Honest to God - Theology isn't science; it's art.

Love or Fear: What’s the Defining Characteristic of a Christian?

November 8, 2018 By Jayson D. Bradley

“Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold”—Jesus (Matt. 24:12) I used to think these words meant that as wickedness increased, people would love less because wicked people cannot love—but now I realize that’s not what Jesus is saying at all. What he’s saying is that in response to wickedness, people would become incapable of loving. Why? Fear. When we’re always worried about our security and safety, it becomes more challenging to be vulnerable, open,… Read more

7 Terrible Things the Bible Clearly Says

July 3, 2018 By Jayson D. Bradley

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I’m pretty lucky to have conversations with Christians from a variety of backgrounds and cultures. Usually, those conversations go great—but occasionally they’re a disaster. I know there’s a problem the minute they tell me, “the Bible clearly says.” It’s at that point I start looking for the exit. When you drop a phrase like that into a conversation, it’s evident that you don’t understand how communication works. We’re talking about a document where it’s on us to build a bridge… Read more

Resolved: 20 Decisions for Surviving the Church with Your Faith Intact

June 12, 2018 By Jayson D. Bradley

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Jesus famously said that the road that leads to life is narrow and only a few find it. So we can’t leave it to others to be mindful of our path—that’s our responsibility. In a world where the public expression of Christianity seems to be lost in the woods, we need to be very intentional about the way we choose to live. If we don’t, we’ll end up expressing attitudes and behaviors that make us unteachable and disagreeable—and ultimately unchristlike…. Read more

God’s Antidote for Patriotism: the Kingdom of God

June 2, 2018 By Jayson D. Bradley

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It’s not necessarily a hot take to point to 380 AD as a pivotal moment where the church lost its way, but it’s true. Together, emperors Constantine and Licinius had issued the Edict of Milan in 313 which ended the persecution of Christians. For once, Roman Christians could catch their breath. Religious torment in Rome was coming to an end for this relatively new religion. In fewer than 70 years, everything would change again. Emperor Theodosius issued the Edict of Thessalonica making Christianity… Read more

How Wild Wild Country Made Me Hungry for a Healthier Christianity

April 24, 2018 By Jayson D. Bradley

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I’m always late to the party. I was watching a recent SNL featuring John Mulaney/Jack White, and they did a skit about Wild Wild Country. I hadn’t heard of the documentary, but I knew that for them to be satirizing it, there must be some buzz around it. I looked into it and discovered the six-episode documentary series on Netflix. I turned it on at about 9 p.m. on a Tuesday night and watched the first five hours. It completely sucked me in…. Read more

Three Fibs We Keep Telling about the New Testament

April 5, 2018 By Jayson D. Bradley

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It’s time we shook off some of the myths that we’re regularly taught in the church. Don’t worry; I’m not talking about prominent doctrines. I’m just talking about the funny little fibs we’ve heard so often that we simply accept them as being scripturally accurate. 1. Jesus didn’t change Saul’s name to Paul As the legend goes, Saul—the maniacal persecutor of Christians—was on his way to Damascus when Jesus knocked him into the dirt. At that moment Saul was blinded,… Read more

Only the Mystics Can Save Christianity Now

January 29, 2018 By Jayson D. Bradley

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For the 25 years that I’ve been a Christian, the “God-shaped vacuum” is one of the most consistently used metaphors I’ve heard. This concept springs from Pensées, a collection of writings from French mathematician, Blaise Pascal: “What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now remains is the empty print and trace? This he tries in vain to fill with everything around him, seeking in things that… Read more

How “Support the Troops” Aids the Military-Industrial Complex

January 25, 2018 By Jayson D. Bradley

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In October of 1968, Johnson called a halt to North Vietnamese bombings to fuel peace talks. The Soviets had promised that if the attacks stopped, Hanoi would come to the negotiating table. The end to a war that had already claimed 30,000 American lives was in sight. But in the eleventh hour, South Vietnam walked away from negotiations, and the U.S. stayed in the war for another five years. As we now know from recently released papers from H. R…. Read more