The Upside-Down Kingdom: Chapter 6: Luxurious Poverty I’m curious why more people aren’t commenting on The Upside-Down Kingdom. Either fewer than usual are reading the chosen book this time, or people just don’t have much to say about the chapters. Or both. I find every chapter of the book very convicting, very controversial, even within myself. I was raised in a church that tended to spiritualize all that Kraybill is talking about. We were poor, but we interpreted “poverty” and... Read more

Christian Zionism Explained What is “Christian Zionism?” Well, there is no headquarters or all-inclusive organization, so I can’t speak for or about ALL Christian Zionists. However, I grew up in a church and denomination that I later realized was steeped in Christian Zionism (and probably still is). I discovered over my years in the American academic world that very few people know about Christian Zionism. The definitive book about evangelical Christian Zionism is by Timothy Weber and is titled “On... Read more

Will Disability Endure in Heaven? Increasingly, differently abled (not a recognized phrase by my spell checker as it changed it to “differently ambled”) persons, mostly Christians, are arguing that their disabilities will remain with them in heaven, in the resurrection. A cynic might say they are just trying to normalize their disabilities and make themselves and others think their disabilities do not diminish their value (which they do not). This is a theological question and not a subjective question about... Read more

The Upside-Down Kingdom, Chapter 4: Free Slaves Here I continue discussion of Donald Kraybill’s classic book on Christian ethics. According to Kraybill in this chapter, Jesus announced and inaugurated a new social order based on the principles of God’s “jubilee” commands to Israel. The chapter contains a fine, concise description of that and then brings forth the principles that undergird it and are trans-cultural. They imply, for God’s people, forgiveness and deliverance—including forgiveness of debts and deliverance from poverty. What... Read more

Should Christians Attempt to Legislate Christian Morality? This is an example of an overly simple question. It has to be fleshed out before being answered. First, a story. Many years ago I was invited to serve on a panel at a denominational meeting. The panel was discussing, in front of a large audience of very conservative evangelical Christians (of which I was then a member) issues related to how Christians should relate to secular society. I was given the assignment... Read more

America’s Dysfunctional Government To Christians in America and around the world I beg: Please pray for America. America, as a nation-state, is by most accounts the most powerful country in the world. Our government, and one might say our society, is in crisis. If anyone doubts that, the latest news (fact, not “alternative fact”) is that the United States House of Representatives, one branch of Congress, just ousted its own Speaker (Speaker of the House) who, by office and law,... Read more

“The Upside-Down Kingdom,” Chapter 4 “Wilderness Bread” In this chapter, Donald Kraybill reveals more about Palestinian society and culture in Jesus’s day with special focus on the economic stratification of the Jewish population. There’s a lot of detail about that in the first half of the chapter, but it’s necessary in order to understand his “big idea” about Jesus and money and social standing. The conclusion Kraybill comes to is that Jesus rejected the temptation to miraculously provide “bread” (sustenance)... Read more

Everyone Sins…But There’s a Difference M How often I have heard someone say “But everyone sins!” That usually pops out in a conversation among Christians about whether the church should accept LGBTQ people as members. A conservative/traditionalist says “But sex outside of marriage is sin!” Then someone else says “But LGBTQ people can be married!” Then someone says “But we believe sex between people of the same sex is sin because the Bible says so.” Then someone else says “But... Read more

“The Upside-Down Kingdom,” Chapter 3: “Temple Piety” According to our author Donald Kraybill, Jesus was an “upside-down Messiah.” Most of the Jews of Jesus’s day expected a powerful messiah who would throw off Roman rule and liberate the people of Israel from all foreign domination. They hardly expected a suffering messiah or one who would reject the formal piety and legalism of the popular and established religion of his people. (Note: It is interesting that in his description of the... Read more

  The other day I was musing about American church life and the many, many churches I have had to do with (pastoring, serving, attending, speaking, watching, etc., etc.). I felt a strong impression that the Christianity of my childhood and youth has by-and-large disappeared. Something else called “Christianity” has taken its place. I kept my musings to myself because they seemed likely to be the nostalgic musings of an old man. The desire for “the good old days.” Then,... Read more