Blog
Burning Away Barriers and Blowing Down Walls
At Pentecost, the fire of the Spirit burned away the barriers that might otherwise have defined the fellowship of Jesus’ followers. The wind of the Spirit forcefully removed whatever illusions or delusions Jesus’s followers might have had about their own power to define their movement. From that point forward, the Holy Spirit would be a blowtorch and a hurricane, again and again reorienting the church in the direction of the Spirit’s will, directing it away from the sin-tainted instincts of the women and men who took on the task of carrying Christ’s mission out into all the world.
Lights Out in the Shining City
The lights of the shining city have been flickering for a long time now. Yesterday they went out. Insurrectionists waving “Jesus Saves” flags is the apotheosis of the multiple diseases infecting American Christianity. How did American Christianity get here? Let me count the ways.
The United States is Not the Israelites; Washington is Not Jericho
Equating the United States with the Israelites is one error of Christian Nationalism. The rhetoric and goals of Jericho March are marked by Christian Nationalism fueled by a misguided biblicist view of Scripture. Christians must discern the Holy Spirit in the rhetoric to which they listen and ask whether that rhetoric draws bears witness to the love of God in Christ Jesus and draws Christians to grow in the fruit of the Spirit.
Slap Some Scripture on It! The Theological and Political Dangers of Biblicism
The biblicist only needs to find the right Bible verse to be sure that he is correct about anything. The biblicist rejects any opinion or point of fact for which she cannot find direct biblical evidence. Biblicism is not only a theological error, it is also politically dangerous.
The Death Penalty is Incompatible with the Christian Faith
My faith has led me to conclude that the death penalty is indefensible from a Christian perspective. Here are my reasons.
Free to Witness or Free to Be Seen?
Assessing the purpose of religious liberty, the recent SCOTUS, worship/protests, and displacing the spectacular with spectacle.
The Absurdity of Destroying Christianity
One of the tools in the Culture War arsenal is the threat that Christianity is going to be destroyed in the United States. The problem with warnings about the impending destruction of Christianity is that they are patently absurd.
Does God Choose the President?
Does the victory inevitably go to God’s chosen? Does defeat indicate an overturning of God’s will? Does God put all leaders in place, or only the ones with whom we happen to agree? And why do these questions matter for the way Christians engage with politics? Does God choose the president?
How a Christian Should Vote: The Final Choice (Part 6)
As we decide how to vote, we must seek the Kingdom of God, lean into nuance, love our neighbor, and pray.
How a Christian Should Vote: Three Approaches to Christianization (Part 5)
Some Christians believe that America is a Christian nation and argue that Christians should directly influence the legislative process, bringing Christian beliefs and convictions to bear on policy, resulting in a country that is “Christianized” or “re-Christianized” in its laws, if not in individuals’ beliefs. There are several approaches to Christianization.