Dispensationalists Are Wrong – Things Aren’t Getting Worse [Questions That Haunt]

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:42 pm By Tony Jones

Last Tuesday’s Question That Haunts Christianity came from Jesse: I’m a regular blog reader though I’ve never commented. Here is my ‘question that haunts’ which may belie my fundamentalist background: Is the trajectory of our human culture/world/society positive or negative? In other words, are we fighting the long defeat until Christ returns to set things right or are we participating in an ever-advancing Kingdom of The Heavens (Willard) which will someday culminate with Christ’s return? A plethora of comments were posted. This... Read more

One Last Post on Slavoj Žižek

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:42 pm By Tony Jones

Longtime reader Joel emailed me. He asked, I’m so incredibly tired of intellectual hipster Christians discussing obscure theological thinkers like Žižek I could scream. Can you please explain to me, in terms that a regular person can understand, how these arguments have any influence on everyday life? Joel, tell us how you really feel. 🙂 But it’s a fair question, I think, even if it has an edge to it. So I put it out to a couple of my friends... Read more

The Most Famous Lutheran Pastor Since Bonhoeffer?

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:42 pm By Tony Jones

It’s gotta be Nadia, right? I mean, I’ve been wracking my brain, and I cannot think of one. Can you? If so, please debate it in the comment. PS: Yes, I know, Nadia will hate this post. But she’ll still love me. I think. PPS: Check out Nadia’s post on Jericho Books’ site. It’s something I TOTALLY resonate with, about how her edgy, public self is not her only self. Read more

John McCain on Democracy [GIGO]

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:42 pm By Tony Jones

You know who’s got it goin’ on this week? John McCain. That’s right, the usually cranky, too-often war mongering Senator from Arizona today gave a speech to the always misguided Ted Cruz about how democracy actually works: Read more

Transgender Prof Dismissed from Azusa Pacific University

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:42 pm By Tony Jones

From RNS: A California Christian college has asked a professor who was once its chair of theology and philosophy to leave Azusa Pacific University after he came out as transgender. Heather Clements taught theology at the school for 15 years, but this past year, he has begun referring to himself as H. Adam Ackley. H. Adam Ackley says, “As I continued my social transition at the end of my sabbatical before coming back to campus, I sought compromise: I cut but... Read more

Oprah Loves Her Some Rob Bell

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:42 pm By Tony Jones

I’ve heard this was coming for a while, and now it’s here. Oprah has picked Rob Bell‘s latest book, What We Talk About When We Talk About God, as the first book in her new “Super Soulful Book of the Month Club.” Here’s what Oprah says about Rob: (more…) Read more

Is the World Going to Hell, Or Not? [Questions That Haunt]

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:42 pm By Tony Jones

This week’s Question That Haunts Christianity comes from Jesse: (more…) Read more

What Happened on the Blog this Weekend

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:42 pm By Tony Jones

On Saturday, I published a guest post here. That’s not particularly uncommon. I have, of late, invited posts from guest authors. In fact, when someone emails me to express an opinion that is contrary to something I’ve written, my usual response is, “Why don’t you write a guest post on that, and I’ll publish it.” A couple things come to mind about this stance. For one thing, I am only a person who writes books and a compensated blog because,... Read more

Baptism – It’s Not Magic, But It’s Probably Mystical [Questions That Haunt]

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:42 pm By Tony Jones

This week’s Question That Haunts Christianity cames from Drew: Hi Tony, The haunting question that I want to submit is this: Does anything REALLY happen to a baby’s spirit at its baptism? I am NOT a Baptist in the sense that I think it is a requirement as a Christian to be baptized as a “believer.” But I don’t think that infant baptism is magic. In fact, it makes more sense to me to have babies grow up in church and decide... Read more

An Epic Lineup for an Epic Conference

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:42 pm By Tony Jones

I am nothing short of bursting with pride for the line-up of speakers that Doug, Sarah, and I have put together for Christianity21. Click on the graphic to learn more. I really hope you’ll join us in Denver. Want to relive the last Christianity21? You can get the mp3 files of the talks here. Read more