The Gospel reading for the first Sunday of Advent (Matt. 24:36-44) is one I remember from the days I clutched a Scofield Reference Bible. Along with Scofield’s infallible notes I carried around a copy of Hal Lindsey’s The Late Great…
Putting the common in good
It seems clear to me that biblical texts reflect varying degrees of inspiration. Some texts simply perpetuate the status quo, even offering justifications for national exceptionalism, violence and the stratification of society. It’s difficult to find any positive benefit from…
Can we talk about sexuality?
Can we talk about sexuality? Recently a pastor in Kansas has been challenging my school and me personally on our position concerning our faithfulness to Scripture concerning human sexuality. It reminds me of the sustained conversation in Southern Baptist life…
Good enough to be saved?
“Remember the psalms were written by the people to God. These are the thoughts of a human about God, not the word of God spoken to humanity.” My Sunday school class had gathered down the street from our church at…
9/11 inspired Baptist, Muslim to find Bible-based brotherhood
What a difference 15 years makes. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, the United States has endured two gut-wrenching wars and a resulting debate over immigrants, refugees and Muslims that divides the nation. But there also has been enough…
Survey finds teens reading Bibles — but are they retaining it?
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…