New research reporting American teens have more respect and use for the Bible than some might think comes as no real surprise to Gavin Rogers. The “2016 Teen State of the Bible” project, commissioned by the American Bible Society and…
Shedding light on the Old Testament’s great villain — the Philistines
Baylor University religion professor Deirdre Fulton is in the middle of a three-year dig that is shedding light on the lives, beliefs and practices of a group often villainized in the Old Testament: the Philistines.
What if we actually applied the Bible to our politics?
What if the lens we viewed politics through was the Bible? No, really! Seriously. For me, it might go something like this: The way of Christ compels me to love God with all my heart, mind, soul and strength. The…
‘The Sin of Certainty:’ Peter Enns’ journey from belief to trust
Like most seminary professors in the 1970s, Bill Treadwell wrote a lot of stuff on the blackboard, but I only remember two simple messages. The first day of class, he strode to the board, picked up a piece of chalk…
Tennessee poised to make Bible the official state book
A Southern Baptist lawmaker’s bill designating the Bible the official state book of Tennessee is on its way to the governor’s desk. Senate Bill 1108, sponsored by Sen. Steve Southerland, R-Morristown, would designate “the Holy Bible” as the official state…
No explanations needed inside the church
Some years ago I had the opportunity to visit the Holy Land with a large tour group. We spent two weeks traveling around Israel and Palestine but spent most of our time in and around Jerusalem. One of the most…
Why Bible believers are not really Bible believers
A good number of evangelical Christians self-identify as Bible believers. It’s a peculiar way for a Christian to self-identify when you think about it. A Christian is someone who has some kind of relationship to Christ. After all Christ is…
Trump ‘just a symbol’ of America’s declining religious literacy, minister says
By Jeff Brumley If you are tempted to laugh — or even gloat — because Donald Trump put money into an Iowa church Communion plate recently, don’t. The same goes for his previous reference to “Two Corinthians,” when he meant to refer…
What does it mean to confess that Jesus is Lord?
To say that Jesus is Lord is to echo one the earliest and most basic Christian confessions. Lordship language came right out of the Roman culture: Caesar claimed for himself the titles “son of God” and “Lord.” To claim the…