Interview With Frances Fuller, Author of “In Borrowed Houses”

November 23, 2014 By Guest Contributor

This special guest interview with author Frances Fuller was conducted by Lindsey Paris-Lopez, Editor in Chief at the Raven Foundation. About a month ago, I introduced Raven Foundation readers to a beautiful story which, I believe, models what it means to take being a member of the Body of Christ seriously. In Borrowed Houses is an incredible memoir of 7 years of the life of Frances Fuller and her husband, Wayne, when they lived in Lebanon during the Lebanese Civil War. For anyone who... Read more

Bill Cosby and Rape: Why Were We So Slow?

November 20, 2014 By Suzanne Ross

Bill Cosby has fallen from grace. America’s dad is in the dog house after decades in our living rooms. The accusations of rape are old news but something has shifted. The accusers’ stories are gaining momentum and what was an open secret is now impossible to ignore. Bill Cosby is a rapist and we all know it. TV Land, Netflix and ABC know it, too, so they are cancelling their relationships with him. A logical move, though I wish it... Read more

Oprah, the One Question, and Mimetic Desire

November 19, 2014 By Adam Ericksen

Oprah Winfrey is used to asking the questions, but there is one question that everyone asks Oprah. From presidents to world dignitaries to movie stars to housewives and househusbands to comedians to perpetrators of crimes to victims of crimes to rich and to poor, when the cameras stop rolling and the lights go off, the question is always the same: Was that okay? Can you believe it? People who seem to have all the success the world has to offer... Read more

The Oracle of Certainty: From Ancient Athens to ISIS

November 18, 2014 By Suzanne Ross

Thank the gods we don’t believe in the utterances of oracles anymore. We don’t search for omens in the entrails of sacrificed animals or believe that women in drug induced trances can foretell our destiny. Because the ancient Greeks fell for this superstitious mumbo jumbo, they were led into two disastrous wars that had devastating consequences. The great anti-war playwright Euripides offers his critique of wars and oracles in his play, Iphigenia at Aulis, now playing at the Court Theater... Read more

Full Inclusion of LGBTQ: A Leading Evangelical Ethicist Changes His Mind

November 14, 2014 By Adam Ericksen

REPENT! Do shivers run down your spine when you hear that word? Well, there’s no getting around it – repent is an important biblical word. But as opposed to emphasizing how horrible we sinners are, the word simply means “Change your mind.” So, what happened when the leading American Evangelical ethicist repents? He asked the whole Church to change its mind, too. That’s what David Gushee has done in his latest book, Changing Our Mind: A Call From America’s Leading... Read more

On Being a Good Dad: Mimetic Desire, Toys, and How Not to Love Your Neighbor

November 12, 2014 By Adam Ericksen

I consider myself to be a good dad. And that’s where the problem began. One of the main reasons that I consider myself to be a good dad is that I buy my children really cool toys…that I get to play with… Well, a few years ago I bought them a toy rocket with a launch pad. When I…err…I mean *they*…stomp on the pad the rocket launches 50 feet in the air! My status as a “good dad” increased last... Read more

How a Pacifist Says Thank You on Veterans Day

November 11, 2014 By Adam Ericksen

I hope this doesn’t make me un-American, but I don’t celebrate Veterans Day; I mourn it. I mourn the lives lost. I mourn the visible and invisible scars created by war. I mourn that we haven’t found a way toward peace that doesn’t involve violence. I mourn that pacifists frequently blunder our message, falsely and self-righteously creating an “us” who are for peace and demonizing “them” who just want war. I mourn that we’ve had Isaiah’s vision for roughly 2,900... Read more

[Video] Mimetic Theory and the Nonviolent God

November 6, 2014 By Adam Ericksen

(Mimetic Theory and the Nonviolent God was delivered at the Christianity 21 Conference in Denver as part of the conference’s 7-21 Talks. Participants have 21 slides that automatically advance every 20 seconds, which equals 7 minutes. The text is below.) When I was in seminary one of my best friends came up with a brilliant theological … pick up line. Hey baby. What’s your hermeneutic? Despite the genius of that question, we soon discovered that anytime you start a pick up line with, “Hey... Read more

Winston Churchill, Jesus, and Redeeming Democracy

November 4, 2014 By Adam Ericksen

Winston Churchill, the great 20th century politician and protector of democratic values, once quipped that, It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government, except all those others that have been tried. It’s Election Day here in the United States and my Facebook feed is full of pictures of my friends proudly voting. Other images of women from the early 1900 fighting for the right to vote appear on the feed, imploring women to vote in honor... Read more

The Rev. Dr. Stephanie VanSlyke on Christmas, Incarnation, and Salvation

November 1, 2014 By Adam Ericksen

The Rev. Dr. Stephanie VanSlyke discusses with us the importance of the birth of Jesus, Incarnation, and Salvation in the context of the early church. Below are notes from Stephanie for the chat: Stephanie Perdew VanSlyke, M.Div., Ph.D. Reflecting on Christmas & the Incarnation Teaching Non-violent Atonement Video Chat with the Raven Foundation December 12, 2013 When Protestant or Roman Catholic Christians from the contemporary West delve into the writings of the early church, we often conclude that something... Read more