By Bob Allen Southern Baptists’ go-to authority on “gender issues” is no fan of Mattel’s new Barbie ad challenging the stereotype that boys do not play with dolls. Bob Stith, founder of Family and Gender Issues Ministries in Southlake, Texas,…
Book tells untold story of women in the SBC controversy
By Bob Allen Most histories of the Southern Baptist Convention controversy in the late 20th century downplay or neglect the impact and role of women, a female historian says in a recent book. Elizabeth Flowers, associate professor of religion at…
‘90 Minutes in Heaven’ coming to big screen
By Bob Allen The best-selling story of a Southern Baptist minister declared dead in a car wreck who woke up 90 minutes later claiming he had been to heaven is coming to the big screen this fall. 90 Minutes in…
Many Americans find meaning in vampire, zombie tales, Baylor prof says
By Jeff Brumley It’s a good thing so many films, books and television shows are fixated on life after death, Baylor University scholar Greg Garrett said. Because we need them. “For many of us, if we don’t tell these stories…
Publisher finds challenges in appealing to conservative, liberal faith traditions
By Bob Allen Six months after a controversy over its decision to publish Matthew Vines’ book God and the Gay Christian, the publisher of authors including John Piper, Bill Gothard and David Platt has announced organizational changes increasing distance between…
African-American Baptist group protests ‘Black Jesus’
By Bob Allen An African-American Baptist convention born out of the 1960s struggle for civil rights has denounced the television comedy “Black Jesus” and is mobilizing members to join a petition drive asking network officials to take the program off…
Preachers: Read fiction to learn human condition, not for sermon fodder
By Ken Camp Preachers should read good fiction for the insight it offers on the human condition — good, bad and ugly — not just to seek quotes that can be plucked out of context to make points in a…
Debate: what (if anything) to do about choir decline
By Jeff Brumley Recent news that the church choir is in rapid decline troubled a number of Baptists, a number of whom took to Facebook recently to post evidence that choral music has – or at least should have – a…
Seeking God through worship — and jazz
By Jeff Brumley For centuries, Baptist and other churches have sought encounters with the divine through music. The quest has led to everything from organs and hymns to guitars, drum sets and praise bands. Now there are those hoping the…
Baptist film critics: Christian films and audiences must evolve
By Jeff Brumley Organizers hope a first-ever gathering of Hollywood and Christian leaders in Los Angeles tomorrow will spark ideas for movies and television shows that will positively influence society. But a Baptist pastor and film critic says there’s an…
Illuminated Bible to be featured in BTSR exhibit
By Robert Dilday The first Bible to be written and illuminated entirely by hand since the invention of movable type more than 500 years ago will be on display next month at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond — the first…
PHOTOS: Pastor blends art, preaching to share Good News
