Recent Articles
May 15, 2020
What Churches Really Think About Opening Up (New York Times) In Push to Reopen American Evangelicals Fall Prey to Political Strategy (Sojourners) White Evangelical Church Leaders in Raleigh Demand Reopening of Churches (WRAL) Massachusetts Pastor Sues City After Being...
Whether You Wear Mask During Pandemic Unmasks Your Theology
Whether or not we choose to wear masks during a global pandemic might very well unmask our theology. Those who don’t wear them reveal a theology of individualism that ignores sacred teachings urging self-sacrifice for others.
Proverbial Good Guy Finally Wakes Up to His White Privilege
It took me 40 years to accept my privilege as a white, middle-class man. I thought I was one of the good guys, but we live in a system historically skewed to favor my gender. Here’s what shook me out of my bubble.
‘Becoming’
While rather slow moving and in need of some sharper editing, the Netflix documentary ‘Becoming’ about Michelle Obama nevertheless presents an accurate portrayal of an accomplished woman being judged unfairly at every turn.
May 14, 2020
Poll: Most in US Back Curbing In-Person Worship Amid Virus (Beaumont Enterprise) U.S. Judge Sides with Pritzker in Religious Challenge as Governor Moves More Lawsuits to Federal Court (Chicago Sun Times) This New York Pastor Says His Parish Lost 44 People to the...
May 13, 2020
Gun Control Group Starts Faith-Driven Push Ahead of Election (Associated Press) North Carolina Governor Cooper Pushes Back on Criticism Over Church Service Restrictions (WFAE) Franklin Graham, Faith Leaders Ask Congress to Grant Legal Immunity to Religious...
Vicarious rebellion
By John D. Pierce Rebellion never came easy for me — so I lived it vicariously through music by Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson. I wore a groove through a 45-rpm record of “Mama Tried” — although I turned 21 approaching college graduation, not “in...
How COVID-19 Chaos Spurs Creativity to Make New Way Forward
The uncertainty and chaos of the COVID-19 crisis is causing us alarm, but frustration and fear are also the conditions inspiring creativity, vision and transformation. Leaning into them will help us create a new way forward.
To End Violence Against ‘The Other,’ We Must Cease Standing By
Stephen, the first Christian martyr, was stoned to death in part because he was seen as ‘the other.’ Today, Stephens are stoned every day often for simply being ‘the other.’ We could stop the violence if we cease being bystanders.
Are We the Masters of the Universe?
Power is an unavoidable reality, but does it necessarily corrupt? Can transparency, humility and sharing power with a diversified group avoid its negative manifestations?
Evangelicals’ Devastating Influence on Pandemic in US, Brazil
The populist leaders of the US and Brazil enjoy widespread support from evangelicals, leading them to reject science and favor religion for solutions. When it comes to responding to the COVID-19 crisis, the results are devastating.
While Some Abuse the Law, It Compels Us to First Act Justly
Some people can manipulate the minutiae of the law for their personal gain. That’s why the more specific the statute is, the less opportunity for abuse. In the end, however, it can take a while for the law to catch up with society.
Ending the Horrific Practice of Female Genital Mutilation
Even though Sudan has banned female genital mutilation, 30 countries continue the practice, which has been inflicted upon 200 million women and girls. We need the light of public dialogue shined upon this horrific practice to end it.
May 12, 2020
More American Say Trump Administration Has Helped Evangelicals More Than Other Groups (Pew Research) Supreme Court Divided Over Religious Employers’ Right to Fire Workers (USA Today) South Carolina’s Roman Catholic Churches Among First in Nation to Reopen (Reuters)...
For Ahmaud Arbery: Justice is Better Late than Never
Justice isn’t blind. Rather, the justice system willingly turns a blind eye, like it did for more than two months after the killing of Ahmaud Arbery. Justice tried to feign deafness, but the public outrage was too great.
Why Reforming Human Interfaces with Creation Is Vital
Casting blame for the COVID-19 pandemic is instinctual. We should fix our gaze on our own practices which violate the healthy interface between human beings and the nonhuman denizens of God´s creation.
COVID-19 Raises “I Am” Questions for Everyone
The ancient imperative, “know thyself,” remains wise counsel today. COVID-19 has brought a whole new way of being, requiring that we re-consider our “I am” identity markers.
May 11, 2020
Religious Leaders Decry, Question Death of Ahmaud Arbery After Video Surfaces (UrbanFaith) The Religion Paradox in the Coronavirus Era (Gallup) The Right to Worship: Church and State Clash Over Religious Services in the Coronavirus Era (NBC News) Poll: Most in U.S....
‘Brother Molly’ Podcast Suspended
Good Faith Media has suspended the six-episode narrative podcast “Brother Molly,” about the life and work of theologian Molly T. Marshall.
Ahmaud Arbery: Another Black Man Killed for Doing Nothing
Close your eyes and picture a young man on a neighborhood jog. He’s confronted by armed men in a pickup truck and killed. Now, imagine he is white.
Ministers Face Dilemma with Mother’s Day Observation
Mother’s Day causes mixed emotions in congregations. When honoring parents, churches must avoid stigmatizing those who don’t have children, traumatizing those who have lost children, or reifying inherited gender roles.
Grit, Grace and Determination Defined Molly T. Marshall’s Career
Molly T. Marshall has impacted students, congregations, pastors and church networks in various ways throughout her career. She has modeled the kind of grit and grace that no sane person would want to be called on to exhibit.
Reopening? The Church was Never Closed
Churches don’t need to re-open like some U.S. states are beginning to do. Ministry never stopped, even as faith communities have ceased in-person gatherings to promote the common good.
May 8, 2020
White House Blocks C.D.C. Guidance Over Economic and Religious Concerns (New York Times) After Weeks on Zoom, Churches Consider Plans to Reopen (New York Times) When Your Church Reopens, Here’s How to Meet Safely (Christianity Today) Criminal Complaint Filed After...
Pandemic Grief | Mother’s Day When the World is Crumbling
A season often filled with celebration will feel different this year during a global pandemic. Churches have a responsibility that extends beyond efforts to merely avoid perpetuating the grief felt by so many.
Why to Consider What This Time is Doing to You
We’re so busy figuring out what to do with this time of physical distancing that we’re missing an important opportunity for reflection. We should be asking, “What is this time doing to us?”
Nurturing Faith’s Latest Journal Available for Cost of Shipping
The latest edition of Nurturing Faith Journal is being made available to individuals and churches for the cost of shipping. Contact NF’s Managing Editor Jackie Riley to have a copy mailed to you.
May 7, 2020
Supreme Court Justices Clash Over Trump Rules Allowing Religious Employers to Deny Contraceptive Coverage (CNBC) How a Brutal Cold Stretch Led to Frankenstein, a New Religion and the Invention of Bikes (AccuWeather) Ohio Legislator Voices Opposition to Face Masks,...
GUEST BLOG: The trouble with tribalism
[Note: Glad to welcome my friend, Dr. Kevin Heifner, to bring his voice to this blog spot. JDP] By Kevin Heifner, M.D. As my father — a Baptist preacher turned religious educator turned anthropology professor — likes to point out, people historically have viewed their...
How a Seminary Professor Became “My Doktormutter”
A relationship that began in a Southern Seminary classroom in 1988 evolved from professor to “doktormutter” to colleague and friend. My hope as a teacher is to nurture in students the same passion for theology that Molly T. Marshall helped foster.