The following is a dialogue between Brad Jersak and Peter Hordern, about Pauls’ use of retribution language (in 2 Thessalonians 1), rhetorical criticism and the nonviolence of God. Peter: I’m continuing to wrestle with the idea of God as nonviolent. I feel like I see the truth of God’s nonviolence through Christ and his teachings, particularly on forgiveness. However, then I also read what Paul writes, especially in his epistles to the Thessalonians, which refer to end times and Gods... Read more

In an average week, one-in-five Americans share their religious faith online, about the same percentage that tune in to religious talk radio, watch religious TV programs or listen to Christian rock music. And nearly half of U.S. adults see someone else share their religious faith online in a typical week. These are among the key findings from a survey conducted in May and June of 2014 that asked 3,217 adults from the Pew Research Center’s nationally representative American Trends Panel... Read more

R3 editor, Dr. Andre E. Johnson, Associate Professor of Rhetoric and Religion and African American Studies at Memphis Theological Seminary will offer a one week intensive immersion class for the January term titled, Engaging the City: Urban Theology After Ferguson: The Ferguson Fiasco. Dr. Johnson will offer the class on the campus of Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, January 12-16, 2015.  Classes in urban theology explore and focus on the current dynamics found in urban society that call and... Read more

by Katherine WhitfieldR3 Contributor Follow Katherine on Twitter @curlyheff Humanism is roughly defined as a belief system that assigns primary importance to human, rather than divine or supernatural, matters. Tenets of humanism emphasize the inherent potential for human good, the common ground shared among all human beings and the need for solutions to human problems based solely on rational possibilities, not divine interventions. In his chapter titled  “Humanism in African American Theology,” religious studies professor and formative humanist Anthony B.... Read more

We live in an age of unprecedented theological production. At no point in church history have so many people written so many books and articles, not to mention blogs, wikis, and e-newsletters, about the Christian faith. Twenty-seven years ago, when I began my college teaching career, publishing a book was a notable accomplishment even for scholars at prestigious universities. Nowadays, it is incumbent on every professor no matter where they teach (or what they have to say) to write for... Read more

by Miles S. Mullin, II R3 Contributor Post appeared first on the Anxious Bench Blog The St. Louis County grand jury tasked with determining whether enough evidence exists to indict Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown will announce its decision later this month. Regardless of the outcome of that inquiry, large groups of people will be disatisfied, even angry. Unfortunately, their reaction will not be determined by the details of the grand jury inquiry... Read more

Religion and left revolution may seem like opposite ends of an insurmountable spectrum. After all, today’s media reminds us constantly of religion’s intolerance regarding the lives of women and its various justifications for war whether it’s waging holy war or justifying imperial ones. Realistically, though, religion is not always reactionary. Indeed, if one looks at history, it has often been used to justify liberation and social justice. From the revolutionary writings of Thomas Muntzer and the actions of his followers... Read more

The Graduate Association for African-American History (GAAAH) at The University of Memphis invites graduate students at all levels to submit proposals for its 16th Annual Graduate Student Conference in African-American History, to be held February 11-13, 2015, in Memphis, Tennessee. We welcome the submission of individual papers, complete sessions, workshops, and roundtables on all topics relating to the scholarship and teaching of the history of African Americans and blacks throughout the Diaspora. We hope to represent a broad range of... Read more

Here is a small project for a chilly Thursday night: let’s rethink the way we talk about religious movies. (In other words, if you’re at the end of a long work day, maybe go pour your drink of choice and get fortified to help me out with some vaguely philosophical inquiry.) This reflection is provoked by the nagging feeling I’ve had—I suspect you have, too—that there’s a wide gulf between the various definitions of religious moviesthat we’ve been using. But... Read more

“Officer, you are part of a sinful system that is responsible for the death of Mike Brown. I have come to take your confession.” These words, uttered by multi-denominational clergy from near and far as they stood in a deluge of rain at the Ferguson Police Department, challenged police to acknowledge systemic wrongdoing, seek forgiveness and set the necessary pre-conditions for healing. Ferguson police officers are overwhelmingly white civil servants, in stark contrast to the community they are charged with... Read more