There are some”heroes” of the Christian faith whose life-stories inspire and inform me. They include William Wilberforce, William Carey, and (just to avoid all my heroes having the same first name) St. Patrick. Now, let’s remember: “Saint” wasn’t his first…
In memory of Marcus Borg
The New York Times to Borg as “a leading evangelist of what is often called progressive Christianity.” His interpretation of the Christian faith convinced many people to remain a Christian. Similarly, the author of an in The Christian Century avers…
A museum of the Bible is the wrong kind of monument
The founder of the Hobby Lobby chain is building a Bible museum in Washington, D.C. That’s nice. But building a monument to the Bible runs the risk of compounding the serious problem of Bible worship that has plagued evangelical Christianity…
Labeling moderates
A few days ago there was a news piece posted here reporting on an interview with Dr. Roger Olson in which he argued that what he sees as the leftward theological drift of some in the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (no…
SBC controversy reverberates for second, third generation ‘exiles,’ book says
By Bob Allen Many young ministers growing up in Cooperative Baptist Fellowship churches have no frame of reference for the great “split” they hear seminary professors and pastors recall with a sense of pain and loss, yet they find themselves…
Choosing sides, teams or labels in the CBF serves no purpose
A recent BNG article reported a seminary professor’s comments on the “moderate” label for some in the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. In the 1990s I was a student at Southern Seminary in Louisville. The Southern Baptist Convention decided to create a…
From ‘I Do’ to disfellowship: Why the Southern Baptists kicked this church out over a same-sex wedding
Today, it is my honor to host the Rev. Dr. Ellin Jimmerson, the first Southern Baptist minister (and perhaps only) to perform a legal same-sex wedding. And in Alabama no less! Having grown up in the Huntsville metro area, I…
Did the President misrepresent Christianity?
President Obama spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast on February 5, as you know, and that speech unleashed considerable negative reaction-mostly from the same people that have criticized him for about everything he has said or done since 2009. Most…
Ashy Baptists
Ash Wednesday is an occasion to mark the beginning of Lent and be marked by ashes. To receive ashes on our forehead and hear the words, ‘You are dust and to dust you shall return’ can be a powerful reminder…