Rod Dreher’s The Benedict Option is the bestselling and most discussed religious book of the past year. In it Dreher argues that the past few decades in American life have revealed the extent to which Bible-believing Christians have been decentered socially, culturally, and politically. An increasing number of Americans—including those with cultural power—view historic Christianity as implausible, [ Read More ]
God is not a racist. Torch-wielding white nationalists and white supremacists marching through Charlottesville, Virginia, Friday night failed to learn that important lesson. They shouted ‘unite the right’ and ‘white lives matter’ — and called for the South to split from the United States. The Friday evening march was a precursor to a larger “Alt-Right” rally [ Read More ]
What could a little Brit named “Lesslie” possibly teach American pastors about a Christian approach to American politics? Recently, Marty Duren interviewed me on his podcast, “Pastor Talk,” giving me the opportunity to outline some lessons we can learn from the life and work of British theologian Lesslie Newbigin. To access the podcast, click here.
In 2006, sociologist Philip Rieff (1922-2006) published My Life among the Deathworks, the first volume of his monumental Sacred Order / Social Order trilogy. In it, he argued that the West in general and the United States in particular is in the midst of an unprecedented attempt to desacralize the social order. [Note: This article [ Read More ]
How can Christians best respond to a situation in which historic Christian belief and practice is increasingly marginalized socially, culturally, and politically? On July 12, 2017, I participated in a panel discussion of this question at the National Press Club in Washington, D. C. The discussion was hosted by the Institute on Religion & Democracy and moderated by [ Read More ]
Last week, I asked the readers of this website to fill out a short survey providing feedback on what they like about the site, what they don’t, and what subjects they’d like me to address. The one question asked more than any other was, “Should a pastor address political issues from the pulpit?” So, should [ Read More ]
It happens to most of us church leaders. Gradually, and without notice, we slip into the habit of viewing the Scriptures more as an object to be dissected than a spiritual feast to nourish our souls. As an antidote to this temptation, I recently wrote about a four-fold pattern of Scripture intake that helps us [ Read More ]
On Easter, Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That much is clear. What is not clear to many people, however, is what the resurrection means to Christians and why we would make such a big deal of it. The resurrection only makes sense if we first understand what the Christian “gospel” is. In the [ Read More ]
On a dark Friday two thousand years ago, Jesus of Nazareth was crucified. Powerful members of the religious, political, and military communities colluded to strip him naked, mock him publicly, and crucify him. Yet two millennia later, Christians—who believe that Jesus is the Son of God—celebrate that dark day by calling it Good Friday. Why [ Read More ]
I will never forget my first day of seminary. At 8:00 a.m., I walked into a classroom for the first time for a course in Systematic Theology taught by Paige Patterson. I sat on the back row with J.D. Greear and several other embryonic theologues. As Dr. Patterson began class, he announced that he would [ Read More ]