In a couple weeks, I’m preaching at a church in Texas. It’s Baptist church and, believe it or not, they’re using the lectionary! But, since they’re Baptists, they’re not totally wedded to the lectionary. So when I looked at the Gospel text for that week, and found it uninteresting, I asked them if I could jump a week ahead and use part of the passage from Palm/Passion Sunday. They agreed. So I’m going to preach about Barabbas, the thief/insurrectionist... Read more
Here’s a section of Doug Pagitt Radio, which I guest-hosted on Sunday, in which I hotly debate sidekick John Musick and caller “Steve” on the subject of the atonement: Go to the DPR YouTube channel for other segments of the show, including interviews with Randall Balmer and Miroslav Volf. Read more
This week, The 40 Day Journey, a Lenten video blog by Patheos, will feature a video by me each day. They were filmed in the north woods of Minnesota, and they’re each about 90 seconds long. The first one is below. I hope you’ll visit The 40 Day Journey each day this week to see the rest. Read more
This post is part of the Patheos Book Club. Check out the Book Club for more posts on this book, an interview with the authors, and for responses from the editors. In their new book, Hijacked: Responding to the Partisan Church Divide, pastor Mike Slaughter and activist Chuck Gutenson have given us a valuable book on how Christians of different political persuasions can nevertheless maintain faithful and congregational unity. This is, I must say, an overcrowded genre. Since the George... Read more
Women who oppose women bishops, that is, in the Church of England: The Church of England is, in its own confounding and impenetrable way, preparing to welcome women as bishops. At the meeting of its general assembly earlier this month there was much debate about what should be done for Anglicans who do not accept female clergy ahead of a vote this summer. Among these traditionalists are several women. One of them is Emma Forward, a teacher in her 20s... Read more
A Minnesotan and pastor’s kid offers these ground rules for my fellow citizens as we debate the marriage amendment, on the ballot this fall: Let all Minnesotans remember that: There is no one Christian position. Some, like the state’s Catholic bishops, advocate for the amendment on Christian grounds. Others, like the majority of delegates at the recent Minneapolis Synod Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, oppose the amendment. As a Christian pastor myself I would be the last... Read more
Fuller Seminary’s Burner Blog sat down with Q founder, Gabe Lyons, and asked him why a 3-day conference needs to cost $675. Personally, I find Gabe’s answer less than convincing: The best speakers and the most interesting venues are not cheap. The admission to Q events usually runs a steep $675. It’s not $3-7k for TED Talks admission, but it’s a lot for cash-strapped churches. A sitting area at the Crosby Street Hotel in SoHo. “Well, we try to run... Read more
Those two will be my guests this Sunday when I guest host Doug Pagitt Radio, from 12-2pm on AM 950 in the Twin Cities, and streamed live at DougPagittRadio.com. In the noon hour, I’ll be talking with Dr. Randall Balmer. Randy is professor of American religious history at Columbia University and the author of many books, including: The Making of Evangelicalism: From Revivalism to Politics and Beyond Thy Kingdom Come: How the Religious Right Distorts Faith and Threatens America Randy... Read more
That’s what Scott Paeth wants to say to Catholic bishops who think that female contraceptives shouldn’t be covered by health insurance: In all honesty, my first reaction to any attempt by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to make any kind of moral argument, least of all one involving sexuality, is to want to say “Shut up, old man.” And no Bishop who is honest about the negligence and criminal malfesence of the Catholic Church around the hundreds and hundreds... Read more
And, completing the cycle of posts on my piles of books, here’s what is currently sitting by my easy chair in the living room (the chair by the remote control and, therefore, nearest to Battlestar Gallactica on Netflix): List: (more…) Read more
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