Some years ago I had the opportunity to visit the Holy Land with a large tour group. We spent two weeks traveling around Israel and Palestine but spent most of our time in and around Jerusalem. One of the most…
‘Pilgrim’ identity is Baptists’ gift to the larger church, new book asserts
Baptists tend to be the “problem children” of the ecumenical movement but have gifts both to give and receive from the broader Christian community, a Baptist theologian who teaches in the school of divinity at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs,…
What does it mean to confess that Jesus is Lord?
To say that Jesus is Lord is to echo one the earliest and most basic Christian confessions. Lordship language came right out of the Roman culture: Caesar claimed for himself the titles “son of God” and “Lord.” To claim the…
unprofessional christianity IV: promising
In a world enslaved to anxiety and fear and scarcity and wealth and power, a world willing to sacrifice anyone on the altar of it’s security, the most dangerously necessary people are those radically okay with who they are, where…
The myth of redemptive violence and ‘The Hateful Eight’
By Michael Parnell I step onto some shaky ground here, but I will admit it: I love Quentin Tarantino. Yes, I know his movies are filled with violence and terrible language. But there are few directors working today that fill…
Christians and Muslims don’t worship same God, SBC leader says
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist seminary president says not only do Christians and Muslims not worship the same God, neither do Jews who refuse to believe that Jesus is the Son of God. In Dec. 18 article on his…
Two rural churches rile Baptist association by calling women as pastor
By Bob Allen An association of Southern Baptist churches in Kentucky recently removed two churches from its membership roll for non-conformity with the Baptist Faith and Message ban on female pastors. The 45-church Nelson Baptist Association, based in Bardstown, Ky.,…
Will the new ‘Star Wars’ tap into spiritual longing or merely entertain?
By Joe LaGuardia There is a tidal wave of excitement over the seventh installment of the Star Wars franchise, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, to be released this week. Tickets for opening day are nearly sold out, people will camp…
Educating healthy ministers outside ‘The Bubble’
By Kate Riney I am a proud product of distance learning. I was homeschooled until my sophomore year of high school, when I entered public school at age 13. Yes, I was that kid. The homeschooler. I heard it all…