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Progressive Christian

2026-08-04T11:42:52-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Kairos, Chronos, and the Eternal Now

Last updated on: August 4, 2026 at 11:42 am By Gregory T. Smith

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How can you make prayer more meaningful? By giving ordinary moments enough attention to become sacred time. The modern myth in family relationships is that quality time is more important than quantity time. Parents who don’t spend enough time with their children sometimes think they can make up for it by taking them to amusement parks and sporting events, or on expensive vacations. Quality Time with People Quality time is important. But the truth is that quality time usually... Read more

General Christian

Home and Religion

Family, Parenting and Religion

Spirituality

2026-08-23T12:42:28-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Jesus and Lao Tzu: Allowing Your Enemies

Last updated on: August 23, 2026 at 12:42 pm By Gregory T. Smith

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Jesus said, “Love your enemies,” which sounds like idealism until you watch what hate does when it’s resisted with more hate: it multiplies. Love doesn’t excuse harm; it interrupts the cycle. There’s a parallel kind of insight in the Tao: what’s over-tightened snaps; what’s over-extended collapses. Allowing isn’t surrender to evil, it’s refusing to feed it. Think about rivers that are hemmed in by levees, roaring higher and faster until they break. Give rivers wide floodplains and... Read more

Politics and Religion

Health, Fitness and Religion

2026-07-17T07:00:10-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Which Version of Superman is the Most Punk Rock?

Last updated on: July 17, 2026 at 7:00 am By Gregory T. Smith

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In James Gunn’s 2025 movie Superman, David Corenswet portrays a very different version of Superman from Henry Cavill’s brooding incarnation. When Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice came out ten years ago, I admired Cavill’s portrayal of the classic superhero. No longer a one-dimensionally good character, Cavill’s version embodied a true-to-life mixture of virtue and vice. Superman and the Caped Crusader go at it in a battle royale that reveals neither character to be the absolute hero we want to... Read more

General Christian

Religious Art

Religious Music and Entertainment

2026-07-13T06:32:45-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Hidden Theology of the Gingerbread Man

Last updated on: July 13, 2026 at 6:32 am By Gregory T. Smith

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Think children’s stories don’t matter? The Gingerbread Man teaches two radically different theologies, depending on the fox. The story first appeared in the May 1875 issue of St. Nicholas Magazine, a periodical for children. Author and magazine editor Mary Mapes Dodge’s original title was “The Gingerbread Boy,” but she only made the story popular. She said she heard it from a student. It may have been an oral folktale from the “runaway food” tradition (yes, there is such a thing).... Read more

General Christian

Religious Art

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Gingerbread Man

High-control religion

2026-08-20T09:19:48-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Is God Violent? Rethinking the Bible’s Bloodiest Passages

Last updated on: August 20, 2026 at 9:19 am By Gregory T. Smith

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Violence and religion have a long and tangled history. Is it just people who are violent? Or maybe is God violent too? All you have to do is read the texts of sacred literature from around the world to learn that religions have been at the center of violence, either as perpetrators or as victims, since the dawn of time. But recently, that violence has been on the upswing. Is God Violent? The upturn in religious brutality leads to the... Read more

General Christian

Politics and Religion

History and Religion

Challenging the Church

Jesus and nonviolence

2026-07-01T14:46:53-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Jesus and Lao Tzu: Living Without Fear

Last updated on: July 1, 2026 at 2:46 pm By Gregory T. Smith

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What if divine protection isn’t about escaping danger, but learning to walk through the world without being ruled by fear? Psalm ninety-one is known as the Soldier’s Psalm. Many New Testaments given to troops on the front lines have this psalm highlighted, marked, or specially printed on the fly leaf. Fighters often go into battle, trusting this verse for protection. It’s been read at hospital bedsides, taped to dashboards, and prayed by parents over their kids, because on the surface it... Read more

General Christian

History and Religion

Health, Fitness and Religion

2026-06-23T18:34:31-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

All the Colors of the Rainbow Testify to Love

Last updated on: June 23, 2026 at 6:34 pm By Gregory T. Smith

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Now, the rainbow isn’t just a flag that LGBTQIA+ people can wave. This Pride Month, it’s become something queer people can sing. Do you remember the 1997 contemporary Christian song “Testify to Love,” made famous by Avalon? Its remake is finding new life, reimagined as a Pride anthem. Some may find this surprising. Others may feel that it’s overdue, and very welcome. At the close of this article series about the rainbow, Christianity, and Pride, this song feels like a... Read more

General Christian

Deconstruction

Holidays and special days

2026-06-30T18:46:39-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Why the Rainbow Became a Pride Symbol

Last updated on: June 30, 2026 at 6:46 pm By Gregory T. Smith

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The rainbow did not become a Pride symbol because queer people stole it. It became one because people needed a symbol of hope. Some say the rainbow flag mocks the Christian rainbow, or steals something from the church. Yet, it was created because LGBTQIA+ people needed a public representation of their visibility, dignity, survival, and joy. If it flies in the face of the church, it does not defy Christ himself. It wasn’t invented to challenge Christian teachings. But its... Read more

General Christian

Religious Art

History and Religion

Challenging the Church

2026-06-10T18:37:53-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

No, the Rainbow is Not a Christian Trademark

Last updated on: June 10, 2026 at 6:37 pm By Gregory T. Smith

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Christians can find meaning in the rainbow. The problem begins when we act like no one else is allowed to see it too. The first article in this Pride Month series addressed the question, “Did Gay People Steal the Rainbow from Christians?” I looked at the rainbow in the Bible—as a sign of covenant in Genesis, divine glory in Ezekiel, and heavenly majesty in Revelation. I also argued that Christians should be careful about calling the rainbow “ours,” especially... Read more

General Christian

Relationships and Religion

History and Religion

Holidays and special days

Rainbows across religions

2026-06-30T18:48:50-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Did Gay People Steal the Rainbow from Christians?

Last updated on: June 30, 2026 at 6:48 pm By Gregory T. Smith

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Every Pride Month, some pearl-clutching Karen says, “Gay people stole the rainbow from Christianity.” Here’s what’s wrong with this claim. If you spend time with conservative Christians in June, you’ve probably heard this, too. But that accusation assumes several things: Christians owned the rainbow in the first place. The rainbow has only one religious meaning. The biblical rainbow is exclusively Christian. LGBTQIA+ people — and I’ll sometimes use the reclaimed word “queer” as an ally and umbrella term — chose... Read more

General Christian

Relationships and Religion

History and Religion

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