Have you heard about the Mount Ebal inscription? It has excited a diverse group of individuals. From the nerdiest of the nerds who get lit about new ancient inscriptions to evangelical apologists who are enthusiastic when archaeology seems to corroborate…
Have evangelicals become libertarians or have libertarians become evangelicals?
Libertarians and evangelicals are hard to tell apart these days. Is that because libertarians are becoming more religious or because evangelicals are becoming more political? I’m reminded of the corporate executive who once explained to me, “Remember that mergers are…
The tragic tale of a sexual abuse case, a deacon ordination and the quest for control of the Southern Baptist Convention
We have written three drafts of a news story you’re not going to see published. Instead, I’m going to use this analysis column to explain how exceedingly complicated it is to address the challenges of sexual abuse and politics in…
The beginnings of modern Christian Zionism
Jews have been part and parcel of the fabric of the Middle East and North Africa. Within the multireligious and multiethnic 19th-century Ottoman Empire, Jews made up more than 1% of the population. Mainly an urban community, they had a…
Exiles in Babylon conference gets so much right but can’t apply its logic about race to sexuality
While many conservative evangelicals focus on fighting culture wars in an attempt to save the United States from progressive ideologies, New York Times bestselling author Preston Sprinkle seems to have accepted that Christians should reimagine their identity as exiles rather…
From the war in Ukraine to the slap in Hollywood, violence plagues our world
It’s time we rethink our definition of violence. As the war rages in Ukraine, many people’s attention this past week shifted to the moment of violence at the Academy Awards. I understand why the incident is captivating people’s attention. In…
Maybe the church needs pastors who aren’t entrepreneurs
I once was a “professional Christian.” Like David Ramsey, (who recently authored “What Could the Church Learn from Amazon?”), I also stepped away from the church, and I agree with him that part of the problem was “the pressures that…
Who do you say that I am: ‘Jesus’ or ‘Christ’?
“Jesus Christ, Superstar, do you think you’re what they say you are?” A memorable lyric from the 1971 Broadway musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. And also a poignant question for today as American Christians seem to gravitate…