Recent Articles
Nothing to Brag About
Comprehending the significant ways Americanized Christianity is deeply culturalized can be revealing, fascinating and constructive. Defining the word conservative as resistant to change is one tragic manifestation within Americanized Christianity.
The Similarities and Differences Between Modern and Biblical Poetry
The unfamiliar styles of some biblical texts is one of many challenges we face when studying the Bible. Here is a primer on the similarities and differences between modern and biblical poetry.
U.S. Majority Wants Congress to Codify Rights, Protections Established by Prior SCOTUS Rulings
A majority of U.S. adults want to see Congress pass legislation that would codify rights and protections established in five Supreme Court rulings, according to a new YouGov / The Economist survey.
August 9, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Wake Forest Baptist Church on University Campus Votes to Dissolve After 66 Years; Why Pew Research Center Typically Can’t Report the Views of Smaller U.S. Religious Groups; Ron Sider was the Real Deal (and more)
Celebrating an Icon Who Embodied Freedom
It’s someone’s 200th birthday! But how do you celebrate an embodiment of freedom? The answer is, “All year long.” I recently visited the birthplace of this icon, finding encouragement in her life’s work and witness.
A Clean, Healthy, Sustainable Environment is a Human Right
The U.N. General Assembly has recognized the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. It is well past time for this acknowledgment, and the world must commit to maintaining a suitable earth for future generations.
U.S. Millennial Church Attendance Sees Large Increase in 2022
Weekly worship attendance among U.S. Millennials more than doubled from 2021 to 2022, according to a new Barna Group report. The increase was primarily the result of a significant attendance increase among non-white Millennials.
August 8, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: After Trump, Christian Nationalist Ideas are Going Mainstream – Despite a History of Violence; Christian Nationalism Used to be Taboo. Now It’s All the Rage.; Greene Launches Defense of Christian Nationalism: ‘Nothing to be Ashamed of’; Russell Moore Named Christianity Today Editor (and more)
People of Good Faith: Jim Hopkins
Jim Hopkins is senior pastor of Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church in Oakland, California, where he has served since 1989.
The U.S. Has a Police Idolatry Issue
One out of every three people killed by police in the United States were fleeing the police. They were moving in the opposite direction – as opposed to approaching or attacking – the people that killed them.
‘And the Oscar for the Greatest Redemption Story Goes To…’
August is often a slow time for sports news in the U.S., but a recent headline about one high-profile professional athlete grabbed my attention. It offers an example of someone choosing integrity over money.
August 5, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: The Christian Right Fires a Warning Shot at Senate Republicans; The Backlash to Christianity: Republicans are Now Panicked – But They Only Have Themselves to Blame; How Digital Religion is Shaping Spirituality Among Millennials (and more)
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.
August 4, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Boston Faith Community Unites in Opposition to Surge of White Supremacy; Voters in Red Kansas Resoundingly Defend Their Access to Abortion; Oglala Sioux Ban Missionary, Require Ministries to Register (and more)
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?
August 3, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Florida Clergy Lawsuits Say Abortion Ban Violates Religious Freedom; Many White Southern Evangelicals are Now Lapsed Churchgoers; September Symposium Will Celebrate Life and Legacy of John Claypool (and more)
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.
U.S. State Department Trafficking Report Notes Positive and Negative Religious Involvement
Faith-based groups are working in cooperation with governments and NGOs to help trafficking victims and raise awareness about human trafficking. However, a State Department report also highlighted instances of complicity with traffickers.
Expansive 12-Volume Resource Will Enrich Bible Teaching, Learning and Preaching
Good Faith Media is rolling out the first volumes in an expansive new resource to provide biblical insights for preaching and teaching. The 12-volume Nurturing Faith Commentary is written by longtime Bible study writer Tony W. Cartledge.
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.