Editor’s note: On rare occasions, BNG will publish an opinion piece without revealing the name of the author. This is one of those cases for what will appear to the reader as obvious reasons. The editor knows the identity of…
How Richard Hays changed his mind
In 1996, New Testament scholar Richard Hays wrote his most influential book, The Moral Vision of the New Testament. Christianity Today placed The Moral Vision on its list of the 100 most important books of the 20th century. American evangelicals…
Knowing the Christmas story versus truly understanding it
Author Barbara Robinson’s popular novel, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, begins: “The Herdmans were absolutely the worst kids in the history of the world. They lied and stole and smoked cigars (even the girls) and talked dirty and hit little…
A Latino evangelical perspective on why President Biden should clear Death Row
President Joe Biden must make many decisions as he prepares to leave office in January. Among them is one that, while weighty, is straightforward and entirely within his power to make. The president can — and must — commute all…
The strange grace of struggling with Bonhoeffer on what it means to be a ‘good’ person
“You will not die,” the serpent said to the woman, “for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” I always have found the story in…
100 years of James Baldwin: We are our history
James Baldwin was my exact age — 63 — when he died in 1987. At the time of his death, he had written essential novels, plays and essays and had given a multitude of powerful speeches, including a 1965 debate…
Mary the rose garden
In the classic children’s book The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, a grieving father locks away the garden of his dead wife, forbids mention of it and hides all affection and beauty from his sickly son who he locks…
Archbishop of Canterbury waffles, bringing more pain for survivors
In his first public speech since announcing his resignation, the archbishop of Canterbury struck a “frivolous tone” that left childhood abuse victims “dismayed” and “disgusted.” “Whether one is personally responsible or not,” a head had to roll, said the archbishop,…
How should we respond to the tragic death of Brian Thompson?
In the Book of Judges, we encounter a verse that encapsulates a time of moral chaos in Israel: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” This haunting statement captures…
Lack of sympathy for slain insurance CEO suggests ‘no one mourns the wicked.’
Two kindergarten students remain in extremely critical condition after a school shooting in Northern California last Wednesday. The incident barely made the headlines. In Connecticut, New York and Missouri, Blue Cross Blue Shield declared it no longer will pay for…
How do you create art out of suffering?
In 1992, artist Nick Cave was devastated by the police beating of Rodney King in Los Angeles. As a young Black man, Cave knew the dangerous injustices of racial profiling and then, like the rest of America, viewed King’s beating…
AND Christians
We need people who can hold two very different polarities simultaneously right now. A deep abiding joy-peace-shalom AND a radical commitment to living love, pursuing justice and participating with God’s reconciliation of all, right there in the chaos and brokenness….