When I talk about the canon in my New Testament class, I often have students who are surprised that the current list of 27 books that are in our New Testament have not always comprised canon lists. In fact, I…
A Baptist’s report from Tehran
Report from Tehran, January 22, 2014 I spent the afternoon today ambling along the streets of Tehran soaking in the city, negotiating the tiny, bustling alleys of its bazaar, and reflecting as I stood in front of the former U.S….
Forever Changed #16: Religion v. spirituality in the war zone
One thing I have learned in Iraq is maybe another rendition of the age old adage – there are no atheists in foxholes. Or it could just be the way chaplains try to negotiate the pluralistic world we live in….
Duck Dynasty and the Struggle Over Christianity
There is no such thing as Christianity. I’ll repeat myself so you know I really meant to say it: there is no such thing as Christianity. Instead what we have are reifications and definitions. As with all definitions, the various…
Advent: the scenic route to Christmas
In the 1970’s when Interstate 20 opened between Atlanta and Birmingham, many local residents were looking forward to faster travel on the new freeway. For years, my family had traveled to Birmingham from Anniston on old highway 78, a two-lane…
Mary’s baby bump: a divine scandal?
Every year preachers try to make the Christmas story anew. How do you tell the same story in a different way? One angle that many try to stay away from is on Mary’s “situation”: an unwed mother who is pregnant. …
Be a peace-wager like Nelson Mandela
As the world reacts to the death of Nelson Mandela, we cannot help but read and understand his amazing history of peace. Fighting against injustice and apartheid in South Africa were his notable achievements, but Mandela did so much more….
It’s embarrassing, but it doesn’t have to be (being Baptist, that is)
Hello there! I just recently realized (in the midst of writing blog after blog after endless blog) that I don’t think we’ve met before (aside of course, from you mom! I promise I’ll come get my mail soon.) Yes, exactly…
What kind of Baptists are we?
In the 1950s and 60s, the unofficial public theology of America was dominated by theologians associated with what we now call “the Protestant Mainline”. A public theology makes biblical teaching relevant to the pressing political, economic and social issues of…