I begin by saying the obvious: We enter an election year in a time of great political and cultural division in our country. That could have been said every four years since 1968. But today we also can add that…
ERLC’s guide to political engagement will be too nice for conservatives and too mean for progressives
What should Christians do about political engagement? It’s a question Andrew T. Walker takes seriously in his extended pamphlet, “The Nations Belong to God: A Christian Guide to Political Engagement,” published by the Southern Baptist Convention Ethics and Religious Liberty…
What modern Christians might learn from the patron saint of plagues, St. Valentine
This year, thanks to a mischievous convergence of the cultural and liturgical calendars, Ash Wednesday falls on Valentine’s Day. It’s not the first time (2018 wasn’t that long ago) nor will it be the last (next up is 2029). Theologically,…
The two men behind the possible schism in the Church of England
At the start of each year in the United Kingdom, the monarch doles out “honors” to citizens who’ve contributed to the betterment of British society. This year, both Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, and his longtime friend, Nicky Gumbel,…
From 1925 to 2024: Why the SBC’s funding formula is being questioned a century later
To understand the behind-the-scenes conflict happening between the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee and some of the SBC’s agencies and institutions, understand first that the devil is in the details. Or in the dollars. Or in lack of trust, once…
How might the SBC reshape itself next?
Calls for structural change are once again in the air among Southern Baptist Convention insiders, opening the door to possibilities that could significantly reshape the nation’s largest Protestant denomination. Last summer, messengers to the SBC annual meeting took the unusual…
Finding faith when you are wrong: Reflections on religious research
What happens when your faith doesn’t seem to align with something you learn? Like many people who grew up Christian, I was taught there are “absolute truths” about the Bible and Christianity. These informed how I viewed the world, mostly…
Who is Alistair Begg, and why are American fundamentalists so upset with him?
“I’m not ready to repent over this. I don’t have to,” Alistair Begg boldly declared in a sermon titled “Compassion vs. Condemnation” at the non-denominational Parkside Church in Cleveland last Sunday. The accusations being leveled against Begg are that he has caved…
What Trump (and evangelical pastors) learned from pro wrestling
Every Friday night, good collided with evil in Calgary, Alberta. It was a preacher’s kid who turned me on to Stampede Wrestling in the 1960s. I was riveted. Especially when Archie (The Stomper) Gouldie launched into one of his patented…