Two streams of thought have merged and crashed into my struggle with the crisis of church scandals. And yes, crisis is the correct word, not hyperbole. Ten years ago, I wrote one of my favorite papers of my academic career. The paper was on John Williamson Nevin, an obscure theologian from the 19th century. Nevin … Continue reading Humanity, Law Enforcement, and the Crisis of Church Scandal
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Lynched, by Angela D. Sims
This post is not a review or a critique, just a few insights gleaned from Sims' incredibly important project (published 2016). Over the course of 18 months (July 2009 - February 2011), Sims traveled around the country collecting oral histories from people in locales as varied as New Jersey and Louisiana, Texas and Nebraska. She … Continue reading Lynched, by Angela D. Sims
How to Use a Christian Worldview
Over the last year I've been in countless conversations about politics, covid, race, theology, the environment, etc. In many of these conversations, my dialogue partner makes mention of a Christian worldview. A Christian worldview is a distinct way of viewing the world, of viewing life. I am convinced that in most of my conversations with … Continue reading How to Use a Christian Worldview
The Goodness of Shame
Shame has gotten a bad rap. Undeservedly. Shame is a good thing. A gift from God. Obviously, like every good thing that comes from our Heavenly Father, we have found ways of misusing it. We make a child feel shame because of a substandard report card that is not the result of laziness. We shame … Continue reading The Goodness of Shame
Books on Justice, Race, and Critical Race Theory
(updated 9/14/21) Eighteen months ago, I began hearing terms thrown around in my online theological discussion boards I was not familiar with. More alarmingly to me, I was being accused of things I didn't understand - being 'woke' or having bought into critical race theory. Often times when I asked what they meant I got … Continue reading Books on Justice, Race, and Critical Race Theory
God Entranced 