Our Conversation about Race Needs More Gospel, by Drew Colby I am a proud associate pastor. A group at our United Methodist church has been meeting for about nine months. Inspired by the protest and tragedies in Charlottesville they started meeting to discuss racial reconciliation. They’ve used resources that the UMC’s General Commission on Racial Reconciliation has offered and they have learned a lot. I want to offer something else that may help continue to move the conversation forward; and... Read more

Communication is a deliberate action with a specific purpose or intent.  Human communication generally uses words and sentences and it uses these to convey an idea and to elicit a response. John Walton and Brent Sandy, The Lost World of Scripture, make the point that intent is part and parcel of the authority of a communication. It is the integral and essential carrier of authority. When we affirm the authority (or inerrancy or infallibility) of Scripture we are (or should... Read more

I have been on a tour with Northern Seminary’s MA in New Testament students through Turkey, Greece, and Italy (Pompeii and Rome), so I have been out of the loop on the discussion in the USA about separating children from parents. In the Trump administration a few have commented on listening to the federal government authorities as a Christian duty. They have appealed to Romans 13, so a discussion has arisen about Romans 13:1-7 in the early years of emperor... Read more

I begin a series that will seek to shed some light on why I am Anglican. Image used with permission. More than twice a month I am asked “Why did you become Anglican?” The answer to the question is complex, and I want to answer that question in part by saying up front that I don’t believe in ecclesiastical superiority. I don’t think any single church or denomination is the one true church. I’ve heard more than a whiff of... Read more

Review: Near Christianity By Michelle Van Loon www.MichelleVanLoon.com and www.ThePerennialGen.com Historically, Evangelicals have been those who’ve planted their flag well within carefully-defined spiritual boundaries. People are either “in” or “out”, based on their stated relationship with Jesus. On the inside of that boundary line, there are dozens of other fissure lines based on denomination, worship style, and doctrinal difference. Boundary-crossing words like “interfaith” and “ecumenical” are usually viewed by those in the Evangelical world with great suspicion, as they seem... Read more

The second edition of Scot’s book The Blue Parakeet is now available. The book is one of his best, a book that helps the reader think through the nature of the Bible as inspired and authoritative. From the back cover: “The second edition also includes new sections on race and slavery, the atonement, Genesis and science, and kingdom and justice issues.” While the first edition is outstanding, it did have some shortcomings. The most significant was the application of reading... Read more

I began my career teaching seminary students, shifted to undergraduates for seventeen years, and now am teaching at a seminary again, at Northern Seminary (check out our DMin and MANT special cohorts). This move has driven me to think and rethink what seminary provides the church, or what the church provides the seminary. Today’s post offers ten reasons for going to seminary, and I know full well that many today both find seminary irrelevant and contend they are “successful” ministers... Read more

Hilarious. Each book of the Bible in one sentence. Genesis – God makes everything and it’s really good for about 3.2 seconds. Exodus – YAHWEH VS. RA FIGHT NIGHT ONLY ON PAY-PER-VIEW SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY! Leviticus – STOP DOING GROSS STUFF. Numbers – Israel makes a wrong turn near Mt. Sinai, refuses to ask for directions. Deuteronomy – I SAID STOP DOING GROSS STUFF GOSH WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE. Joshua – The hotly anticipated product launch of Moses 2.0. Judges – A riveting documentary on... Read more

Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in your steadfast faith and love, that through your grace we may proclaim your truth with boldness, and minister your justice with compassion; for the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen. Read more

The Devil’s Redemption: A New History and Interpretation of Christian Universalism Michael McClymond is Professor of Modern Christianity at Saint Louis University. He has published widely on Jonathan Edwards. His book, The Theology of Jonathan Edwards (co-authored with Gerald McDermott) was chosen by Christianity Today in 2012 as the best book in theology/ethics. [SMcK: this book will prove to be one of the most significant pieces of in any discussion of universalism.] The following interview revolves around McClymond’s just released... Read more