I do care who you vote for this November. I care because so much is at stake. In fact, your very soul is at risk. I’m not endorsing a particular candidate. Vote for whomever you want. But if you vote for Trump, you may lose your soul. Sound too dramatic? I’m afraid not. Donald Trump has a long history of demonizing the weak and the vulnerable. Anyone who supports that kind of behavior in anyone, let alone a president, risks... Read more
Pastors have a frequent question when they begin to discover mimetic theory. “That’s great. But how does it preach?” Reverend Tom Truby shows that mimetic theory is a powerful tool that enables pastors to preach the Gospel in a way that is meaningful and refreshing to the modern world. Each Wednesday, Teaching Nonviolent Atonement will highlight his sermons as an example of preaching the Gospel through mimetic theory. In this sermon, Tom explores the story of the rich man and Lazarus.... Read more
Protest is not antithetical to peace. Protest is essential to peace. The uprising in Charlotte, portrayed (at least for the first 2 days) by the mainstream media as an out-of-control riot, was a peacemaking event that will in time, in combination with other uprisings from shore to shore, help our nation live into its heretofore elusive motto of liberty and justice for all. The media gave a skewed narrative of the events of Wednesday night’s protest over the police shooting... Read more
The news is overwhelming. Here in the United States, Terence Crutcher, an unarmed black man, was murdered by police over the weekend. Protests erupted yesterday in North Carolina after another unarmed black man, Keith Lamont Scott, was murdered by police. The protests apparently turned violent, with people throwing rocks at cars and breaking into a Walmart. Then there’s Syria. A precarious ceasefire was brokered last week. Just days into the ceasefire, the United States targeted ISIS troops with bombs. Unfortunately,... Read more
Pastors have a frequent question when they begin to discover mimetic theory. “That’s great. But how does it preach?” Reverend Tom Truby shows that mimetic theory is a powerful tool that enables pastors to preach the Gospel in a way that is meaningful and refreshing to the modern world. Each Wednesday, Teaching Nonviolent Atonement will highlight his sermons as an example of preaching the Gospel through mimetic theory. In this sermon, Tom explores the importance of forgiveness through a parable commonly... Read more
Myths disappear their victims, and the myth of American exceptionalism relies on a vast, extensive series of cages to house the unwanted and thrown away in order to thrive. With the largest prison population in the world, consisting predominately of those with dark skin, indigence, or mental illness, the United States could be said to be exceptional in its hypocritical lip-service to freedom. But the cries of the captives are now reverberating beyond the walls that confine them, as prisoners... Read more
The book of Daniel is apocalyptic literature. Usually we think apocalyptic literature as end of the world destruction. That could be a part of it, but apocalypse really means “Revealing” or “Unveiling.” Daniel reveals the truth about human relationships, specifically about human violence. Violence is the big problem in Daniel, as it is throughout the Bible. From the beginning to the end of Daniel, we see violence. And the point of Daniel is to explore how the faithful people of... Read more
Pastors have a frequent question when they begin to discover mimetic theory. “That’s great. But how does it preach?” Reverend Tom Truby shows that mimetic theory is a powerful tool that enables pastors to preach the Gospel in a way that is meaningful and refreshing to the modern world. Each Wednesday, Teaching Nonviolent Atonement will highlight his sermons as an example of preaching the Gospel through mimetic theory. In this sermon, Tom explains that the parable of the lost sheep seeks... Read more
Hillary Clinton has rightfully taken criticism for calling half of all Donald Trump supporters “deplorable.” Last Friday evening, while battling a case of pneumonia, Clinton stated at a New York fundraiser, We are living in a volatile political environment. You know, to just be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables … The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic, you name it. And, unfortunately, there are people like that. And he... Read more
Yesterday was the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks. Under the guise of sacred violence, violent men claiming to be Muslims perpetrated horrific acts. As they screamed “God is great” they hijacked planes and a religion. The hijackers couched their violent acts as a sacrifice ordained by God. The following note was found in the baggage of a 9/11 terrorist. The language is engulfed with the rhetoric of religious violence, Purify your souls from all unclean things. Tame your... Read more
Teaching Nonviolent Atonement
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