Martyrdom is a notoriously misunderstood idea, at least in the Christian sense of the concept. Many today find the idea of martyrdom utterly distasteful. They either find it incredibly foolish, seeing it as a meaningless rejection of this world and the good things it offers. Or, alternatively, they find it very dangerous, in part for the same reasons, but also because of an aberrant version of martyrdom which entails the killing of others along with the annihilation of the self.... Read more
Across the country, especially on university campuses, Americans are witnessing a growing sympathy for what one could only call “barbarism,” and that in its most pristine form. Protests in favor not just of the Palestinian people, but of the radical Jihadist wing of Palestine, Hamas, have multiplied around the nation. For many, this is shocking. For others, it is a development to be welcomed. For a few of us, it is upsetting but also not surprising. In the end, however,... Read more
Disclaimer: It is not my usual policy to provide book reviews. In this case perhaps we could consider it more of a testimonial. I recently read and immediately re-read a book that has now been on my mind for a few months. This book was so challenging I had to put it down multiple times, take a few deep breaths, and gather my energy to press forward. I cried at several points. I stopped to pray almost every chapter. The... Read more
It may seem unfair to use a particular pastor as an example of a much larger and far more profound problem in American Evangelicalism today. However, without desiring to “pile on” Andy Stanley, as one popular theologian put it, Stanley’s recent event at his Northpoint Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia, provides too precise an example of a deeply rooted error to not use it as a illustrative case. The fact that Stanley’s conference affirming LGBTQ+ individuals and their relationships was... Read more
In late September, Pastor Andy Stanley hosted the Unconditional Conference at his church, Northpoint Community Church in Alpharetta, GA. This conference was organized by a group called Embracing the Journey, an organization characterized by the seemingly Christian values of teaching parents how to love and care for their LGBTQ+ children. The mission statement of Embracing the Journey reads as follows: To build bridges between LGBTQ+ individuals, their families, and the church, not in spite of the bible but because of... Read more
Many Christians today are disillusioned by their efforts to know God. Many may wonder if it is even possible. It is something we talk about in Church or small group often, but we rarely discuss how we know God and what that means. We go through the motions…church, home group, read the Bible sometimes, pray sometimes. Yet this is not what knowing God means, nor are these small gestures of devotion enough for our souls to truly connect with the... Read more
As Christians we have often heard the term “the wrath of God” and, in fact, many places in Scripture utilize that exact phrase or something very similar (Lev 20:26; Num 1:53, 16:46, 18:5, 25:11; Deut 29:20; 1 Sam 28:18; 2 Kgs 22:13; Ezra 5:12, Job 21:20, Matt 3:7; John 3:36 etc). But what does “wrath” really mean? Is our God an angry God, who looks down from on high hoping to find some reason to destroy us? Should we live... Read more
I never acted out much when I was a kid. I never smoked, drank, or went all the way. My dad raised me to believe in God and Jesus, though my mother was largely unconcerned with religion. I never really questioned God’s existence but for a brief stint in high school, when I asked questions in class like how Christ’s crucifixion could save anyone, along with other questions anyone with a rudimentary understanding of Christianity could’ve addressed. Even then, my... Read more
For several decades now, many in America have tried to find the central issue, the one, core feature, which is the source of division between the political Left and Right in our nation. Various theories have been offered. Some have made contradictory views on economics the central issue over which we are divided–the classical Marxist versus Hayekian Capitalist framework. Others have considered it a psychological question: some being more predisposed to think from the right hemisphere of the brain, the... Read more
In this article, I conclude my four-part series examining theologians of the 19th and 20th centuries who have most contributed to progressive Christianity. We have already interacted with Friedrich Schleiermacher, Walter Rauschenbusch, and Adolf von Harnack. In doing so, I have pointed out some of the weaknesses that exist in each of these theological views. Now I conclude with Gustavo Gutierrez, the most widely known Liberation Theologian, whose Marxist-inspired doctrines have made quite an impact in contemporary, progressive thought. Gutierrez... Read more
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