By Molly T. Marshall Our attitudes about new things are radically disparate. Some of us love new cars, new shoes, new books, new technology, but get really fearful when we consider new expressions of worship, gathered community, organizational structure and,…
Should Christians fear being ‘on the wrong side of history?’
By Roger Olson We have all heard people say that Christians should adjust their view of sexuality because otherwise they are going to turn out to be “on the wrong side of history.” That’s code for turning out to have…
Jesus and brain science agree
By Alan Bean Although you would never know it from listening to American preaching, Jesus linked poverty with the kingdom of God and affluence with sin. The text of the first sermon Jesus preached was taken from Isaiah 61: The…
SBC public policy arm launches think tank
By Bob Allen The new head of the Southern Baptist Convention’s public policy arm announced Aug. 11 the re-launch of a Research Institute to employ the denomination’s top scholars in engaging complex issues of the day. Russell Moore, president of…
Should churches, denominations bear responsibility for unethical clergy? Some ethicists say yes.
By Vicki Brown Ministers are responsible for their actions as individuals, sometimes by civil authorities and ultimately by God. But what responsibility, if any, should the local church and the denomination bear for unethical behavior of their pastors and other…
Vital Christianity: As I see it
By David Gushee Follow David: @dpgushee Here on the eve of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship General Assembly meeting in Atlanta, and with other national religious conventions recently in the news (for better or for worse), I choose to articulate what…
Charting clergy trust
By Bill Leonard “Please tell me how you would rate the honesty and ethical standards of people in these different fields — very high, high, average, low, very low.” That’s the question asked in a Gallup poll regarding ethics and…
Gun violence too close to home
By Miguel De La Torre We picked our home the way most with middle-class privilege choose their neighborhoods. At the time, we had two adolescents who were on the threshold of beginning high school. We wanted a home that was…
Ethicist says violence a moral option
By Ken Camp The use of deadly force can be justified in a broken world inhabited by “moral monsters,” Baptist ethicist Roger Olson told students at Baylor University’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary Nov. 6. “The kingdom of God is…