David Dark is one of my favorite writers and thinkers, and for years now, I often finish reading him and think, “I wish I’d written that!” A professor of religion and the arts at Belmont University and an authority on…
We face a cultural crisis, not just a political one
As Jeanie and I danced the night away in Atlanta on New Year’s Eve — yes, we actually did that, although I admit I ended up with a twisted knee, a sadly predictable outcome for a man of my rapidly…
Why ‘ressentiment’ defines our age
The political scientists tell us we are living in the age of resentment. This is the story of searching for a word that defines our age because “resentment” doesn’t really fit the bill. In an alliterative journey through the “Rs”…
Broken covenant: An interview with Vann Newkirk II about ‘Holy Week,’ MLK and white supremacy
Vann Newkirk II is senior editor of The Atlantic and one of our most thoughtful and talented writers on race, politics and culture. I first met him years ago when Baylor University sponsored an annual film program on race and…
Evangelical university president seeks to raise money by casting blame on transgender people
The president of Trinity International University this week sent out a fundraising letter complaining about cultural acceptance of transgender people and linking this acceptance to the recent mass shooting that left six people dead in Nashville, Tenn. Some alumni of…
Guys, guns and gods
I am an unabashed 1980s baby. My childhood was blessed with He-Man, Transformers, G.I. Joe, and the then-wrestlers from the National Wrestling Alliance, American Wrestling Alliance and the World Wrestling Federation. I grew up memorizing movie lines and moves by…
Amid quantum leaps of change, we’re experiencing enlightenment despair
For the past several decades, our world has experienced quantum leaps of change on its perspective of itself and the universe in greater degrees than ever before in human history, and we are reacting with whiplash anxiety. The new James…
I vote for a bit of normal
Four recent events in my life maybe converge to a theme: After six apocalyptic years, I want some normal. First event: I am walking around Zurich, Switzerland, in September. From what I have learned about Switzerland, I am confident this…
Drag queens reading books to children are not the problem
Seriously, Christian folks have got to lighten up about Drag Queen Story Hour. We have an epidemic of predatory pastors, but, yeah, let’s worry about drag queens reading books to children at the local library. Drag is a performance, part…