Reading the Bible with René Girard, Edited by Michael Hardin

Last updated on: May 23, 2016 at 9:35 am By Guest Contributor

Editor’s Note: These final published words of René Girard, in the form of an amazing collection of conversations with interviewer Steven Berry, have been made available through the generous labor of Michael Hardin of Preaching Peace. For this last work of our model and mentor, Teaching Nonviolent Atonement is pleased to offer these three reviews. Down Goes the Red Pill by Matthew Distefano Reading the Bible with René Girard begins autobiographically, which was quite enjoyable for me, especially considering I have... Read more

When Donald Trump Gets It (Kind Of) Right

Last updated on: May 19, 2016 at 4:13 pm By Adam Ericksen

“Did you hear what Donald Trump just said?!” Many of us have been asking that question lately. I asked it yesterday to Suzanne, my friend and colleague here at Raven. I was exasperated once again with Trump after watching segments of his interview on Tuesday by Megyn Kelly of Fox News. Kelly asked Trump if he thought he made any mistakes during his campaign. She listed some possible options: disparaging comments he said about Heidi Cruz, John McCain being captured,... Read more

Taking the Peace Prize to War: Obama’s Legacy

Last updated on: May 19, 2016 at 10:42 am By Suzanne Ross

On May 6, Barack Obama passed a significant milestone: he has now been at war longer than George W. Bush, or any other American president. But his war is a model of efficiency, for it runs with far fewer combat troops than any previous American war and employs “precision” tactics like drone attacks and carefully planned raids by elite forces. It is spread across seven countries, but it has to be, because this enemy is “terrorism”, something that is itself... Read more

Wednesday Sermon: The Spirit Tells Us We Are All Children of God

Last updated on: May 18, 2016 at 1:27 pm By Tom Truby

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 the unifying aspect of the Holy Spirit at... Read more

But the Bible is So Violent! – On Jesus, Violence, and Interpretation

Last updated on: May 16, 2016 at 12:44 pm By Adam Ericksen

How do you interpret violence in the Bible? Do you believe that everything in the Bible was inspired by God? It’s a contested issue among liberals, conservatives, and atheists, but Michael Hardin at Preaching Peace has the best answer I’ve seen. Christians should interpret the Bible like Jesus interpreted his Bible.* Seems obvious, right? After all, Christians are called to follow Jesus, which means following him in the ways he interpreted the Bible. Jesus had a specific way of interpreting the... Read more

From Hiroshima to Peace: A Chain Reaction of Apologies

Last updated on: May 13, 2016 at 11:36 am By Lindsey Paris-Lopez

When President Obama visits Hiroshima, he should apologize on behalf of the United States, and back it up with an embodied commitment to total disarmament. The thought of an apology is scandalous to many Americans, and the Obama administration is emphasizing that this visit is not an apology but an opportunity to, in the words of deputy national security advisor Ben Rhodes, “offer a forward-looking vision focused on our shared future,” and express a commitment to a world free of... Read more

A Coal Miner Turned Prophet: Speaking Truth to Hillary Clinton

Last updated on: May 12, 2016 at 9:04 am By Adam Ericksen

Hillary Clinton has been harshly criticized for this statement she made during a CNN Town Hall discussion, “We’re going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business.” The comment has been used against Clinton in an attempt to show that she doesn’t care about coal miners. It has plagued her candidacy, especially in West Virginia where the economy is largely dependent upon coal. Politifact rightly asserts that the statement has been taken out of context.... Read more

Wednesday Sermon: Jesus Shows Us How to Read the Bible

Last updated on: May 11, 2016 at 3:35 pm By Adam Ericksen

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 how Jesus opens our minds to understand the... Read more

Children, Creation and Incarnation: The Neverending Story

Last updated on: May 10, 2016 at 11:45 am By Suzanne Ross

God’s engagement with the world is often portrayed as a “one and done” type of relationship. When we teach Creation, for example, we give the impression that on the seventh day God rested with a sigh of relief that a big job was well done. “Thank goodness,” God thinks, “I can check that off my to-do list!” The same can be said of God’s Incarnation, the entry into the world of human existence by the divine Creative Presence itself. We... Read more

Genocide on Trial: The Surprising Verdict

Last updated on: May 9, 2016 at 11:00 am By Suzanne Ross

Recently, a United Nations Tribunal convicted Radovan Karadzic, a Bosnian Serb leader, of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity during the civil war that tore apart the former Yugoslavia. The evidence was overwhelming and his guilt was never in doubt. His atrocities as listed in the New York Times account of March 24, 2016, are horrifying. Mr. Karadzic, 70, was sentenced to 40 years in prison for his role in lethal ethnic cleansing operations, the siege of Sarajevo and... Read more