Beware the Overeducated, Loud, Brash White Man

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 5:07 pm By Tony Jones

Christianity Today, never a great fan of the emergent movement, seems to think that said movement is in need of revitalization, at least according to the subhead of their article on my exit as national coordinator of Emergent Village. Final graf: But Jones hopes decentralizing American emergent networks will give participants worldwide, who lack access to book publishing and other resources enjoyed by their American counterparts, more freedom to express themselves. “Any time you can dethrone an overeducated, loud, brash,... Read more

Penn Gillette Loves Him Some Gideons

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 5:07 pm By Tony Jones

The first time I saw the little green version of the Gideon’s Bible was in college. (Not a Bible really. More like 1/3 of a Bible. It’s got the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs.) I was driving my car along the what’s called the “Green” in Hanover, New Hampshire, when some zealot threw one in my car through the open window. Being a Christian, I simply added that Bible to my burgeoning collection of Bibles and mused on the oddness... Read more

Pollan plays Cornhole with Vilsack

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 5:07 pm By Tony Jones

This morning, on NPR, Michael Pollan expressed his deep ambivalence about Obama’s Ag Sec pick, Tom Vilsack. Contrary to what one commenter expressed on my earlier post about this, I have and will continue to criticize BO when I disagree with him, even though he is my “brother in Christ.” Read more

Comment(s) of the Day

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 5:07 pm By Tony Jones

Well, color me astonished. Mega-commenter A Walker shows us all that he’s not just a one-trick (SSM) pony. He’s not only familiar with Walter Rauschenbush, but he favorably quotes the social gospeler in response to my Rick Warren post of yesterday. AW also seems to be a preterist: I’ve read two of Walter Rauschenbusch’s books, and he rightly recognized that the gospel applies to how we save our society as well as how we save our souls. (Both are covered... Read more

Food Fight! Beliefnet Bloggers Debate Rick Warren

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 5:07 pm By Tony Jones

There’s a bit of an in-house dust-up here at Bnet over Steve Waldman’s extensive interview with Rick Warren (VIDEO / TRANSCRIPT). Steve’s posted on it a few times, as have others around the blogosphere. But here in the friendly confines of Bnet, a couple of my peers are at odds over the Purpose-Driven (TM) Pastor’s comments. Paul Raushenbush takes umbrage at Warren’s stereotype-driven dismissal of the social gospel, which Warren says, “was just Marxism in Christian clothing.” Paul is the... Read more

Playing Cornhole with Vilsack

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 5:07 pm By Tony Jones

Let me agree with Rod, Ezra, and Matt that Tom Vilsack is a very disappointing pick by Obama for Secretary of Agriculture. As someone who lives in corn-producing state, I’ve seen my otherwise level-headed governor pander time and time again to Big Corn and push ethanol, even though economists and scientists agree that corn-based ethanol is bad, bad, bad. I’ve been generally pleased with Obama’s choices thus far, but I was hoping that he wouldn’t pick an Ag Secretary who... Read more

Whatever Happened to the SSM Blogalogue?

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 5:07 pm By Tony Jones

Some of you have asked what happened to the Same Sex Marriage Blogalogue between me and Rod Dreher. Well, between Thanksgiving, an email snafu, Rod’s vacation and lingering stomach flu, then my stomach bug, we’ve taken a month hiatus. I’m currently composing a post on the “slippery slope” danger that I’m constantly accused of in the comment section, but I plan to hold off on posting it until January. I hope that then, once we’re through the holidays, Rod and... Read more

Comment of the Day

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 5:07 pm By Tony Jones

From Basil, responding to Quote of the Weekend: I appreciate the civil tenor of all of these comments. I am a gay man, who is exploring my own religious beliefs, via Quakerism, and enjoy my worship greatly. I am very interested in my spiritual development, but have much more study ahead before I commit to any particular belief. Unfortunately, I have seen too many protestors running around with “God Hates Queers” (or similar) signs, and have personally encountered some real... Read more

Stand By Me

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 5:07 pm By Tony Jones

I was emailed this beautiful YouTube last week, and I only just watched it today: A note about the creator of this short music video: Filmmaker Mark Johnson traveled around the globe getting street musicians and others to record part of the track for Stand By Me. Using battery powered equipment and a pocket full of Frequent Flyer miles he got tracks from dozens of performers. Each one was able to wear headphones and hear what the other performers had done. Read more

Worshipping at the Porcelein Altar

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 5:07 pm By Tony Jones

I’m calling in sick this morning to the blogosphere. I’ll try to rally by this afternoon… Read more