Recent Articles
March 12, 2024
Iraq Hopes to Lure Christian Pilgrims with New Church in Ancient Ur; A Pro-LGBTQ Movement in the United Methodist Church Eyes Future After Conservative Exodus; Flint Church Plan to Take on Hygiene Poverty With Low-Cost Service Laundromat (Michigan Live)
Only in Oklahoma: Dispute Rages Over Church’s Designer (and more)
The Gospel According to James Baldwin: An Interview With Greg Garrett, Part 1
I recently had the pleasure of asking Greg a few questions. We began with the pilgrimage of writing, James Baldwin as a contrasting conversation partner and the social fiction of white supremacy.
Cultivating a Spirit of Hope
We can embrace the hope of heaven and still care deeply about present injustices. God’s vision for creation will be realized in the end. We are not alone.
My Bias Toward Israel Has Been Wounded
My bias toward Israel has been wounded, and my complicity in the horrors of this particular war is confronting me.
Complications for Pregnant Veterans Doubles
This increase should enrage women’s rights groups and the pro-life lobby as the vast majority of these deaths are preventable through good prenatal and postpartum care.
Safe Places
In the church, we talk about embracing everyone and creating “safe places.” Do we mean it? Do we want it to happen?
Lenten Excavation: An Invitation
Forgive me if I sound like all is muscle and brawn. It is not. Spiritual formation will also involve being still when your every urge is to be busy– savoring life, not just saving it.
Presidential Age Versus the Founding Fathers: The Need for a New Generation of Leadership
Both candidates are on their way to winning their party’s nomination for president of the United States. Still, questions swirl around their physical and cognitive ability to fulfill the office’s duties.
Strengthening the Economy Tops the List for Americans Ahead of the State of the Union Address
President Joe Biden will deliver his third State of the Union address on March 7. Americans’ number one priority is strengthening the economy, according to a recent Pew Research Center report.
Exploring Womanism in a Global Context: A Tapestry of Possibilities and Challenges
As an emerging theologian, I grappled deeply with whether the womanist designation placed on me served to appease those who deem centering the experiences of Black women as invalid.
March 7, 2024
‘Extraordinary’: Islamic and Jewish Science Emerge in 11th -Century Astrolabe; Scientists Unearth Ancient Roman Imperial Cult Temple; Peter Wehner: When Did Evangelicals Go Wrong? (and more)
Begging For a Bed: The U.S. Mental Health System
I was never explicitly taught this, but somehow, I absorbed the belief that we all have control over our choices and what goes on in our brains. It was a sign of emotional and spiritual weakness if we lost that control.
Most Countries Say Social Media Is Good for Democracy
Is social media good for democracy? A new report from the Pew Research Center says, “Yes.”
New Survey: The Threat of Christian Nationalism in All 50 States
Contrary to some assertions that Christian nationalists are CINOs (Christian in name only), Christian nationalism is highly correlated with frequent church attendance.
March 6, 2024
Kentucky Governor Marks Civil Rights Event by Citing Bible in Condemning Limits on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Greek Orthodox Authorities Slap Religious Ban on Local Politicians Who Backed Same-Sex Marriage; ‘They’ve Told Me He’s Jesus’: Unpacking Trump’s Empty Pseudo-Religion (and more)
My Callous Heart
One day, we will have common sense gun laws. One day, we may even beat our swords into plowshares and our spears into pruning hooks.
New Podcast Series Highlights Leadership of Women in Ministry
A new seven-episode podcast highlights the stories of women pastors, scholars and leaders. Each episode features an interview with women serving in leadership roles as pastors, chaplains, seminary scholars, and leaders of non-profits.
Small Towns and the Spirit of the Sugarhouse
Real small towns are not marked by the ever-present fear of violence from “Bible-believing good Christian men,” but rather are those that embody the spirit of the sugarhouse.
March 5, 2024
The ‘Subversive Spirituality’ of Bob Marley is Still Being Overlooked; Black-Led Utopia Legacy Lives on in Soul City, North Carolina: ‘Courage and Conviction’; Sen. Tom Woods ‘Filth’ Comments Expose Oklahoma’s Real Moral Crisis – LGBTQ+ Kids are Dying (and more)
Give Up Hypocrisy for Lent
“Do as I say, not as I do” is an understood and socially accepted double-mindedness. We say one thing and do another. But when we say, “do as I say,” we prove that we are not leading by example.
The Reformation Project Announces It Doesn’t Endorse Queer Theology
TRP instead promotes what it calls affirming theology, which assumes that the Bible is inerrant, but has simply been misinterpreted at the expense of LGBT people. Affirming theology holds that better Bible interpretation fixes the problem.
Where Have All the Teachers Gone?
We wouldn’t show up to our doctor’s office looking for legal advice or walk into a hair salon seeking help for a car repair. Still, it seems widely assumed that teachers must go beyond their teaching capabilities to be considered successful educators.
March 4, 2024
MAGA Furious at Merrick Garland’s Remarks at Selma Church; Red-State Christian Women are Rising Up, Speaking Out to Defend IVF; A 17th-Century Nun’s Feminist Manifesto (and more)
How Can Anyone Be Pro-Palestinian? A Biblical Scholar Explains
Most Palestinians want to live in peace without further loss of land and rights. All Palestinians have abundant reasons to be highly resentful over both past and present oppression.
Biden Needs to Listen to Pope Francis: A Temporary Ceasefire Is Not Enough
As Israeli bombs continue to fall on Gaza and Israeli settlers and armed forces increase their violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank, it has never been more urgent for an American president to bring the policy of his administration in line with the Vatican’s call for peace.
The Grace of Being Good Enough
Following the Creator’s words, we value the goodness of all creation. Our worth becomes based on how our Maker sees us, not the world or our own strength.
March 1, 2024
Christian Nationalism’s Support is Strongest in Rural, Conservative States; Oklahoma Governor Quoted Scripture in Recent Speech, But Religious Leaders are Taking Issue. Here’s Why.; Islamic Scholars Call Muslim Nations to Cut Fossil Fuels, Echoing ‘Laudato Si’ (and more)
The Dangerous Rhetoric of Eradication
As the rhetoric and legislation against LGBTQ+ people intensifies, people of good faith must consistently voice their concerns and outrage.
Louisiana Faith Leaders Gather to Decry the Death Penalty, Ask for Life and Mercy
On February 28, an interfaith gathering of religious leaders met on the steps of the Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. They gathered to pray, to present a petition signed by more than 200 Louisiana faith leaders who oppose House Bill 6 and in recognition of International Death Penalty Abolition Day (March 1st).
Suffering: What Was The Reason?
What we need to understand is that suffering is inevitable. Being in “holiness,” paying tithes, visiting the sick and shut-ins and attending prayer meetings doesn’t absolve us of our turn to drink from the bitter cup.