On May 21, 1922, Harry Emerson Fosdick broke the spell of Christian fundamentalism in a single sermon, “Shall the Fundamentalists Win?” After more than 100 years, his words still sting those of a fundamentalism inclination. In fact, Fosdick’s critique fits…
James Robison, Southern Baptist turned Pentecostal influencer
James Robison — a fiery Southern Baptist evangelist who became a Pentecostal TV personality — died May 17 at age 82. Robison began preaching as a teenager, growing up mainly in the Houston suburb of Pasadena. His official biography tells…
The Trump Card: How white evangelicals are being played
As a Christian leader, I will not be silent about the current state of white evangelicalism in America. I must lay out the facts, clearly and succinctly. Due to the rise of Donald Trump and Trumpism, white American evangelicalism has…
Letter to the Editor: Moral Majority and Vote Common Good are not moral equivalents
Contrary to Jonathan Frank’s opinion article, the Moral Majority and Vote Common Good are not the same at all.
Getting out the ‘Christian’ vote: Today’s Vote Common Good is much like yesterday’s Moral Majority
The problem with some organizations, like Vote Common Good on the left or Moral Majority on the right, is this: They attempt to shoehorn faith into the mold of a political party, instead of letting faith be the mold through which Christians reach their political decisions.
A gospel torn in two by a white Jesus
Among the unavoidable claims of the gospel is that those following in the way of Jesus will be wounded. The Way leads to abundance, but it is not painless. A false gospel — or a half-gospel — wounds, but not in a way that brings about healing. White Jesus wounds the body and soul of everyone he encounters, but lacks either the power or the gentle touch to bind up our wounds.
‘Locker room banter’: Nightmare for the Religious Right
“You can’t endorse me … but I endorse you and what you are doing.” That memorable phrase, delivered by presidential candidate Ronald Reagan at the Religious Roundtable National Affairs Briefing in Dallas in August 1980, highlighted the public beginnings of…