David Gushee President Obama’s narrow re-election came despite fierce lobbying against him and on behalf of Mitt Romney by an array of conservative Catholic and evangelical leaders and groups. Those groups went “all in,” and they lost. Now they are…
The Gospel according to the Ewoks
Disney bought Star Wars for $4 billion! I simply can’t imagine $4 billion. I am confident that is enough to handle Han Solo’s debt to Jabba the Hutt. My first response was to be critical. Lucas had always said he…
Tea Party cost GOP
By Miguel De La Torre Even before all the votes are fully counted, there is one undeniable conclusion about the 2012 election: We live in a divided nation. If we nuance that division, however, we discover that who is divided…
In the same boat: Republicans and the church
Listening to all the soul-searching and finger-pointing among Republicans since Election Day reminds me of the conversations that have been going on in many American churches for several decades. The puzzling ingredient for both groups is demographic change and how—or…
Praying behind his back
Recently my family was honored to participate in my son’s ordination to the Gospel ministry. After heeding a call from God, enduring seven years of higher education and gaining quality experiences, his church in Topeka, Kansas felt it was time…
The morning after: Relevant or retro?
By Bill Leonard “Their relevancy has moved away from them.” That statement bubbled up on cable TV’s Morning Joe the morning after Barak Obama won re-election as president of the United States. It was one commentator’s sound bite assessment of…
The confusion of ‘most’ or ‘many’ — even among Baptists
Recently I began reading a book I was sent to review. It is by two people I know well; one of them more than the other. The one I know better is often given to over-statement and over-generalization. I found…
Four more years of Obama
By William Thornton Barack Obama has been reelected, and it was not as close as many predicted. I am not much of a political prophet, but I had already pondered this outcome and have decided how I will handle four…
Confessions of a dysfunctional decorator
With apologies to all self-help movements, my name is Mike, and I am a dysfunctional decorator. When it comes to wall colors, any shade of blue works for me. Left to my own devices, I would paint all the walls…