I just published a short essay with First Things on the supposed heroism of “affirming pastors.” It’s a piece that builds on some of my earlier work in tracing how we’re constantly being told by people today that they are heroic. For how can a bell ring, but we sound it? Here’s a section from the essay, entitled “Many Heroes, So Little Heroism”: The affirming pastor traveled through fire and wind to get where he’s landed. Long did he wrestle with Stubborn... Read more
I just read an interview that took me aback. In it, two gay-affirming pastors say that they would not perform church discipline on members in polyamorous relationships (in which people enter an open-ended sexual relationship with more than one partner). I’ve highlighted a few sections from the published conversation of Jeff Hood and Danny Cortez, both of whom are associated with the promotion of “gay Christianity.” Be aware: this material is not biblically sound. Jeff Hood: I experience deep intimate relationships with... Read more
I just watched the Super Bowl. During a commercial break, I was horrified by the trailer for the film 50 Shades of Grey, which comes out soon. Seeing the trailer prompted a few thoughts. We commonly hear today, from a secular culture and also from many voices of progressive Christianity (so-called), that the Bible is oppressive to women. Men are called to be heads of their home, goes the line, and women are called to submit, and that makes the... Read more
Elizabeth Dias, a Wheaton College graduate and TIME magazine reporter, just gave notice of another formerly-large church that has embraced “gay Christianity” as a legitimate spiritual state. The church is GracePointe Church of Franklin, Tennessee. The location of this one gets your attention: this is a Bible belt church. The pastor, Stan Mitchell, just preached for over forty minutes on Luke 24:13-16. Here is the biblical text: That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven... Read more
Biblical manhood and womanhood are worth celebrating. All the teaching of Scripture is good. All of it is good for us. It was a distinct pleasure to travel to Calgary, Alberta last week to speak at a conference jointly held by Calvary Grace Church, a thriving urban church plant, and the Council on Biblical Manhood & Womanhood. According to several sources, the conference on “The Goodness of Biblical Manhood & Womanhood,” may well have been the first of its kind... Read more
Two days ago, I wrote about the cultural significance of American Sniper. Today, I want to zero in on the film itself, and to suggest five takeaways from it. 1. Bradley Cooper is now a legitimate star. His performance as Kyle is exceptional. Cooper does not need a ton of exposition or dialogue to communicate the nuances of his characters. In this and other recent films, he regularly exhibits what you could call an “active stillness.” He is calm and motionless, but churning... Read more
There are few positions in the local church that can be more confusing to figure out than the worship leader/dude/guy/servant. Who is the worship leader supposed to be? Is the position merely about singing songs? Should the person in charge give mini-sermonettes? In a good number of churches, the person who leads music operates in limbo. Half rock-star, half-minister, the worship leader doesn’t know exactly where he stands, and the church isn’t quite sure what to think about him. Where this kind... Read more
The movie American Sniper is not only January’s most successful movie ever (over $105 million during MLK weekend). It’s a cultural battleground. Some have decried it, saying that it depicts killing in righteous terms, which is categorically wrong. This is no small matter; The New Republic opposed it, and the critic hadn’t even seen the movie. For others, such as combat veteran David French (writing for National Review), the movie deserves acclaim for its celebration of heroism. Clearly, this is a film that... Read more
A recent article by Elizabeth Dias for TIME magazine seeks to chart a shift among evangelicals on homosexuality. “Inside the Evangelical Fight Over Gay Marriage” (preview version, though I’m a subscriber) is engaging, well-sourced, and includes perspectives from both sides of the issue. As you engage the material, see my Southern Seminary and Boyce College colleague Denny Burk’s typically piercing response, and consider this prudential First Things piece from Andrew Walker on a similar issue. Dias begins her piece by suggesting that a quietly... Read more
A Christianity Today essay by King’s College president Greg Thornbury entitled “How I Almost Lost My Faith” tells a remarkable story. In college, Thornbury was struggling with a crisis of faith. It was brought on by what is called “historical criticism”: After high school, I attended a Christian liberal arts college. In the first semester of my freshman year, I signed up for a course with a brilliant, articulate, recently minted DPhil graduate of Oxford University. The textbook for our introduction to... Read more
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