By Amy Butler My oldest son is a very gifted artist. There is much wondering about exactly how and why this is the case, given his genetics. Nevertheless, he produces some incredible work. Watching him learn his craft at a…
On gay rights, is there common ground?
By Cody J. Sanders In October, President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law. It extends existing federal hate-crimes laws (which already include protections for racial and religious bias) to include protections…
Suffering, theodicy and the Incarnation
By Jim Denison “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). Lester Denison died 30 years ago this month at the age of 55. The great tragedy of my life is that my father never met my sons. The night my father died, I…
Georgia Baptists, the Bible and women pastors
By Bob Setzer In a recent Baptists Today article, I read about a 19th-century Baptist congregation that censured a slave for dancing. The slave was a “member” of the church, though as human chattel, it was his job merely to…
Thankful for finding my long-lost brother
By Bill Shiell My dad left one treasure for me to find after he died. Without a map for guidance, I needed providence and social media on my journey to discovery. My father’s life was not scripted for a bookstore’s…
Giving thanks in a troubled land
By David Gushee Thanksgiving week is upon us. The annual celebration centered on gratitude for God’s blessings — for our nation, for family and all other good gifts — comes to a troubled, hungry, divided nation this year. Thanksgiving was…
Does the SBC respect local-church autonomy or not?
By Wade Burleson During the November 11, 2009, business session of the Georgia Baptist Convention, messengers to the Southern Baptist-affiliated state body dismissed the First Baptist Church of Decatur, Ga., from fellowship for the church’s calling of Julie Pennington-Russell as…
Teaching laypeople about the honor of preaching the gospel
By Amy Butler If I were being completely honest, I would tell you that the whole idea was a little, tiny bit self-serving. Having recently completed my doctor-of-ministry degree in preaching, I, strangely enough, managed to maintain my passion for…
The Fort Hood tragedy and radical Islam
(Editor’s note: This is the first release of a biweekly column that Jim Denison will be writing for Associated Baptist Press. Called FaithLines, the column will address contemporary theological issues that will emerge from the intersection of Christian faith and…