“Doing away with hell, then, is a natural way for pastors and theologians to make their God seem more humane. The problem is that this move also threatens to make human life less fully human.” So says Ross Douthat in an essay for the New York Times: “A Case for Hell.” Douthat believes that taking away hell takes away human free will and therefore denigrates humanity. What do you think? Read more
In yesterday’s post, I shared why I believe the resurrection happened. But I also want to explain why I believe the resurrection makes a difference–in the world and in my life. Christians believe that the resurrection proves that Jesus was who he said he was–the Christ, the King, the Son of God–sent to save (heal, redeem, restore) the world from sin (brokenness, disobedience to God, fallenness). And that on the cross, Jesus took the separation from God that all of... Read more
Paul Donnelly wrote an essay, Upon Penalty of Life, for the New York Times Magazine this past week. Donnelly’s brother and his wife were killed by Christopher Di Meo. And Donnelly’s essay argues that the most merciful thing for Di Meo would be to receive the death penalty. Donnelly is, in his words, a lapsed believer. And yet he wants to forgive his brother’s murderer. And he wants to want good things for this man. He concludes: “When we were kids, my... Read more
Yesterday we celebrated a ridiculous claim: that a dead man came back to life. Not that he was resuscitated. But that he was made alive again, eternally. That he, Jesus, is still alive. The truth of Christianity hinges upon the reality of the resurrection. There are Christians who think that the resurrection is just a metaphor for the work that God can do in our lives. But I’m with Paul, who speaks for the early Christians when he writes, “If... Read more
Fifty years ago, a TIME cover article asked the question, “Is God Dead?” This week, a cover article of the same magazine asks, “Is Hell Dead?” This recent article comes in response to Rob Bell’s book, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived. It makes me wonder whether God had to die in order for hell to die with Him. Or, to put it more precisely, whether a conception of God... Read more
I have a new post on her.meneutics. It begins: I don’t know how to explain Easter to my children — Penny, 5, and William, 2. I’ve tried two approaches so far. I’ve talked about it directly: “Some people killed Jesus and he died and God made him alive again.” When I said that, William asked, “What does died mean?” I tried to explain death as something that takes people away forever. Penny asked, “Where is Jesus now?” and when I said,... Read more
As the parent of a child with special needs, I write of faith communities from a slightly different perspective than most. Faith communities can be large or small, Christian, Jewish, Muslim or any other, filled with people young or old, but they are, I think, in a special category. People who share a faith community often share a belief system that shapes the way they function in society and can heighten their sense of moral obligation to others. It can... Read more
Again, It’s a symbol of love, of forgiveness, of salvation. It’s a vision of violence, of blood, of death. It’s a trinket dangling from a rear-view mirror, an ornament to dress up an outfit. It’s a centerpiece in a house of worship. It’s a gift. It’s an offense. It’s a reminder, in the words of Tim Keller, that we are “more wretched than we ever imagined, and more loved than we ever dared hope.” I wrote last week about why... Read more
Along with other bloggers, I was recently asked to respond to this question in 100 words or less. Here’s what I wrote: My husband threw a handful of crackers across the room. He was angry. My daughter threw her arms out wide and said, “Tada!” She was proud. My son’s tears rolled down his cheeks. He was sad. The physical expression made the feeling real. I can’t believe in Jesus’ resurrection unless it was physical, unless it was an act... Read more
I’ve been working for years now on a memoir about the first few years of Penny’s life, and I’m excited to announce that it will be available in just a few months. For more information, visit my page at Baker Books. In a few weeks, I will direct you to a page on my website with a sneak preview of some portions of the book. For now, I wanted to share the cover and a few endorsements: Amy Julia Becker... Read more
Thin Places-Faith, Family and Disability
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In