“The kingdom of God is inside you, and all around you, not in mansions of wood and stone. Split a piece of wood, and I am there; lift a stone, and you will find me.” — Gospel of Thomas, Saying…
What can we learn from Jesus’ encounter with the Rich Young Ruler?
“And looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, ‘One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come follow me’”…
It’s time for evangelicals to leave Anglicanism
“Don’t give me a jar of piss and then tell me it’s Memaw’s sweet tea.” My East Texas-raised father uttered these words when I tried to explain away my failing grade in freshman high school biology. I told him I…
Shall the fundamentalists yet win?
In 1922, a Baptist minister serving a Presbyterian church in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village kicked a hornet’s nest with his Sunday message. Far from the first, or for that matter, last Baptist preacher to do so, he pleaded to those packed…
Let’s consider Christian community, nudist colonies and ‘complete transparency’
Early years at a new job will tax the training of even the most well-prepared. A key challenge involves navigating workplace boundaries. It’s difficult to imagine being more well-prepared for my first years as a Christian college professor. And yet….
The bottom line of my religion: Christian values and practices
Like many others, I enjoyed the fascinating Cold War TV drama, The Americans. The show depicted a Russian couple living as spies in America. After their daughter began attending a progressive church, the mother initiated several conversations with the pastor. In…
Processing a sabbatical reveals life as a mosaic, not a puzzle
It’s been months since my sabbatical ended, and I am still processing. Because of holidays, inclement weather and other hiccups, I didn’t give my official sabbatical report to our church for quite a while. The extra time to process was…
What would 10-year-old me think of Pete Rose now?
I was going through a box of my things while I was home a few months ago, and it was a reminder of how my obsession with baseball goes back to my childhood. Through the years, I have collected countless…
White evangelicals: An American cult
White evangelical support for Donald Trump — especially its intensity and near-unconditional nature — is rooted in a complex fusion of religious identity, political strategy, cultural anxiety and existential fear. This alliance has evolved into something disturbingly cult-like, forming a…
Here are all the words Trump wants banned — in one article
American democracy faces its greatest peril since 1861. President Donald Trump and his Project 2025-infused zealots are ripping through two centuries of progress in human rights, civil rights, sexual rights and democratic rights. Historically, race always has been the elephant…
Hegseth shuts down Women, Peace and Security program
It’s hard to surprise me these days. Still, even I was stunned to learn the U.S. Department of Defense is shutting down the “Women, Peace and Security” program — a bipartisan initiative signed into law in 2017, by President Trump….
Tryin’ to get the feelin’ again
I am not embarrassed to admit that Carol and I recently joined thousands of other Fanilows at Radio City Music Hall. The line moved slowly. If there had been an AARP discount, 90% of us could have used it. I…