear path to redemption. Shame leaves us stuck in our sin.” One person said to me, “What it says is correct. But articles like this leads people to think that shame is all bad.” Precisely. Read more
How does “white shame” factor into discussions about racism in America? What one means by the term may vary, but I will focus on something particular. I do not indicate the idea that whites are ashamed of being white. Rather, by “white shame,” I refer to the shame felt by white people (especially in America) that stems from the past and/or present mistreatment of non-whites by whites. Read more
Define your terms. More than 80% of our disagreements can probably be solved if we could agree on the meaning of key words. True, not all things can be defined with specificity; rather, they share a cluster of characteristics. What about the meaning of “racism”? It seems like a self-explanatory term,.... Read more
Individualism is a key value in American white culture. By “individualism,” I don’t merely refer to the idea of individuality or that individuals have value. The latter are Christian notions rooted in God’s creating humanity in his image. The term, as I’m speaking of it, goes further. Read more
Great news! Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes has now been recorded as an audiobook! When it’s your own book, you become more sensitive to the little details. In my opinion, the reader’s voice is best at 1.1 speed. For some reason, Tantor Audio made their own cover for the book…. not sure why. I guess IVP doesn’t let others use their own cover designs. I hope you enjoy the book in audio form! Read more
“How does honor and shame relate to people with disabilities?” That was the first time someone had asked me that question. And I didn’t have a good answer. I immediately realized how little has been said about the relationship between honor, shame, disability, and mission. Read more
Understanding how women reinforce patriarchal thinking is one key component to combat patriarchy within society and the church. This post looks are several contemporary contexts and highlights a creative way that some women have subverted patriarchy and conventional custom. Read more
The Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society has reviewed Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes. The reviewer does a good job capturing the essence of the book. In terms of his assessment, several paragraphs jumped out to me, including his criticisms. Read more
Let’s talk about American privilege,… the elephant not in the room at the moment. In this cultural moment, the focus of conversation is on racism, white privilege, and policing. People rightly lament the injustice that has led to death and resentment. Read more
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