I blogged last year about the Trayvon Martin / George Zimmerman case. Specifically, I shared my uneasiness with claims of “God’s plan” being part of the rhetoric. The verdict is in. I’m not a lawyer, and I don’t claim to…
Book challenges ‘gendered’ pulpit
By Bob Allen A “gendered” pulpit that defines what a preacher looks like as exclusively straight and male hinders women and members of the LGBT community from leadership in preaching and worship, theologian, author and Baptist pastor Angela Yarber says…
Cherry picking the Bible
By Thomas Whitley Neale Donald Walsch had a post on Huffington Posts‘s Religion blog recently titled “Buffet-Style Bible Believers” to which I’ve wanted to respond, but have had little time until now. The message of the post is nothing new….
Team seeks to avert SBC split on Calvinism
By Jeff Brumley Growing disagreements over the role of Calvinism will make the Southern Baptist Convention stronger, not weaker, as long as its focus remains on evangelism, members of an advisory team commissioned to study the topic told hundreds in…
Making (theological) sense of natural disaster
Like many, I’ve followed the story of the tornado-spawned tragedy in Oklahoma. The images called up memories of when an EF-4 tornado swept through Murfreesboro, Tenn., where I served as a pastor at the time. A young mother and her…
Mont. theology center has missional aim
By Jeff Brumley A Baptist-inspired project envisioned to inspire and retool pastors and congregations for the missional church environment is taking shape in Bozeman, Mont. The Yellowstone Theological Institute has secured $4.5 million in land and money pledges. While probably…
Calvinist study calls for trust, dialogue
By Bob Allen An ad-hoc task force appointed to study Calvinism’s impact on the Southern Baptist Convention says the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message is a sufficient guide for orthodoxy in the nation’s second-largest faith group behind Roman Catholics. “We…
Good news for exiles
My morning routine is pretty standard. After my alarm goes off, I hop in the shower, fix some breakfast, and head to work. Sometimes I find a few minutes to read my Bible and pray, but even then, I have…
Okla. twister spawns God’s wrath debate
By Jeff Brumley The monstrous twister had barely finished its deadly work in Moore, Okla., on May 20 when the usual voices of judgment and condemnation began echoing across the Internet. Westboro Baptist Church’s Fred Phelps Jr. tweeted that the…