Frederica Mathewes-Green has been very, very kind to me. She’s read and endorsed a couple of my books, and her books have been influential on my thinking. She has said to me in private almost exactly what she said in answer to a question on Rachel Held-Evans’s blog, that a Christian who uses practices or theology from the Orthodox tradition without converting to wholehearted Orthodoxy is, in effect, making a fresh slower arrangement. Here’s the Q and the A, with... Read more
In case you’ve been living under a rock, Rob Bell is leaving Mars Hill Bible Church, which he founded, in Grandville, Michigan. He’s moving his family to California and developing a television show for ABC. Knowing Rob as I do (I don’t), I’m guessing he’s also working on a movie script, a tour, and probably a time machine. He’s a person of unique aptitudes. Thinking that he would stay indefinitely in a parish church situation is akin to thinking that... Read more
Busted by a colleague, Bethany Stolle, I was sent an article from McSweeney’s, excerpted below. While it’s true that I’m currently growing out an Bon Iveresque beard, and I wear glasses from Warby Parker, nota bene that I live in a house that, upon seeing it, Nadia Bolz-Weber exclaimed, “Oh dear God, Tony, not a split level!” Anyway, the piece is fracking hilarious (yes, I watch BSG, and yes that’s kind of hipster). Hey guys, long time no see, toss... Read more
I’ve got my kids much of next week, so I can’t make it, but on behalf of Social Phonics and JoPa: We’re thrilled to be a partner and friend of Soularize, happening next week in San Diego. On behalf of Social Phonics, Doug will be in attendance, and he’s leading a Social Phonics Boot Camp on Friday, October 21, the day after Soularize ends. If there’s any way for you to make this learning party, we highly recommend it. See... Read more
This sponsored post is part of the Patheos Book Club on Richard Foster’s new book, Sanctuary of the Soul: Journey into Meditative Prayer. This edition of the book club also includes some video responses from the author. One of my dearest friends, Mark Scandrette, was in town earlier this week. Mark is, dare I say it, the Richard Foster of my generation and tribe of Christianity. He’s a guru of spiritual formation, as seen in his new book — though, I must... Read more
Some evangelicals are fighting back. While some in that camp (e.g., Al Mohler and Robert Jeffress) think it’s super, super important that everyone know that Mormon are not Christians, other evangelicals are offering a more graceful, inclusive vision of Christianity. Richard Mouw, president of Fuller, has a piece on CNN about Mormonism, and now Kurt Frederickson* has a post on Fuller’s Burner Blog about evangelicalism as he understands it: I am an evangelical. It defines the way I think (my... Read more
I always take the advice of Carla Barnhill. She’s not only a nationally recognized advice guru, she’s also my person advice guru. A while back, she recommended that I read something by Michael Perry. She said that parts of my writing — particularly parts of The New Christians — reminded her of Perry’s writing. Looking back, that is a humbling compliment. I picked up Perry’s book, Population: 485 – Meeting Your Neighbors One Siren at a Time last week, and I tore... Read more
I spent some time last week with a group of mainline clergy. They were truly great people who really wanted to change their churches. I was speaking about preaching, and they wanted their preaching to be more relevant and contemporary. But, they reported to me, they are handcuffed. Their aging congregations simply will not abide change of any kind. These clergy were in a predicament: their congregations are so small that to lose any of the old-timers virtually ensures closing... Read more
I’m currently growing out my beard, in a Minnesota-lumberjack-Bon-Iver kind of way. So you can imagine my horror to read of the internecine battle among Amish, causing some members of that community to attack others and cut off their beards: STEUBENVILLE, Ohio — A group of religious castoffs has been attacking fellow Amish, cutting off their hair and beards in an apparent feud over spiritual differences in the deeply traditional community, a sheriff said Thursday. Members of a group of families... Read more
From the Christian Science Monitor: America’s religious institutions have long been able to stand apart from federal laws in the hiring and firing of employees crucial to their mission. Churches with male-only clergy, for example, can exercise that right to religious freedom despite the gender bias. But on Wednesday, the Supreme Court will hear a case in which, for the first time, the justices could lay out rules for government to decide if a group’s theology and practices are out... Read more
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