cheaper than therapy

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 5:03 pm By Tony Jones

Rick Bennett is at his sardonic best: MINNEAPOLIS — The Emerging Church, the controversial Christian movement that inspired many to plant churches, leave behind their faith and question authority, died in her sleep Thursday following a short illness. She was 21 (according to some sources). He continues… Not surprisingly, in today’s celebrity culture, some of her friends and followers have set up vigils protesting the news of her death. Close personal friend, Tony Jones tells anyone still listening; “now I... Read more

Andrew Root and the Future of Youth Ministry

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 5:03 pm By Tony Jones

Andy Root and I have been friends for many years now, and we both have strong opinions about the direction that youth ministry needs to go. We talked about it recently on his Blogtalk Radio Show (audio embedded below). The nexus of our conversation was chapter three of his most recent book, Relationships Unfiltered: Help for Youth Workers, Volunteers, and Parents on Creating Authentic Relationships, a book that I highly recommend. And if you like that book, or our conversation,... Read more

Five Predictions for 2010

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 5:03 pm By Tony Jones

I was on Doug‘s radio show on Sunday, and he asked me to make some predictions about religion in the news in 2010. While I’m no Bono, I thought I’d give it a shot. So, here they are: 5. A Handful of Evangelical Leaders Will Soften Their Stance on Gay Issues You can see that I’ve got a couple caveats in that one — “handful” and “soften” and “issues.” I don’t think that 2010 will see a great revolution in... Read more

A Call to Clergy: Stop Performing (Legal) Marriages!

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 5:03 pm By Tony Jones

In 2008, after the passage of Proposition 8 in California, I blogged about my support for gay and lesbian persons and their right to be married. If there’s one thing I’ve noticed in the time since, it’s been how few people paid attention to the nuances of my position. So I thought I’d take the opportunity to write a bit more about it now. It is very odd to me that in the U.S., clergy act as agents of the... Read more

If You're Going to Get Sick in 2010…

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 5:03 pm By Tony Jones

…may you be afflicted with Stendhal Syndrome: Stendhal syndrome, Stendhal’s syndrome, Hyperkulturemia, or Florence syndrome, is a psychosomatic illness that causes rapid heartbeat, dizziness, fainting, confusion and even hallucinations when an individual is exposed to art, usually when the art is particularly beautiful or a large amount of art is in a single place. The term can also be used to describe a similar reaction to a surfeit of choice in other circumstances, e.g. when confronted with immense beauty in... Read more

Lonnie Frisbee and the Non-Demise of the Emerging Church

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 5:03 pm By Tony Jones

Well, it seems that my long-time friend and occasional sparring partner, Andrew Jones (TSK), has (once again) said we’ve reached the end of the emergent/-ing church movement. TSK’s ambivalence for the “emergent/-ing” language and the partnership that some of us in the States have with publishing houses is well known. And I think it’s always dangerous to start to declare something over as an historian when one is still up to one’s ankles in it. To be fair, TSK clarifies... Read more

Talk of Universalism

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 5:03 pm By Tony Jones

At Jesus Creed, Scot has been working through recent book on universalism. Richard Beck, whose posts I universally love, has joined in at Experimental Theology; the money quote from him: 3. Missional Concerns Over the Soteriological/Eschatological Disjoint Many people in the church see salvation as a binary, you are either saved or lost. Christians then fetishize this status, obsessing over who, at Judgment Day, will be saved or lost. This causes the Christian community to become otherworldly in its focus,... Read more

Single Parenting at the Holidays: Hellos and Goodbyes

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 5:03 pm By Tony Jones

Today I say goodbye to the kids for a week, after a wonderful Christmas with them. I come from a family that vaunts the holidays, particularly those that have occurred recently. So, as a single dad, I have to battle inner voices that say, “This holiday is more important than that holiday.” Of course, every day with the kids is a gift, thus my struggle with thoughts that one day on the calendar is more important than another. Do I... Read more

So You Got an Amazon Gift Card for Christmas…

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 5:03 pm By Tony Jones

I am occasionally asked for book recommendations, so I’ve put together a list of Ten Books that Have Changed How I See the World. You can always find it in the sidebar at right. I had a very merry Christmas, and I hope that you did, too. Read more

Twelve Days of Spiritual Growth

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 5:03 pm By Tony Jones

Silly songs be damned, there’s a great opportunity to work on our spiritual formation during the Christmas Feast, from today through epiphany. Chris Erdman is a pastor, oblate, and author whose “chief interest is in helping contemporary Christians and spiritual seekers to recover the relevance and simplicity of ancient Christian spiritual practices for modern life.” He’s decided to return the twelve days between Christmas and Epiphany into a spiritual journey. He’s writing short meditations that you can find on his... Read more