Breaking Bad Recap: All in the Family

Last updated on: August 16, 2018 at 2:21 pm By Zach Hoag

Sociopaths are born, not made. At least that’s the theory of most psychologists. And rightly so, it would seem; even a cursory investigation of sociopathic behavior suggests that there is something heritable at the root, something in there very deep that is only awakened or nurtured by various life experiences and choices. My conversation partner, Zac, rightly observed last week that these final episodes seem to be hastening toward an inevitable end: the demise of Walter White. But the question... Read more

I’m Probably Right About the New Religious Right

Last updated on: August 16, 2018 at 2:21 pm By Zach Hoag

A few months ago, I left a comment on the well-read blog of a friend (and hero) – and got into a little bit of trouble. I suggested that the neo-reformed movement – the “Young, Restless, and Reformed” that emerged a decade or so ago and have consolidated most notably into The Gospel Coalition, segments of the PCA, Southern Seminary and segments of the SBC, and Mark Driscoll’s Acts 29 network – is giving rise to a new religious right... Read more

Breaking Bad Recap: The Past is the Past (& Other Lies)

Last updated on: August 16, 2018 at 2:21 pm By Zach Hoag

Throughout the second half of Breaking Bad‘s final season, I will be contributing to a roundtable discussion at The Other Journal‘s Mediation blog. With permission, I’m mirroring my contributions here so that you can enjoy them in this space. But be sure to head over to Mediation and join the conversation there as well! — Heisenberg is back. The midway return (not “premiere”) episode of Season 5 makes this abundantly clear from the opening sequence. Skateboarders session concrete, which becomes a... Read more

Jesus Will Rapture the Church Out of Absurdity

Last updated on: August 16, 2018 at 2:21 pm By Zach Hoag

I was driving to work the other day listening to Christian radio when, as is usually the case during my drive, a John MacArthur sermon came on. And not just any John MacArthur sermon, but a John MacArthur sermon that is part of a John MacArthur sermon series about how John MacArthur knows every detail of the pre-tribulation premillennial rapture of the church in these perilous last days. It was absurd. And I’m not saying that to be mean to... Read more

Lifting Up Creative Christianity & Authentic Shalom

Last updated on: August 16, 2018 at 2:21 pm By Zach Hoag

Some weeks ago, I published a post that was strong and, I believe, rightfully so. It was called “Calling Out Celebrity Christianity [& Counterfeit Justice].” It got some good feedback/pushback here and lots of action over at HuffPost Religion . I want to offer this post, not as a retraction, but a parallel, and perhaps balancing, affirmation in the midst of my previous denials. Where I sought to call out Celebrity Christianity before, now I want to lift up Creative Christianity.... Read more

Do No Harm: Paul in Context, pt. 2

Last updated on: August 16, 2018 at 2:21 pm By Zach Hoag

In the first part of this theological response to neo-Reformed ways of understanding total depravity and original sin – and the potential harm in teaching these things to children – I looked at the importance of understanding Paul in context in Romans 5. Specifically, this hallmark passage for original sin theology contains a word, all, that must mean the same thing on both sides of the equation. If Adam’s trespass resulted in condemnation and death for all humanity, then the... Read more

Do No Harm: Paul in Context, pt. 1

Last updated on: August 16, 2018 at 2:21 pm By Zach Hoag

In the wake of a strong debate revolving around the neo-Reformed teaching of human “brokenness” as a form of “deep” total depravity, and how this teaching affects children, I wanted to look at a couple of the fundamental biblical issues at work. Really, I’ve been thinking about how modern Reformed theology so egregiously takes Paul out of context in communicating its systematic message. How the “doctrines of grace” as they are called, or the TULIP, or even the bedrock doctrine... Read more

Tell Your Dad He is Broken. Deeply Broken.

Last updated on: August 16, 2018 at 2:21 pm By Zach Hoag

Pastor Steve McCoy recently tweeted this and ignited something of a firestorm on the internets: And honestly, I understand the backlash. Especially from a therapeutic perspective, it just sounds wrong. The emphasis – deeply – almost immediately triggers images of fundamentalist spiritual and emotional abuse of kids, abuse that is very real, abuse that I experienced as a child, abuse that I have witnessed firsthand in several church environments. But here’s the thing. I’ve used the word ‘brokenness’ to describe... Read more

Calling Out Celebrity Christianity & Counterfeit Justice

Last updated on: August 16, 2018 at 2:21 pm By Zach Hoag

A major reality TV producer and a record-breaking Bible miniseries involving famous evangelical leaders. A live televised highwire stunt starring an evangelical daredevil with a famous pastor cameo. A charismatic Seattle pastor posting random hangz with Bieber. And (brace yourself) THIS: Ugh. These are just a few recent blips on the Celebrity Christianity radar. But the love affair between American Christianity and celebrity culture is not new. Ever since the first well-known actor or musician or athlete “accepted Jesus” and went on... Read more

Gospel Otherness: the Liturgical Shape of Mission

Last updated on: August 16, 2018 at 2:21 pm By Zach Hoag

Recently on social media I’ve made a few comments like this: And this: I’ve also elaborated to include the idea that mission can quickly become misshapen when it is abstracted from the worship gathering where formation takes place. In other words, all of those missional strategies that pit the church “going out into the world” against the church “attracting people to itself” are misguided. They make critical assumptions about what exactly the church gathering entails which then produce a... Read more