Well, 57% of megachurch attendees think so, at least according to a 2007 Baylor University survey. So reports a fascinating article in AdWeek (HT: Bob Carlton, finder of all articles stimulating). The point of the article is to once again remind advertising and marketing peeps that Americans are a very religious people. In fact, we are surely the most religious of all industrialized countries. This is a point I try to make repeatedly, like I did a couple weeks ago... Read more
These are not the waning days of the American Empire, as some of my neo-monastic, Hauerwasian Mafia friends like to tout them. They’re not because — now read this closely — the United States is not an empire. I know, it’s all the rage right now among progressive Christians to say that we are an empire. But we’re not. An empire has, by definition, an emperor. As frustrated as you may be by the malicious buffoonery of the Bush-Cheney oligarchy,... Read more
That was my experience last night at Nadia Bolz-Weber’s book reading. Nadia is an inked, sarcastic, in-recovery, former stand-up comedienne, emergent, Lutheran church planter from Denver. Her first book, about watching 24 straight hours of TBN is a mostly sardonic and occasionally sentimental narrative through Paula White, Joyce Meyer, Team Impact (read that chapter here), and both Nadia’s and my favorite TBN preacher, Jesse Duplantis. Nadia sells herself short when she says, as she did last night, that she’s not... Read more
I was recently interviewed by Kara Powell at Fuller Seminary’s Fuller Youth Institute. We’ve been friends for a while, and we had a great chat. She asked me for my thoughts on the transition between high school and college for Christian kids, and we stumbled into a very helpful metaphor near the end on the “church vs. culture” debate. Listen here: Tony Jones on the Fuller Youth Institute Podcast Read more
Yes, that ABC: The Australian Broadcasting Network. I was interviewed for their religious issues show, Sunday Nights, by Noel Debien. He was fantastic — thoughtful, knowledgable, curious. Everything you want in a long-form interview. Afterwards, he told me that I was “passionate” and “discursive.” Looking back, I probably could have been less discursive! But, oh well, I’ve always appreciated tangents. Tony Jones on Sunday Nights, Australian Broadcasting Network Read more
My hosts mercifully gave me a day off on Friday. I needed it, since I was honestly tired of hearing myself talk. Duncan, who has now blogged about my visit, and his wife, Ennis, drove me to Broadbeach on the Gold Coast. From there, we walked north along the gorgeous beach to Surfers Paradise and had a leisurely breakfast as we watched “nippers” being trained. We arrived back at Duncan’s in time to hear Sarah Palin ramble incoherently about various... Read more
I awoke at about 4am on Thursday, which was unfortunate. But I made some coffee and did some writing. Dave awoke a bit later and, likewise, sat and wrote. He’s written several books on community organizing and such, and I am even more impressed with his theological vision for his neightborhood…and the world. The two of us are in many ways sympatico, and I plan to come back here to West End Brisbane for a longer stay sometime. Around 7:30,... Read more
Carolyn Kitto and I both got up early and left for the airport. Carolyn works for World Vision Australia, and she was heading for their annual day of prayer in Melbourne. She was meeting Mike Pilavachi there, and he led the prayer day. I flew to Brisbane. As we pulled away from the jetbridge, I saw my suitcase on the tarmac and thought, “Oh, shit.” It’s now 24 hours later, and I still don’t have it. In Brisbane, I was... Read more
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