Opinion
The Movement of God Under the Shade of Trees
Wherever you find yourself today, there’s a bigger God to notice. What’s happening under the shade of trees, bus stops and apartment awnings?
Remembering Malcolm- Jamal Warner: Losing Theo Huxtable
While the actor went on to star in dozens of other sitcoms, was a Grammy Award-winning artist and a poet, he was a member of “America’s family.” The fictional Huxtables revolutionized American television in the 1980s, which is why Malcolm-Jamal Warner will always be Theo Huxtable.
World Evangelical Alliance Warns of Religious Liberty Violations in Rwanda
The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) recently submitted a report to the United Nations (UN) in Geneva, Switzerland, warning of potential violations against the freedom of religion or belief by the government in Rwanda.
I’m Queer and I Love the Bible. Where’s My Side of the Argument?
Here’s the thing: I’m a queer pastor who has long loved the Bible. The Bible has saved my life time and time again.
Caitlin Clark, Cultural Swells, and the Discernment of the Spirit
If tipping points reveal what’s been there all along, they also demand something of us. They ask us not only to respond but to discern.
A Letter to Scout on Repentance and Forgiveness
The institution—the structure of society—didn’t say, “I’m sorry. What can I do to make amends? Will you forgive me?” As a result, Tom Robinson lost his life and his family suffered indelible harm.
Should Racial Epithets Be Reclaimed?
Greg Gutfeld, a Fox News host, told conservatives to say, “What up, my Nazi? Hey, what up, my Nazi?” His reason for using the word? African Americans reclaimed the N-word so he could do it too.
Faith and Fidgeting: Empowering Families Through Inclusive Worship Spaces
While the 30-minute service with scarf-waving children may not be a model all churches can adopt, Dr. Boberg is doing incredible work to help congregants imagine sacred spaces where families and people, in all of God’s glorious diversity, want to be.
Liberal Lies are as Damaging as MAGA Lies
No verifiable photo currently exists depicting Trump being inappropriate with a teenage girl. I say this not as a defense of Trump, but as a defense of truth.
Faith Leaders Release “A Pastoral Call for Baylor to Lead with Courage and Compassion”
Over 100 faith leaders associated with Baylor have released a letter calling on the University to consider the harm done by rejecting a grant that would have studied the harm done to women and LGBTQ+ individuals in churches.
Can Loving the LGBTQ+ Community Come With Conditions?
Non-affirming theology claims it can hold unconditional love for the LGBTQ+ community, while placing conditions on accepting them into their churches and institutions. Doesn’t that sound like a contradiction at best or hypocritical at worst?
Leaning Into My Unique Call: A Reflection on Divinity School, Year 1
No one has lived your call or your story. Only you and God get to embark on the journey of finding the words and actions to share what those two things truly mean for you and the world.
Baptist World Alliance Calls Its Members to ‘A Collaborative Global Mission’
Dr. Elijah Brown, General Secretary and CEO of the Baptist World Alliance, called members to “a collaborative global mission” during the opening celebration of the 23rd Baptist World Congress. The international fellowship of Baptist churches and organizations launched the Acts 2 Movement in Brisbane, Australia.
‘A Portal to Here’: Andrea Gibson Brought Theology Down From the Clouds
We each, over time, become quite accustomed to our surroundings. But for those who are awake, we know these bodies will ultimately betray us in one way or another.
Ruffled by Grace
Without my pastoral role, I found myself without the rituals that had once grounded me, even when the words were gone.
“Sinners” and White Christianity
As a white Christian concerned with the ways my own faith tradition has conjured the evil of white supremacy, I am interested in the film’s portrayal of white Christianity—specifically its depiction of white Christianity as vampire.
Declare Yourself
Our liturgical work, in regularly-gathered assembly, is to revivify, to recollect, what Latin American liberation theologian Johann Baptista Metz called “the dangerous memory” of Jesus and all who have traveled in his steps.
There is Only One Possible ‘Third Way’ for Baylor
A “loving and caring community” for LGBTQ+ students cannot coexist alongside Baylor’s current statement on human sexuality.
Realigning Ourselves With God’s Justice
Will we stand up for justice and for love of neighbor, and align ourselves with the heart of God and stand firm like Amos?
Silence In the Face of Deception is a Denial of God
We are often told to “speak truth to power.” However, I maintain that power already knows the truth about the lies it spews. Let us instead speak truth to the powerless.
A Pop Culture Pilgrimage to Comic-Con
Michael Parnell explores the concept of pilgrimage and how his yearly trip to Comic-Con in San Diego serves as his spiritual practice.
“We Are in An Imagination Battle”
I don’t want to lose my sight or these visions, compromised by the American empire and its leaders who leave little to the imagination as to their intentions for the marginalized and oppressed. I don’t want to lose myself or my voice while responding to the delusions of white- body supremacy. Instead, I am plotting futures for an undivided “kin-dom.”
Church:People | Jeff Linville of First Baptist Church Greenville, South Carolina
Carol McEntyre, Senior Minister at First Baptist Church, Greenville, South Carolina, shares her thoughts on Jeff Linville, a gentle and dependent leader in her congregation.
Remembering Walter Brueggemann and The Prophetic Imagination
Rev. Dr. Donald Williams gives a brief overview of Walter Brueggemann’s “Prophetic Imagination.”
Escaping the Church Prison
Perhaps the real tragedy is that the people in church prisons may never know what they could have been or how they could have lived more authentically. That reality could have been mine if I had not learned to trust my gut and ask questions.
Your Hunger Has to Do with My Discipleship
Currently, there is enough food being grown globally to feed the world population, meaning that food insecurity and hunger are problems that stem from distribution rather than true scarcity.
Too Ashamed to be Proud: Baylor Returns to the Closet
Why is Baylor so scared of having conversations with LGBTQ+ students, alumni and churches? Is it because Baylor suspects the results of the research might not make the institution look like the “caring Christian community” it keeps insisting it is?
Jennifer Knapp: Miles From Kansas
Editor’s Note: The following feature appeared in the April-June issue of Good Faith Magazine, which is a free resource for all Good Faith Advocates. More information on becoming an advocate can be found here. 1992 Pittsburg State University 60 miles from Chanute,...
Could Coffee Shops Be the New Churches?
When churches and the people in them felt dangerous, were scarily uniform, looked down upon atypical spiritual experiences, and closed their doors—saving their love for Sundays—coffee shops welcomed me home.
Israel Has Not Lost Its Way
Ali Khan writes Israel “has not lost its way. It is firmly on the path it was meant to be on. It is just more glaring now in an environment that is less tolerant of the vestiges of colonialism.”