The first series of posts are up in Harold Heie’s Respectful Conversation project about “American Evangelicalism: Present Conditions, Future Possibilities.” Here are the specific posts: Topic #1: Evangelicalism and the Broader Christian Tradition, by Harold Heie Evangelical Identity and the Broader Christian Tradition, by Peter Enns Evangelicalism – and the Renewal of Christianity, by Amos Yong [...]
Robert Webber on The Theology of Evangelism in the Early Church
1 May by
The late Robert Webber is best known for his writings on worship, but he thought and wrote about many areas of church life, seeking an ancient-future way forward in the post-modern age in which we live. One of his last projects was called Journey to Jesus. It represents his attempt to adapt for today’s congregations the [...]
The Christian Monist on Celestial Dissatisfaction
29 Apr by
Note from CM: One of the blogs I turn to regularly is The Christian Monist. J. Michael Jones always writes interesting and insightful posts, and I want to pass one of them on to you today. Some day I will do some writing about Woody Allen, who has been one of my favorite writers and [...]
Nadia Bolz-Weber: A table in the presence of my enemies
28 Apr by
Note from CM: I love it when I hear or read a sermon that stops me in my tracks and wakes me up to the radical love and grace of God in Jesus Christ. Like a bucket of cold water in the face, Nadia Bolz-Weber’s sermon from Good Shepherd Sunday (after a very disturbing week [...]
Rachel Hackenberg on Three Types of Churches
22 Apr by
On her blog, Faith and Water, Rachel G. Hackenberg has offered an interesting perspective on how to look at the way different churches function: I am increasingly convinced that there are three kinds of churches — three prevailing characters of congregations, carrying implicit theological underpinnings — and that these three church types exist across denominations, [...]
Our Therapist, Who Art in Heaven
19 Apr by
“When God Is Your Therapist” By T. M. Luhrmann Published: April 13, 2013 New York Times * * * I have started reading T.H. Luhrmann’s book, When God Talks Back: Understanding the American Evangelical Relationship with God, and hope to be reviewing it soon. In the meantime, I noticed that she had an op-ed piece [...]
Pete Enns: The scientific consensus is not something to “have faith in”
16 Apr by
I like what Peter Enns wrote the other day. He points out that creationists badly miss the point when arguing against the scientific consensus about the evolutionary model. They frame the question as “Do you believe in science, or do you believe in the Bible?” as though they were equal options in the same epistemological [...]
Lillian Daniel: Every Spiritual Home (a Riff)
13 Apr by
Excerpt from the chapter, “Every Spiritual Home” From: When “Spiritual but Not Religious” Is Not Enough: Seeing God in Surprising Places, Even the Church by Lillian Daniel Jericho Books, 2013 * * * These days, very few people who join our church were raised in the denomination or tradition we are a part of, and we are [...]
Recommended Reading: Provocative Posts I’ve Spotted around the Web
22 Mar by
Tim Gombis ran a most interesting post at his blog this week, discussing a phenomenon he has observed when teaching the Bible to evangelical people in various settings. Gombis remarks that he has become puzzled, for he keeps hearing a particular comment from evangelicals when they learn something new from the Bible. When I began teaching evangelical [...]
Swimming The Tiber, Or Just Taking A Quick Dip?
20 Mar by
There is an understandable lovefest surrounding the new pope, and not only from Catholics. Anglicans, Orthodox, and evangelical leaders are all praising the new servant of the servants of God. Jewish rabbis are looking forward to stronger relations with the Vatican because of Francis. Even Baptists are cautiously optimistic that this new pope will prove [...]
