In 2023, my two grandmothers died within six weeks of each other — January and February. During that time, I found out a dear friend had cancer. After Easter, she told me her cancer was terminal and she wasn’t interested…
The Ten Commandments and the fallacy of certainty
“So, inerrancy was in essence adapted and used by enslavers?” “Yes.” I was sitting in Stephen Ray’s office working on my Ph.D. at Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary. I had asked if I could take a directed study on Reformed theology…
Hanch to lead Perkins’ Baptist House of Studies
Kate Hanch has been named director of the Baptist House of Studies at SMU’s Perkins School of Theology. She comes to the post from First St. Charles United Methodist Church in St. Charles, Mo., where she has served as associate…
Can progressive Christians be fundamentalists? Yes
Those of us who grew up in more conservative churches have found freedom in the exvangelical movement. Liberation Theology, multiple ways to interpret the Bible, and new theories that help us realize the Triune God is much bigger than we…
Who is my neighbor? Reflecting theologically on the migrant crisis
“Who is my neighbor?” The expert of the law, the one whose job it was to study Scriptures, asked Jesus this question in Luke 10. Of course, the expert probably knew the answer. He knew the original languages and pored…
What happens when you cannot hope?
As Advent approaches quickly, focused on waiting for the Christ Child, and as we light the candles of hope, joy, love and peace, I find myself unready. Exhausted. Feeling out of touch with the patterns of the church year, with…
This year, I need Lent
I told a friend, “I need Lent this year.” I have practiced Lent in some form or fashion since middle school, although not always with the greatest of intentions, and before it was commonplace in Cooperative Baptist Fellowship-adjacent circles. One…
On the struggle bus wondering about authenticity, performance and the pandemic
I was talking to someone I hadn’t touched base with in a while. They said something like, “It looks like you’re doing great,” based on what they saw on Facebook. I smiled and didn’t have the heart to tell them…
In times like these: Love of hope and hope of love
Does hope mean anything anymore? What is the point of hope in this season? I’ve asked myself those questions, along with many, many others in the preceding months and today. I look at the mess we’ve made of the United…
Four radical implications of knowing you are God’s child
We are children of God. This statement is incredibly simple. And incredibly radical. In Genesis, God creates humanity out of God’s image. Humans are made into God’s image and grow into God’s likeness. We are like God; we bear God’s…
Of all topics, why did John Piper choose to focus on the propriety of women teaching men?
All of life is subject to theological reflection, but we should discern carefully what garners our attention. Choosing to reflect on how women should be controlled rather than on current events that are life and death for many persons in the United States is unwise and unfruitful.
‘Biblical masculinity’ and ‘sanctified testosterone:’ why biblical manhood is idolatrous
Jason Allen, president of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, describes the need for “biblical manhood” for “anemic churches.” However, the notion of “biblical manhood” is idolatrous.