Friends, 2012 marked the launch of the Questions That Haunt Christianity series, which has seen great participation in the comments by scores of you. That has challenged me as a theologian on a weekly basis. I both look forward to and dread Friday mornings, when I sit down to compose a 1,000-word response to these tricky and perennial questions. You can nominate new questions via my website. Also, with the help of my editor Deb Arca, I launched the #progGOD... Read more
According to the Religion Newswriters Association, the top religion news story of the year was the way that religious leaders responded to the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre. But they’d already voted on their Top 10 prior to that. So, here are the Top 10 Religion Stories of the Year, from the RNA: 1. U.S. Catholic bishops lead opposition to Obamacare requirement that insurance coverage for contraception be provided for employees. The government backs down a bit, but not enough to... Read more
…Well, here’s some inspiration to put it to good use: Read more
In the past, I’ve awarded a Book of the Year award, usually to the best book that I’ve read, regardless of the relevance to Theoblogy readers. The 2011 winner is one example. In 2008, on the other hand, I picked a book that should be of enormous interest to you who read this blog. I’ve read some great books this year. None has affected my day-to-day life more than 52 Loaves: One Man’s Relentless Pursuit of Truth, Meaning, and a... Read more
I am posting this on Christmas Eve. Snow is falling, and I’m listening to the live broadcast of the Service of Nine Lessons and Carols from King’s College, Cambridge. I won’t be reading blogs on Christmas Day, and I’m guessing that many of you will not either. It is my Christmas tradition to post the first known Christmas sermon. A blessed Christmas to you and yours. John “Golden Mouth” Chrysostom preached the first known Christmas sermon in AD 386 (the... Read more
Happy Christmas Eve, everyone. We’ve got some Theoblogy housekeeping to do today, and give away some free stuff. Winners of the Theoblogy T-Shirts: Patrick S Greg Jeffers Evelyn Riley O’Brien Powell Jeremy If you’re one of these, please email me through my website with your mailing address and your t-shirt size, and I’ll get the shirt out to you. And now, an even bigger giveaway! I’ve got 25 copies of the book Holy Nomad: The Rugged Road to Joy to give... Read more
One day, a youth pastor was summoned to the senior pastor’s office, and he was asked to bring along the junior high director. There they met with a married couple who had grievances against the youth workers. The parents complained bitterly that their two teenage sons were not being ministered to adequately, that the youth pastors had not shown them enough attention, and that their sons had not made friends in the youth group. The youth pastor and junior high... Read more
This week’s Question That Haunts comes from Judy: I grew up in the church, though I don’t go any more. I’ve always wondered, of all times and all places, why Jesus? Why first century Palestine? I mean, if God was going to incarnate himself in just one human beings of all the billions of human beings who’ve lived, why a first century peasant carpenter. I remember Sunday school teachers giving us some answers for this when I was a kid,... Read more
Background: James McGrath wrote that he’s happy that the Massacre of the Innocents by Herod didn’t happen. I wrote that James is wrong, and that to denude that terrible text of its historicity silences the victims and lets God off the hook. James replied that I’m wronger because I’m thinking theologically while he’s thinking historically. (His post also showed that he’s pretty damn funny.) Here’s the money quote from his response: (more…) Read more
One of the great products to come out this year — at least for theological geeks like me and you — is the set of Theologian Trading Cards by Norman Jeune. Seriously, if you’ve got a seminary student in your life, someone who can spell “Schleiermacher,” this is a great holiday gift. Zondervan has proffered three sets of the cards to Theoblogy to give out to readers, and each set includes a signed card! You could win a card signed by… (more…) Read more
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