As a seminary professor, I get questions like this all the time. And while my answers typically differ based on the context and the person asking, there’s one element I always incorporate into the answer: God is real and he does answer prayers. I always make the point that “God is real” because if he is not [ Read More ]
In My Life Among the Deathworks, sociologist Philip Rieff argued that the West in general, and America in particular, is in the midst of a historically unprecedented attempt to sever social order from sacred order. Whereas all civilizations historically have understood that sacred order shapes culture and that culture, in turn, shapes society, many of [ Read More ]
In 1974, British theologian Lesslie Newbigin returned to England after four decades of serving as a missionary to India. Back in Europe, he wrestled with a pressing question: How to preach the gospel to the West? He believed the Western church had unconsciously been captured by secular ideology. Rather than viewing the Bible’s narrative as [ Read More ]
These days, many Americans reject strong forms of religion. Christianity, in particular, is often embraced only in weak forms or as a mere tool for social and cultural transformation; the more muscular and biblical forms of Christianity are often ignored or rejected. Additionally, individuals are more attentive to images than to words and are addicted [ Read More ]
In recent years, both Republicans and Democrats have experienced a surge of populism—the uprising of ordinary citizens against powerful “elites” who they view as overbearing, self-serving, and out of touch—within their political parties. For that reason, Christianity Today recently asked me if I would create a list of five helpful resources for understanding today’s American [ Read More ]
Troubling times, these. Indeed, and one of the most troubling factors is the tendency to view strong forms of religion as inherently intolerant. Consider, for example, a recent Wikileak email dump that showed elected officials and politicos referring to conservative Christians with various derogatory terms such as “backwards” and “bastardized.” Or, consider Peaceful Coexistence, a [ Read More ]
Beginning in January 2019, my employer granted me a one-year research sabbatical. This has meant that I have spent very little time reading the news or writing opinion pieces. It has also meant that I have spent very little time on Twitter, that social media outlet which is very good for a few limited tasks [ Read More ]
Recently, I undertook a rereading of The Essential Russell Kirk. Among the many treasures I rediscovered was his essay, “Ten Exemplary Conservatives,” a sketch of ten conservatives Kirk admired. By “conservative,” he did not mean committed to some ideology but rather persons who exhibited a “longing for order and permanence, in the person and in [ Read More ]
During upcoming weeks and months, conservatives have an opportunity to do the right thing by enacting restitution-based immigration reform legislation that will secure our borders, deport dangerous immigrants, allow temporary documentation for immigrants willing to pay significant fine, and protect innocent Dreamers. We should act now because it is the right thing to do, it is [ Read More ]
On Sunday, hip hop artist Kanye West will take the stage at Lakewood Church, Joel Osteen’s megachurch in Houston, TX. Sources report that he will take the stage together with Osteen Sunday morning and will perform with his traveling choir on Sunday evening. Kanye is arguably the most significant hip hop artist of our day [ Read More ]