As author and theologian N.T. Wright points out, the story of Adam and Eve in Genesis is a parable of Israel’s continual rise and fall: They start off in the seat of God’s favor, they rebel and fall away, the result is to become exiled in a foreign land, and the process repeats over and over again throughout their history. To be told “Your sins are forgiven,” therefore is to say “Your exile is over. It’s time to return home.”... Read more
As I’ve been reading on the early church, I’ve come across a great saying used by the church fathers – Conversatio Morem – and I’d like to make it my own. The phrase can be translated in two different ways, depending on the context. The first way is, “Death To The Status Quo!” I must say, I love this. It embodies the counter-cultural aspect of Christian discipleship that I long to embody and to inspire in others. If I ever... Read more
There are signs to remind us all around. Reminders of how connected we are to one another. Signs that we are all part of one humanity. These are the things that unite us: Music, art, dancing, laughter, literature, poetry, beauty, sunsets, ocean waves, puppies, kittens, sleeping babies nestled in their blankets. At these moments we are not black or white, left or right, Atheist or Christian, straight or gay. We are just human beings who share an appreciation for something... Read more
This is an honest question. I grew up in a White Christian home in Texas. We could not understand how anyone could call themselves a Christian and vote Democrat. My friend Thomas McKnight grew up in a Black Christian home in North Carolina. His family would often wonder how anyone could say they were Christian and vote for a Republican. So, in the interest of education and understanding, Thomas and I got together to try to answer these questions. He... Read more
I’m very excited to announce an upcoming Christian Conference that I’ve just put together for early 2021. The lineup is off the hook. I’ve secured keynote presentations from people like Rob Bell, N.T. Wright, David Bentley Hart and Richard Rohr. But then a friend looked at this lineup and said, “Wow. That’s a lot of white men.” So, I also invited Dr. Cornell West, Kyle Butler, Derrick Day and Bishop Carlton Pearson to speak so we had a solid balance... Read more
I don’t need to tell you how dangerous Progressive Christianity can be. The results are all around us. Every day we are surrounded by examples of what can happen when people replace the original teachings of Jesus and the Apostle Paul with their own new ideas that threaten to eclipse the Truth of the Gospel. Many Progressive Christians actually rewrite the scriptures and change words in the Bible to support their new doctrines that cater to their flesh and affirm... Read more
In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus is asked a question about divorce. His response turned the tables around on the Patriarchal males of the First Century and totally confounded his own disciples. Most American Christians completely misunderstand the entire conversation. In fact, they tend to quote the words of Jesus here as if it’s a universal statement about how to define marriage [it’s not], or they take the statement about adultery being the only criteria for divorce and weaponize it to ensure... Read more
It’s hard to make it through a single day without someone posting a video or an article about Quantum Spirituality these days. And I get it. This is a very fascinating topic. As scientists and physicists begin to explore recent discoveries in the realm of quantum physics and quantum entanglement, the implications for philosophy and theology are mind-boggling. For example, according to quantum science, it turns out that particles can be in two places at once, and that all matter... Read more
Honestly, this is a rhetorical question. But it does make me wonder what it will take for people to wake up and realize they’re not following Jesus anymore. Those who call themselves “Christian” today have forgotten that the word means “Christ-like.” So, they don’t stop to wonder why they’re following leaders who ignore Jesus, or why they believe things that Jesus contradicted, or why they reject the people Jesus embraced [you know, the poor, the outcast, the immigrants, the sick,... Read more
[NOTE: The following is an excerpt from the soon-to-be-published book Jesus Unforsaken: Substituting Wrath With Divine Love To Satisfy God’s Atoning Nature by Keith Giles] As we rethink the cross and question the theological assumptions of Penal Substitutionary Atonement, the question “Why did Jesus have to die?” begins to come into sharper focus for us. We can see how our sins did not truly separate us from God and how this separation was only in our minds, as Paul... Read more
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