Opinion
Baseball and Pastoral Prophets: Thanks, Vin Scully and Pastors Everywhere
Vin Scully, longtime play-by-play announcer for the Dodgers, died this week. Scully’s grace and kindness endeared him to fans nationwide, which reminded me that we need to show more grace and kindness to our pastoral leaders.
How to Identify, Respond to ‘Soul Fatigue’
U.S. culture prioritizes busyness and celebrates productivity. It can lead to a weariness that goes down into the depths of your soul. How can we recognize and constructively respond to this condition?
Why Christian Nationalism is Dangerous
Christian nationalism seeks to impose a particular understanding of Christianity and a particular version of American history on the policies, laws and practices of our nation. Here is why it’s dangerous.
The Good, the Bad, and the Obscene
Chanterelle mushrooms are one of the edible mushrooms my wife and I encounter on our hikes. Other mushrooms, however, would be deadly to eat. These differing specimens from the same environment offer food for thought to Christians.
Letting Go of the Bootstrap Myth
U.S. culture tells us that we must be self-sufficient, working countless hours to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps to achieve success. This is a myth, a lie, that we must let go.
Emerging Voices | What About All These Lives Harmed Now?
Disbelief. Anger. Grief. These are the emotions that have been plaguing me since SCOTUS ‘Dobbs’ ruling. What about all these lives being overlooked? Where is the church in all of this?
Devil in the Details: The SBC and Sexual Abuse Reforms
Many have applauded the sexual abuse reforms of the Southern Baptist Convention, adopted at their annual meeting last June. Not me. To date, they’ve only offered a bare minimum response.
Economic Inequity Likely Contributes to U.S. Overdose Death Trends
More than 100,000 people in the U.S. died from unintended drug overdoses in 2021, according to a new CDC report. Inequities in economic opportunity and access to health services likely contributing to the 15% increase from 2020.
Why the North American Church Must Return to the Baptismal Waters
North American Christians are struggling with their identity. They call lots of business meetings, but is anyone calling for a checkup for the body of Christ? Because it’s not looking too good.
Black August and the Ongoing Struggle for Collective Liberation
Black August is an annual observation that honors the lives of incarcerated Black liberation leaders. It is also a time to recognize and study several historical events for Black Americans.
When Turning to Psalms for Comfort Becomes Morally Problematic
Can turning to the psalms for comfort be morally problematic? If your initial response to that question is, “Of course not,” then you’re not alone. But are you correct?
What Would Your Billboard About God Say?
We’ve all seen them: the cringeworthy billboards posted by lawyers seeking multi-million-dollar settlements and the fire-and-brimstone warnings about hell. If you had to create a billboard about God, what would it say?
Facts About Advocacy and SBC’s Resistance to Changing Its Approach to Sexual Abuse in the 1990s
A recent Religion News Service article offering a 40-year timeline of sexual abuse within the Southern Baptist Convention left out the advocacy and action during the 1990s to expose the abuse. Here are 10 facts you need to know about this decade.
Hypocrites!
“Performance Christianity” is on full display across the U.S. these days, with professed Christians acting at odds with the teachings of Jesus whom they claim to follow. Here are three recent examples.
Recommitting to the Work of Justice
Jewish tradition says, “It is not up to one to complete the task, but neither is one free to desist from trying to do something.” It’s vital that we recommit ourselves to seek equal justice for all.
Finding Hope While Changing Paradigms
Before the 1990s gets blotted out of the 40-year-timeline of the struggle between Southern Baptist abuse and survivors who have been trying desperately to be heard, it’s time to set matters right before it’s too late.
Faith Seeking Understanding | Sex and ‘Biblical Womanhood’
“Sex, drugs and rock-and-roll” – the North American church has always known exactly who and what to blame. When I became a Christian, an inordinate amount of attention was given to ‘works of the flesh’ – and by this, I mean sex.
The Danger of Tampering with History
I sank from jubilation into the depths of despair as I read a 40-year history of the SBC’s sexual abuse crisis published by Religion News Service. The advocacy I and others did in the 1990s was left out, so let me fill in the blanks.
Jesus Drew the Curtain on Performative Religion
Being seen as Christian sure seems more important to many than just being Christian. And such spiritual showmanship is getting encouragement and enablement from high places. It’s well past time for a return to Jesus’ teachings and example.
187 Minutes of Silence During the Capitol Insurrection
The “187 minutes” that changed a nation was the focus of the July 21 hearing of the U.S. House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection. That time period should be a powerful bookmark in the history of this nation.
Same-Sex Couples Excluded from IVF Coverage by Catholic Hospital System
An Illinois-based Catholic non-profit hospital system has created its own definition of infertility, which contrasts with the CDC’s definition. As a result, it is restricting IVF treatments to opposite-sex couples only.
The Challenges of Aging Leaders in Politics and Pulpits
President Joe Biden plans to run for re-election in 2024, even though most U.S. adults would prefer that he didn’t. The North American church finds itself in a similar position with older clergy leading aging congregations.
Why I Am a Coward
I spend some time each week tending to people in public service. It’s the least I can do. But I would not serve in the military, and I recognize that, all my life, that meant sending someone else to do my job.
Our Present Woes: A Comparison of the U.S. and the U.K. – Part 2
What are some of the similarities and differences between the social, economic and political dynamics in the U.S. and the U.K.? And what guidance could a new book from an environmental theologian offer people of good faith?
Look Back | Paul Tillich and a Struggle for Authentic Faith
Paul Tillich was one of the giants of 20th-century Protestant theology. Perhaps the most compelling — and threatening — idol that Tillich identified was nationalism.
The Heat Is On: It’s Time to Declare a Climate Emergency
Heatwaves across Europe and the U.S. have broken records for high temperatures. We need more people of faith like to stand up, speak out and step forward to address the world’s changing climate.
Our Present Woes: A Comparison of the U.S. and the U.K. – Part 1
What are some of the similarities and differences between the social, economic and political dynamics in the U.S. and the U.K.? And what guidance could a new book from an environmental theologian offer people of good faith?
What Are the Ethical Implications When Algorithms Can Write Papers, Request Lawyers?
I have never read a paper written by an algorithm, despite almost two decades teaching online courses and requiring students to write a weekly article for discussion. Could that change in the near future?
Boys and Guns
There’s something about boyhood and guns that brings a feeling of power. With most mass shootings being carried out by males, we don’t just have a gun problem; we have a man problem, which starts with a boy problem.
Remembering ‘Bootleg Preacher’ Will D. Campbell
I first learned about the “bootleg preacher” from a one-column profile of Will D. Campbell in Newsweek. Thankfully, I had the good fortune to get to know him personally.