It has become commonplace to speak of fundamentalists of the left and fundamentalists of the right. On my Facebook feed, I frequently see posts claiming only Christians will escape the lake of fire. Scroll down a bit and one of…
Faith freedom for all calls for justice and reconciliation
Editor’s note: This is the third opinion piece in a new series on religious liberty authored by BJC Fellows and made possible by a grant from the Prichard Family Foundation. The United States continues to be shaped by theological, political and…
The lion, the witch-hunt and the boardroom: Reflections 30 years after the harrowing of Southern Seminary
In December 1992, I graduated from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. It was the last full year of Roy Honeycutt’s storied career as president of Southern Baptists’ first seminary. It has been 30 years since the transition to…
Is our ever-changing worship music giving us spiritual amnesia?
There’s something I’ve noticed in the 10 years since my slow drift away from the contemporary worship movement began. When I walk into a contemporary church service, or accidentally find a CCM radio station, I almost never know any of…
Is calling someone a ‘white supremacist’ the same as calling someone the ‘N-word’?
United States Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, noted for her random assaults on fellow legislators, was confronted by Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. Green responded with what has been labeled a “racially loaded attack.” Greene…
An eleventh commandment: Be careful what you wish for
As a biblical studies professor, I have noted with interest Senate Bill 1515 in the Texas Legislature to place the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom. But what are the Ten Commandments? There is no single definitive version of…
In the beginning and the here and now: Genesis’ call to care for creation
The Creation Evidence Museum in Glen Rose, Texas, should not be confused with the Creation Museum, in Petersburg, Ky. Both museums have a Noah’s Ark, but the one in Texas is only a 25-foot replica, while the one in Kentucky…
Ron DeSantis is dead wrong — again
The irony would be humorous if it weren’t so deadly. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis today signed four bills passed by his Legislature that further discriminate against the LGBTQ community in a state already famous for its “Don’t Say Gay” law….
Providing an alternative to toxic religion
It’s no secret that The United Methodist Church is fracturing, primarily over LGBTQ issues. Thousands of UMC churches already have disaffiliated from the denomination. Large numbers of others are considering doing so before the end of 2023. And many more…
Dear General Flynn, you are wrong about us
The ReAwaken America Tour made its latest stop at Donald Trump’s National Doral Miami. The three-day revival ended last Saturday. Among the hodgepodge of conspiracy theorists and wannabe powerful preachers, Gen. Michael Flynn sounded the most ominous. He said, “The…
Our weekly gun massacres mark a devastating cultural failure
Our weekly gun massacres in the United States are shocking in the extreme. They set us apart from other nations in the worst possible sense. I have not yet been in or near one of these massacres. The closest I…
A primer on leading public prayer
Sunday, April 30, was my last Sunday as minister of music at Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas. That day my colleague, George Mason, senior pastor emeritus, offered Prayers of the People, a regular part of our worship liturgy led by…