A call to a new Reformation in the teaching and life of Jesus' followers
With the people of France and decent people everywhere, today I mourn the deaths of the editors, cartoonists, and staff of French satire magazine Charlie Hebdo. With the people of France and decent people everywhere, today I also condemn in the strongest possible terms, the murder of people who exercised their right to free expression in the public sphere. But in contrast to many decent … Continue reading Je ne suis pas Charlie
In my myriad discussions over the years, with friends and acquaintances who are dubious about the idea of Christian nonviolence, a recurring objection has been raised that often comes in a form much like this: “Yes, your theory is all well and good, but in the real world people are violent and evil, and can only be dealt with by force.” On the surface this … Continue reading The Practicality of Nonviolence
Back before I started blogging in 2008, I read and then wrote an online review of Arthur Brooks’ book Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism. I’m reposting it here with some updates, because I continue to find people citing Brooks’ study as evidence that conservatives are more compassionate than liberals. In short, Brooks’ book is a highly flawed diatribe posing as a … Continue reading “Who Really Cares?” Arthur Brooks Book Review – Repost
I have recently observed or participated in several discussions about Christian marriage in the blog/Facebook world, that have troubled me mightily. On one hand, I see (mostly male) Christians holding forth the position that sex is so important to marriage that any wife who denies her husband his “rights” or “needs” in that regard, is sinning and violating Paul’s commands in 1 Cor. 7:1-5. Some … Continue reading A Few Thoughts About Marriage and our “Rights”
Several times in the past couple weeks, friends and acquaintances on Facebook have pointed out an article in World Magazine, in which the headline breathlessly proclaims that a “Fossil Finding Shakes Evolutionary Theories.” Similar articles have appeared in the Christian News Network’s website, including Unprecedented Skull Discovery Raises Serious Questions Over Evolutionary Premises on November 4, and Groundbreaking Genetic Discoveries Challenge Ape to Human Evolutionary … Continue reading Lies, Damned Lies, and Apologetics: The Latest Evolution “Controversy”
Oklahoma City, New York City, Riyadh, Aden, Sandy Hook, Boston. Timothy McVeigh, Khalid Sheik Mohammad, Osama Bin Laden, Adam Lanza, the Tzarnaev brothers. While parts of the world have experienced random violence against civilians for years, it seems that agenda-driven mass violence — terrorism—has touched the United States in this generation, more than ever in our history. Some even say we’ve entered an “age of … Continue reading Loving Our Enemies in an Age of Terrorism
The recent bombing attacks in Boston have once again raised the cry across the internet, rehearsing the perceived violence of Islam. In several recent discussions, Christians have repeated the mantra that the Qur’an is filled with commands to commit violence against non-Muslims. Islam, they say, is an inherently bloodthirsty faith. Commonly cited as empirical fact are screeds such as this one: “The Quran contains at … Continue reading When Christians speak of violence in Islam
The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. (Ps. 19:1-4) Part of … Continue reading Why do I believe? Part 4 – Cosmology and Creation
This is a review, but mostly a recommendation, of Carl Medearis’ book Speaking of Jesus – The Art of Not-Evangelism. I’ll get to the review in a minute, but I’ll start by saying up front: seriously, this is a book you should buy and read. If you’re a Christian who’s interested in evangelism, you should read it. If you’re sick to death of Christians trying … Continue reading “Speaking of Jesus – The Art of Not-Evangelism” by Carl Medearis (book review)
When I first heard that Tony Campolo and Shane Claiborne were doing a book on Red Letter Christianity, I was pretty excited. I have a great deal of respect for both men, and while I don’t always agree with either, I think their prophetic voice in the church is beyond any reasonable dispute. So I actively sought a review copy of the book, and the … Continue reading Book Review — Red Letter Revolution by Shane Claiborne & Tony Campolo