Recent Articles
By the Way | The Exhilaration of Archival Research
Archival research is great fun, offering a kind of treasure hunt – although the best discoveries are the ones you find along the way. Here are a few interesting findings related to Billy Graham, politics and evangelicals that I discovered recently.
What Contributes to Happiness?
I have never met anyone with perfect circumstances, or anyone who constantly lives in a state of perpetual bliss and ecstasy. So, what really makes a person happy? Here are five traits I’ve observed in happy people.
March 20, 2023
South Carolinians Haley and Scott Aim to Win over Christian Conservatives in Their Home State; Archaeologists Uncover Roman-Era Church Mosaic Along Israel National Trail; Wyoming Governor Signs Measure Prohibiting Abortion Pills
Lagging Behind 2,000 Years Later
Handling social issues is a problem for many Christians today. A woman’s place in society is such an issue. Here is what the Bible has to say about this matter.
Lent’s Labor: Practicing Silence – Part 3
“¡Silencio!” is our Lenten watchword. The silence to which we are called is practiced amid the rubble, as we listen for the faint cry of survivors from earth’s trauma and human atrocity.
Emerging Voices | Why Change Agents in the Church Are Essential
There can be little debate that religion is steadily declining in America. Rather than continuing with “business as usual,” churches need to boldly challenge preconceptions and activities for a different level of thinking.
March 17, 2023
Roman Aristocrat Unearthed in Ancient Cemetery that Could Show Britain’s Shift to Christianity, Anglo-Saxon Society; Va. Church Where George Washington Prayed Honors its Enslaved Builders; 100 Years Ago, this Church Was Built with Stones from the River (and more)
Lent’s Labor: Searching Darkness – Part 2
Scripture has a pronounced bias favoring “light” and opposing “darkness.” But there’s a minority report as well, where the Holy One is encountered in darkness.
Why Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiatives Matter
Diversity, equity and inclusion programs are under scrutiny in Florida and Texas, where their governors want to end these emphases. A recent episode of Real Time with Bill Maher on this topic prompted reflection on why DEI is important.
One in Four Holds Unfavorable View of Evangelical Protestants in U.S.
Evangelical Protestants received the highest percentage of unfavorable views from U.S. adults in a new Pew Research Center survey. A plurality of respondents expressed a neutral view toward each of the seven faith traditions surveyed.
March 16, 2023
Evangelicals Are the Most Beloved US Faith Group Among Evangelicals; and among the worst-rated by everybody else; Black, Evangelical and Torn; A Progressive College in the Northeast Has a Proposal for Unhappy New College Students
Finding Awe
We may think of “awe” as being completely overwhelmed, flabbergasted or awestruck by some amazing event. But awe is wider than that. And it is good for you.
Lenten Lectionary | I Shall Not Want?
One of the goals of the Lenten season is to purify our hearts and refocus our minds. This season should pull us away from the habits of entitlement (subtle or otherwise) that often characterize our daily lives.
Lent’s Labor: Making Space – Part 1
Any credible statement about God’s passionate love for the world must be spoken fully cognizant of the world’s passionate misery. The recognition of God’s solidarity in life’s ache is essential if we are to endure the many shapes and shades of loss.
March 15, 2023
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: AR-15 Lapel Pins are More than Provocation: They’re Symbols of the Violence at the Heart of White Christian Nationalism; Hate Crimes See Another Increase, Data Says; Citing the Bible, Oklahoma Republicans Vote to Let Teachers Hit Kids with Disabilities (and more)
Are Social Justice and Philanthropy Reconcilable?
Can social justice and philanthropy be reconciled when wealthy donors have made their fortunes through an unjust system? A new report explores this question by looking at the top 10% of young donors who are seeking to practice social justice-oriented giving.
Emerging Voices | The Un-Baptist Spirit Within the Southern Baptist Convention
An un-Baptist spirit is permeating the leadership of the Southern Baptist Convention. This spirit has a thirst for power and control at the expense of allowing local churches to live out God’s call for their congregation.
Wisdom Wherever You Find It | Nothing More to Say
“Silence can’t be misquoted.” These words from Bishop Larry Campbell elicited laughter from participants in a meeting of the Commission on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Here is why he is both right and wrong.
March 14, 2023
Trump vs. DeSantis: Florida Pastors Mull Conservative Issues; New York Church, Part of Tubman National Park, Will Open to Visitors This Year; Retired Virginia Prison Chaplain Recounts Life as a Guide to Condemned: ‘A Story I Needed to Tell’ (and more)
Tennessee Lawmaker Proposes Lynching as Death Penalty Option
Tennessee GOP lawmaker Paul Sherrell wants to reinstate hangings to execute death row inmates. His reprehensible proposal, which he has since apologized for, recalls a terrifying and tragic history.
Why Jesus Wasn’t a Feminist
I finally read Sarah Bessey’s Jesus Feminist, a book that’s been on my “To Be Read” list for years. Honestly, I was underwhelmed. Here is why.
Christian Hypocrisy the Leading Cause of Doubts About Christianity
Hypocrisy of professed Christians is the leading cause of people doubting the Christian faith, according to a Barna Group report. It is the most common response of two of the three main demographic groups featured in the survey.
March 13, 2023
Worrisome Finances, Role of Women as Pastors: Key Takeaways from Top SBC Committee Meeting; Catholic Group Spent Millions on App Data that Tracked Gay Priests; Students at B.C. Christian University Push for LGBTQ Chaplain (and more)
(In)Equity Is Everyone’s Responsibility
Black History Month and Women’s History Month invite us to focus on excellence that has transformed the world in spite of intersectional oppression and disadvantage. This must begin by recognizing that the playing field is not level.
Emerging Voices | Opposition to Women in Ministry Is Emotional, Not Logical
Inclusion of women in ministry has been on the rise for several decades; however, there are still several denominations and churches that refuse to accept women into leadership positions. Here is why it’s emotional and not logical.
Look Back | Women’s Inequality: From the Pulpit and Beyond
I was serving as a small group leader at a Baptist youth gathering when the death of a childhood friend reached me. The compassion and empathy of a wonderful pastor forever changed my perspective on women in ministry.
March 10, 2023
Women Sue Texas Over Abortion Ban, Say it Risked Their Lives; Wisconsin Pastor and Members ‘Stunned’ and ‘Heartbroken’ as Church Leaves United Methodist Church Over Gay Marriage, Clergy; ‘We’ve Slipped into Forgetfulness’: Charleston Church Shooting Survivors Demand Gun Control; Critics Charge that Conservative Donors are Pushing the American Catholic Church to the Right (and more)
Living Into My Wokeness
The term “woke” has become a polarizing term in recent years, with conservative politicians and pundits lashing out at “wokeness” as if it were an extension of extreme political correctness. Here is why I’m living into my wokeness.
With Schooling Compulsory, Is Education Becoming Optional?
All U.S. states have legal requirements that children between ages 6 and 16 attend school. The distinction between schooling and education is a helpful lens through which to view the current politicization of public schools.
Minimal Progress on U.S. Gender Pay Gap Since 2002
Two cents. That’s the amount of progress made in closing the gender pay gap during the last two decades, according to a Pew Research Center report published March 1.