pastors, burnout, failure, and shame (interview with J. R. Briggs)

Last updated on: June 16, 2014 at 6:22 am By Peter Enns

Today’s post is an interview with J. R. Briggs, author of Fail: Finding Hope and Grace in the Midst of Ministry Failure (see also here). Briggs serves as Cultutral Cultivator for The Renew Community, a network of Jesus communities made up of skeptics & dreamers scattered throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania. He also authored When God Says Jump: Biblical Stories That Inspire You to Risk Big. His full bio can be found here. You’ve written a book on failure and ministry. How did you land... Read more

most pastors are failures–and it’s OK to talk about it

Last updated on: June 11, 2014 at 8:12 am By Peter Enns

My friend and Lansdale neighbor J. R. Briggs has just published his latest book Fail: Finding Hope and Grace in the Midst of Ministry Failure. Failure is common among pastors, and it’s one of those things that’s hard to talk about, and hence gets buried as a shameful secret. J. R. is taking the bull by the horns and talking about it. My first exposure to J. R.’s vision for talking about the failure in ministry was several years ago... Read more

“Cosmos” and Christianity (or any religion, for that matter)

Last updated on: June 13, 2014 at 11:50 am By Peter Enns

Like many of you, I watched the entire FOX series Cosmos for the last several weeks and which concluded this past Sunday. More than once I found myself in stunned awe of the incomprehensibly huge and old universe we live in, and how much science has been able to learn about it. I felt the series was extremely well done, and very effective in communicating things we know and how much we don’t know and must, with humility, accept. Though... Read more

“there is no such thing as fundamentalist art”–(or, fighting the creative battle within)

Last updated on: June 6, 2014 at 2:49 pm By Peter Enns

I’m now reading for the second time in 4 months an amazing book by Steven Pressfield, The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles. Pressfield is probably best known for being the author of The Legend of Bagger Vance. I’m reading the book–again–because I am having trouble breaking through the blocks to win my inner creative battle. For me that creative battle is sitting down to write. For others it is painting, dieting, exercise,... Read more

my next writing project and an interview with the author

Last updated on: May 29, 2014 at 12:53 pm By Peter Enns

While my upcoming book is in the last stages of prepublication mayhem, I have begun working on my next book with HarperOne. I recently had the opportunity to sit down with myself to discuss that project. Pete: Pete, thanks for taking time off from yourself to sit down with yourself and talk about your upcoming book. Pete: My pleasure, Pete. Thanks for asking. And I’m always thrilled to talk with myself about myself. Pete: Great. So, what’s the title? Pete: I don’t... Read more

Tullian Tchividjian, The Gospel Coalition, and a (rather obvious) theology problem

Last updated on: May 25, 2014 at 10:01 am By Peter Enns

Over the last few days, a public airing of differences is taking place between members of The Gospel Coalition (TGC). (The two key posts seem to be here and here, for those interested.) Apparently, one of the bloggers at TGC, Tullian Tchividjian (pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church), has had a season of disagreement with those who run the organization, which led to him being asked to leave the coalition. Tchividjian’s departure seems related to how TGC’s leaders handled allegations of child abuse among two other... Read more

people are such absolute jerks (and so can you)

Last updated on: May 21, 2014 at 8:31 pm By Peter Enns

Today’s post is an interview with Dr. Chuck DeGroat about his latest book Toughest People to Love: How to Understand, Lead, and Love the Difficult People in Your Life (Including Yourself). Chuck, who has blogged here before (here and here), is the author of Leaving Egypt: Finding God in the Wilderness Places, and co-founder and senior fellow at the Newbigin House of Studies, a partnership between City Church San Francisco (where he has served as a teaching pastor) and Western Theological Seminary (where he is Associate Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling). He has also... Read more

a quick announcement about me, and I hope you don’t mind if I SIT DOWN first

Last updated on: May 19, 2014 at 8:08 am By Peter Enns

Dear People, As many of you know, I’ve been at teaching Biblical Studies at Eastern University since January of 2012, and it’s been both a privilege and a ton of fun. I wanted to share some news with you. A few weeks ago Eastern University awarded me an academic chair. I am officially the Abram S. Clemens Professor of Biblical Studies (not yet sure if that means I need to change my birth certificate). This news came as quite a... Read more

at the end of the day, when the dust settles, is the Creator of the universe actually really male?

Last updated on: May 18, 2014 at 4:06 pm By Peter Enns

no. [Short post, I know. Not sure what else to say after reading this, but three quick thoughts that if I have to explain it wouldn’t help: (1) Understand metaphorical language; (2) Understand antiquity; (3) Use your imagination.] Read more

I’ll see your “clarified” statement of faith and raise you a lawsuit—more good times at Bryan College

Last updated on: May 16, 2014 at 12:19 pm By Peter Enns

A few days ago The Herald News (serving Dayton, Tenn., and Rhea County communities since 1898) reported the next, and I suppose inevitable, development in the Bryan-College-brazenly-moves-the-statement-of-faith-goal-posts-as-a-way-of-weeding-out-dangerous-faculty-who-don’t-think-the-Bible-is-a-science-book saga. Two faculty members–professor of natural science Stephen Barnett and professor of education and chair of the education department Steven DeGeorge–are suing their employer (see the full story here.) According to the article, The lawsuit, which was filed on Monday, states that when the Bryan College Board of Trustees approved a “clarification” to... Read more