Not all ideas are equally valid, and not all beliefs are equally true. There is reality and there is fantasy. A heavy dose of “both sides are valid” denial of reality has set up the United States of America for…
The Ten Commandments and the fallacy of certainty
“So, inerrancy was in essence adapted and used by enslavers?” “Yes.” I was sitting in Stephen Ray’s office working on my Ph.D. at Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary. I had asked if I could take a directed study on Reformed theology…
William Jennings Bryan’s ‘other’ speech
Aside from the Scopes trial, three-time presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan is best known for delivering his “Cross of Gold” speech at the 1896 Democratic Convention. Some say it was the greatest speech in American political history. In 1896, the nation…
A culture living on Christian leftovers
What happens when a culture loses the concept of anything transcendent above? Truth, goodness and beauty become ends in themselves; they don’t lead anywhere, and they never make you look up. Truth, goodness, and beauty become hevel. Sure, they might…
Healing our divisions
The crisis in our public discourse is hard to deny. A staggering 93% of Americans feel incivility is a problem and more than two-thirds feel it is a major problem. Moreover, incivility is not just a matter of how we…
The grief of a caregiver
For many years, my journey in the “care of souls” has led me to walk alongside those who are grieving. This path has taken me from a ministry setting to managing a mental health department in a maximum security prison,…
Evangelical nepo babies
Recently, the passing of prominent evangelical pastor John MacArthur prompted me to reflect on issues concerning American evangelicalism, a movement I’ve been involved in for most of my life. Having attended many of the most prominent evangelical churches and universities…
My summer quest to learn more about Christian nationalism
As a Baptist and Faith and Freedom Fellow with Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Tennessee, I have observed how Christian nationalism is reshaping American churches, often blurring the lines between faith and political power. This poses a significant risk to our values…
6 ways to gain credibility in our gospel witness
The gospel message itself always has been a big ask for much of the world to accept: an unmarried virgin’s conception, Jesus’ myriad supra-science miracles, the atoning death, the bodily resurrection. It is for this very reason the Apostle Paul…
Letter to the Editor: More on Keith Parks
Dear Editor: BNG published a wonderful article on the death of Keith Parks. There is one item you would not have had information about. I was the national networking coordinator when Keith was hired at the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Cecil Sherman was…
Do Lifeway’s trustees even have a pulse?
Just imagine you are an elected trustee of a $300 million denominational entity whose outgoing president lobs verbal grenades toward the trustees and corporate culture on his way out the door. And then you show up a week later for…
The sin of sloth takes a deadly turn
One of the seven deadly sins of Western Christianity is the sin of sloth. It often is characterized as “laziness,” which some aim at certain racial or economic groups using terms like “lazy” or “shiftless” to characterize their character. In…