By Jim Denison In October, Joe Paterno was the most revered coach in college football. In November, he is unemployed. In October, Herman Cain was the Republican frontrunner. In November, he is fighting for his political life. Paterno was head…
A new angle on Advent
By Ken Sehested Reformation Sunday generally has a hard time competing with Halloween — except, maybe, for our Lutheran friends. Six years before Luther commenced his Ninety-Five Theses’ complaint with the Roman church, an earlier but lesser-known reform movement took…
Trust the people
By Mike Smith Few words spark more immediate anxiety in a pastor than, “Preacher, we’ve found a great book, and we’re going to get a group together and teach it.” This came home when two women informed me they were…
Baptists and authority
By David Gushee The sexuality conference in April will raise many issues. But for the theologically minded, the most important issue will probably be the question of religious authority. Who or what carries binding authority in the Christian life? If…
What do we do before ‘I do?’
By William Roberts “You know of all the weddings we’ve attended this year, statistically, at least one will end in divorce.” It was an odd thing for my fiancé to lean over and tell me as we watch one of…
Mormons: Southern Baptist zombies
Maybe it was the return of AMC’s “The Walking Dead” for a second season, but this Halloween it seemed zombies took the place of vampires as the favorite nightmare of the American imagination. To cite one example, thousands of people…
Mississippi Baptists hot on the trail of abortion
By Zachary Bailes The Mississippi Baptist Convention is hot on the trail of abortion. Off to the legislature and voting populace they have turned to end the reign of abortion in Mississippi. With a mighty arm and swift sword they…
Reformation Day
By R. Kevin Johnson Reformation Day is Oct. 31. Considering this day in light of our Nov. 1 remembrance of All Saints, the Reformation takes on special meaning for Protestants as we remember the life and the ministry of Martin…
Is Mormonism a cult?
By Jim Denison Robert Jeffress made national headlines recently with his assertion that Mormonism is a “cult” and a “false religion.” Peter Wehner, a political commentator whose blog I read regularly, immediately criticized what he termed “the theological and political…