Wednesday Sermon: Don’t Trip Up the Children – Pope Francis and the Golden Rule

Last updated on: September 30, 2015 at 11:38 am By Tom Truby

Pastors have a frequent question when they begin to discover mimetic theory. “That’s great. But how does it preach?” Reverends Tom and Laura Truby show 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 Tom and Laura’s sermons as an example of preaching the Gospel through mimetic theory. In this sermon, they discuss Pope Francis’s visit to... Read more

Doing Good, Becoming Evil: The Pope, Elijah and Moses

Last updated on: September 29, 2015 at 3:22 pm By Suzanne Ross

How do we oppose what is evil without becoming its mirror image? That’s the question I’ve been pondering since Pope Francis said this to Congress: We know that no religion is immune from forms of individual delusion or ideological extremism. This means that we must be especially attentive to every type of fundamentalism, whether religious or of any other kind. A delicate balance is required to combat violence perpetrated in the name of a religion, an ideology or an economic... Read more

To the “Penal Substitutionary” God:

Last updated on: September 28, 2015 at 7:00 pm By Adam Ericksen

This is a guest post by Matthew Distefano. It is part 2 of a series. Part 1, Dear Dispensationalist God, can be read at Unfundamentalist Christians. Matthew’s forthcoming book “All Set Free” will be published by Wipf and Stock. Read more of Matthew’s excellent work at his website All Set Free and at the Raven Foundation. To the “Penal Substitutionary” God: As you know, I am not one to mince words and I don’t plan on starting now. So I will begin this letter by... Read more

An Eid Prayer For Pilgrims In A Violent World

Last updated on: September 24, 2015 at 8:12 am By Lindsey Paris-Lopez

Bismillah Arrahman Arraheem. In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful, I come to you today, O God, Cherisher and Sustainer of the Worlds, as Eid al-Adha ascends with the setting sun. Though not a Muslim with a capital “M,” I pray in the blessed name of Allah, knowing that you are the God of us all. I pray in solidarity with Muslims around the world whose hearts, if not bodies, are in Mecca right now. I pray with... Read more

Dear Pope Francis

Last updated on: September 25, 2015 at 10:33 am By Guest Contributor

This is a guest post by Matthew Distefano. Matthew’s forthcoming book “All Set Free” will be published by Wipf and Stock. Read more of Matthew’s excellent work at his website All Set Free and at the Raven Foundation. Dear Pope Francis, First and foremost, welcome to the United States of America. I have heard this is your first trip to our shores and I hope it is a successful one. Your visit is a welcomed one for me as it comes at a crucial time... Read more

Wednesday Sermon: Welcoming the Vulnerable – Pope Francis and Climate Change

Last updated on: September 23, 2015 at 1:34 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 Tom and Laura’s sermons as an example of preaching the Gospel through mimetic theory. In this sermon, Tom discusses the transformation of the human understanding... Read more

The Day of Atonement and the Surprising Joy of Leviticus

Last updated on: September 23, 2015 at 9:22 am By Adam Ericksen

Jews throughout the world are celebrating Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. It’s the holiest day of the Jewish year and it’s full of joy. The Christian view of Atonement is rarely understood in terms of joy. Instead, it’s often understood like this: You are a sinner and God is mad at you. But not just at you, God is angry at the whole human race. The infinitely holy God created a good world and humans screwed it up. Since... Read more

#PrayerforEveryone: Jesus’ Advice on How to Pray

Last updated on: September 22, 2015 at 2:13 pm By Suzanne Ross

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 5:5-6 This week the United Nations is adopting a new set... Read more

Be The Change For Peace

Last updated on: September 21, 2015 at 7:04 pm By Lindsey Paris-Lopez

Let’s stop a war. I mean it. You. Me. Our families, friends, communities. Let us come together now and say no more violence. We must have peace. The photograph of Aylan Kurdi’s body pierces our hearts. The anguished expressions of families piled into boats as the land behind them is devoured by violence haunt our consciences. We turn to our leaders demanding immediate help for those in need, as only the government can help the refugees arrive safely and legally, allowing us... Read more

Ahmed’s Clock: Islam, Mimetic Theory, and the Hope for a Better Future

Last updated on: September 19, 2015 at 10:17 am By Adam Ericksen

Earlier in the week, Ahmed Mohamed proudly brought a clock he made to his school. Ahmed, a Muslim 9th grader at MacArthur High School in Texas, was excited to show his clock to his teachers. Despite the fact that Ahmed has never been in trouble, one of his teachers became suspicious and thought it was a bomb. That teacher complained to the principal, who called the police. When the police officers arrived, they and the principal pulled Ahmed from his... Read more