Why Evangelicals Hate Deconstruction

Last updated on: August 3, 2022 at 12:19 pm By Eric Scot English

Public critiques from evangelicals regarding deconstruction are on the rise over the last few years. Do you ever wonder why? I mean, what could be the harm in thinking critically about matters of faith? Wouldn’t any denomination or church movement encourage such thinking as a means for people to grow in their faith? In this article, I will provide two reasons why evangelicals hate deconstruction and why they continue to call it “dangerous”. What is deconstruction/reconstruction? First, it’s important to... Read more

The Genesis of Violence: A Review

Last updated on: November 12, 2021 at 1:24 pm By Eric Scot English

Recently, Matthew J. Distefano and Zak D. Parsons constructed what could be best described as a theological book of art. Each image is a hand-drawn expression of the biblical narrative. The prose that accompanies the art helps to properly orient the viewer to each piece. I have reviewed many books over the years. There is a general template that one can use when reviewing a book. That general template oftentimes applies across the board and is a much more objective... Read more

Either, Is Ignorance Bliss, OR Curing Cognitive Dissonance

Last updated on: August 3, 2022 at 12:19 pm By Eric Scot English

Why do people say ignorance is bliss? The simple answer is because sometimes it’s better for a person not to know the truth than to know it. I don’t have an issue with people who are truly ignorant of something. My problem is with people who are intentionally ignorant to get out of knowing something that could cause them to grow or change some previously held belief. This is not meant to be an insult, but a matter of fact:... Read more

A Conversation with Frank Schaeffer

Last updated on: November 2, 2021 at 11:31 am By Eric Scot English

Recently, I had the incredible opportunity to speak with Frank Schaeffer. Frank is the son of theologian/philosopher Francis Schaeffer and a New York Times best-selling author. He recently published a book called “Fall in Love, Have Children, Stay Put, Save the Planet, Be Happy”. If you have never had the chance to hear Frank speak this is a podcast you must listen to. For those unfamiliar with the Schaeffer family. Francis Schaeffer was a theologian/philosopher who was highly influential through... Read more

What is Going on at Cornerstone University?

Last updated on: August 3, 2022 at 12:22 pm By Eric Scot English

Cornerstone University is a small, liberal arts university in Grand Rapids, Michigan. If you live outside of Michigan, you have probably never heard of it. It’s a university of about 2,000 students and sits comfortably in the West Michigan Bible-belt bubble. For full disclosure, I am an alumnus of this university. I received my Bachelor of Arts in Bible from Cornerstone in 2002. The university holds tightly to its Baptist roots – notwithstanding its generic university moniker. Despite this heritage,... Read more

Progressive Fundamentalism

Last updated on: August 3, 2022 at 12:11 pm By Eric Scot English

Trigger Warning: this will piss some people off! Disclaimers: By “evangelicals”, I am referring to anyone who believes they are evangelical. By “progressive”, I am referring to anyone who believes they are progressive. By “fundamentalist”, I am referring to anyone to whom this post applies. Make sense… Good! With all of those qualifications out of the way, let us begin. Recently, I had some conversations that reminded me fundamentalism comes in all shapes and sizes. I spend a great... Read more

Is Hitler in Heaven?

Last updated on: August 9, 2021 at 2:47 pm By Eric Scot English

I am obsessed with lists. If a headline promises a list, I’ll almost always click on it. Recently, I looked at several lists of the “evilest” people in history. There have been some pretty depraved individuals throughout history, but nearly every list puts Adolph Hitler as the evilest person in history. Certainly, directing the killing of approximately 11 million people, including 6 million Jews, would rank you pretty high on any list of evil-doers. The question of interest in this... Read more

Fun with Philosophy: Aliens

Last updated on: July 14, 2021 at 3:26 pm By Eric Scot English

Fun with philosophy are my philosophical musings about various topics that interest me. No doubt publishing an article on aliens just begs for the crazies to come out of the woodwork. However, the purpose of this article is to think about the religious ramifications of the existence of an extraterrestrial race. I don’t know if aliens exist or not. However, since the release of classified military documents over the last two years, there is a strong case that can be... Read more

A Conversation with Doug Pagitt

Last updated on: August 3, 2022 at 12:21 pm By Eric Scot English

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Emerging Church forefather Doug Pagitt. Doug reflected on his early days with the Emerging Church and where he thinks the Church stands today. We also discussed Doug’s new project: The Common Good, and the impact that is having on communities throughout the United States. Finally, we have a question and answer session with him and we get some of his thoughts on progressive Christianity. A great interview you will not want... Read more

Deconstruction Part Two: Jesus

Last updated on: June 29, 2021 at 1:18 pm By Eric Scot English

In my article Deconstruction Part One: Church and Scripture, I discussed my personal deconstruction process through the Church and Scripture. This article will focus on Jesus – the God/man at the center of Christianity. Perhaps no act of deconstruction has influenced my theology more than that of deconstructing Jesus. Christology is the most significant theological locus because the mere existence of Jesus requires that we confront the reality of what it means when we perform any Christian act. Through all... Read more

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