Our Eternal War

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:43 pm By Tony Jones

It’s rare for me to agree with Rand Paul, but I’ve grown increasingly uncomfortable with the sabre-rattling going on in Washington about Syria. You simply cannot watch Fog of War or Fahrenheit 9/11 without knowing that many members of Congress are deeply funded by the military-industrial complex. And now, just as the war in Afganistan is winding down, low-and-behold, the need us in Syria! Glenn Garvin penned an important commentary this week in which he argues that, unless we say no to... Read more

Cornhole Extravaganza

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:43 pm By Tony Jones

Two years ago, my Fuller Seminary D.Min. cohort made mincemeat of a motley collection of bums from the Claremont School of Theology, taking the Seminary Cornhole Championship. Now Tripp Fuller and his team from CST has challenged us to a rematch, which will commence on a gorgeous rooftop in Malibu, California on Tuesday night. Being that cornhole is the ultimate spectator sport, and that you’ll get to see me throw bags with Barry Taylor, you should think about attending. $15... Read more

Some Notes on Christian Feminism Week

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:43 pm By Tony Jones

Next week, this blog will be populated exclusively by posts from Christian feminists. I’ve had several submissions, and there are more coming in. You can read about the initial invitation and learn how to submit something here. Some have wondered why feminists need to post on my blog and not, instead, have a space of their own. They don’t need to post here. And many do, thankfully, have blogs of their own. In fact, a couple of next week’s posts are... Read more

Marriage Advice from Divorcées

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:43 pm By Tony Jones

Since the dissolution of my first marriage, I have been reluctant to give anyone marriage advice. I think most divorcées probably share this reluctance. Fellow Patheos blogger Wendy Murray does, but vulnerably, humbly, and thoughtfully ventures into that space anyway. She has several good pieces of advice in the post, but this is the one that I most resonate with, and the one that I’ve been most careful to attend to in my current, beautiful marriage: Time is not benign... Read more

Why Every Christian Leader Needs To Have a Good Answer about Homosexuality

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:43 pm By Tony Jones

Some commenters expressed consternation at Rob Bell’s answers on the Christian radio show that I highlighted earlier in the week. Some thought he should have had a better answer when asked, point blank, whether it’s a sin for a man to have sex with another man. Others noted that for Rob to do so would have have lowered him to his inquisitors’ level, to mean that he was playing by their rules — and anyone who’s followed Rob’s career knows... Read more

Who Is @EmergentDudeBro?

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:43 pm By Tony Jones

Late last week, I received a phone call from one of the original authors of the EmergentDudeBro Twitter account. More on that below. Unlike Facebook, Twitter affords anonymity for those who want it. It’s baked into the cake of Twitter, and, in principle, I don’t mind that. Of course, when anonymity is allowed, people will say things that they would not otherwise say. Because of Twitter’s anonymity, there are innumerable fake (aka “parody”) Twitter accounts. There’ve been fake accounts about... Read more

NT Wright Wants Your Questions

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:43 pm By Tony Jones

Rachel Held Evans lands a big fish for her ongoing series: Like a lot of you, I’ve been hugely impacted by Wright’s work and am so grateful for the ways in which he has helped me love Scripture, and the Christ to whom it points, better. One thing I have always appreciated about him is his commitment to teaching God’s people, not just the intellectual elite, but all who want to know and follow Jesus. Go to Rachel’s site to... Read more

The Act of Photography as Spirituality

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:43 pm By Tony Jones

This post is part of the Patheos Book Club on the book Eyes of the Heart: Photography as a Christian Contemplative Practice by Christine Valters Paintner. It was written by my spouse, Courtney Perry, whose website is here and blog is here. You can read more about the book, including an interview with the author and a guided meditation at the Patheos Book Club. My profession is photography. Ever since finishing college almost 15 years ago, I have either been on a... Read more

Rob Bell Calls “Bullshit” on Christian Radio [VIDEO]

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:43 pm By Tony Jones

Jay Bakker pointed this video out to me yesterday. Rob Bell, looking frumpled and tired from a long book tour, was on a Christian radio show in the UK. Instead of talking about his book, the host and a conservative pastor push and push and push Rob of homosexuality. Rob grows increasingly frustrated until he tells them this is the “bullshit that really, really, really pushes people away” (16:45). I encourage you to watch the whole 20 minutes, and here’s... Read more

Our Sin May Affect God, but Only on God’s Terms [Questions That Haunt]

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:43 pm By Tony Jones

Last week’s question came from Ben — you can submit your questions here — and it deals with three thing:1) the nature of God, 2) the nature of human interaction with God, and 3) the nature of sin: Does my sin have an effect on God? Specifically, if I do something that doesn’t harm anybody (but maybe myself) does it matter to God? I understand there is general sin (or corporate sin) that is simply the brokenness of our world. I’m... Read more