By David Gushee Follow David: @dpgushee Traditionalist Christians on the LGBT issue argue that there can be no legitimate same-sex relationships because they are banned by the Bible. Thus even where traditionalists acknowledge the existence of enduring same-sex orientation, they…
How traditionalists connect the biblical dots: The LGBT Issue, part 8
By David Gushee Follow David: @dpgushee The essentials of the traditionalist reading of scripture on same-sex relationships can be rendered by this formula, though of course there are variations: Genesis 1-2 + Genesis 19 + Leviticus 18:22/20:13 + Judges 19…
Biblical inspiration, human interpretation: The LGBT issue, part 7
By David Gushee Follow David: @dpgushee The (Protestant) Bible has 66 books, 1,189 chapters and 31,273 verses, spoken, written and edited over more than a millennium, in three different languages, in multiple social settings, by dozens of authors, with the…
Do you solemnly swear — on this Kindle?
By Jeff Brumley It’s hardly news anymore to see someone in church using a smartphone or tablet, instead of a printed Bible, to follow along in Scripture. Many pastors have embraced the paper-for-digital swap themselves, often using iPads or tablets…
‘Most Bible-minded city’ status doesn’t impress Baptist pastors
By Jeff Brumley Leading a church in a city recently described as the most “Bible-minded” in America does have its advantages, Thomas Quisenberry said. Mainly: not a lot of necessity to explain the backstory during sermons and Scripture discussions, said…
Skepticism about Bible on the rise, but that doesn’t faze some ministers
By Jeff Brumley The number of people skeptical of the Bible is rising while those who view it as sacred is dropping, according to a recent American Bible Society survey. But those findings aren’t rattling some Baptist ministers. What concerns…
Put popular biblical story of woman caught in adultery in footnote, says theology prof
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist pastor and seminary professor says the story of Jesus forgiving a woman caught in adultery in the Gospel of John is not in the earliest texts, belongs in a footnote and should not be…