In Primitive Baptists of the Wiregrass South, author John G. Crowley writes that for those Appalachian Baptists, “the use of fermented wine, usually made by the deacons” is standard in their celebration of the Lord’s Supper, a biblical mandate they…
Mr. Speaker, what might the Wizard of Oz-es teach us about engaging the Bible?
New Speaker of the House Mike Johnson recently commented that he is a “Bible-believing” Christian, and all anyone needs to do to understand his view on any topic is to read the Bible. Politicians of every stripe often trample faith…
Three billboards outside Nashville, Tennessee
During most trips down the interstate, drivers mindlessly zoom past billboards bombarding them with a blur of messages on their way to wherever they’re going. But every once in a while, travelers are confronted with a message about a different…
Why such a need for literalism?
Why does a literal reading of the Bible hold such attraction for Christians? More to the point: How has belief in literalism led to Christian nationalism, to such awful ideas about how immigrants should be treated, to discrimination against women…
A case for why Mary didn’t know
I have appreciated the recent writing of Julia Goldie Day. She speaks wise words, especially for the voiceless, the oppressed, those marginalized by our society. I read with interest her recent post about the now-popular Christmas song “Mary, Did You…
The biblical view from the Tower of Babel
Few stories in the Bible highlight the complexities of deconstruction and the way it divides us into speaking very different theological languages like the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11. “What did Babel’s builders do wrong? Why did God punish…
Conservative or liberal? Jesus widens our political landscape
It is commonly assumed that a conservative interpretation of Scripture will produce conservative political views. I believe this to be false. Using popular definitions, a conservative interpretation is based on the literal, face-value or plain meaning of the text. It…
Connect the dots from Methodists to Baptists to Episcopalians to Presbyterians and national politics
Maybe this is simply stating the obvious, but here goes: There is a pattern to what is happening in the United Methodist Church, the Southern Baptist Convention, the Episcopal Church, the Presbyterian Church and other American churches. And that pattern…