Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Progressive Christian

2021-07-23T19:10:16-04:00

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.

When Jesus Takes a Walk

Last updated on: July 23, 2021 at 7:10 pm By Vance Morgan

The summer Sunday gospel readings annually are full of Jesus’ greatest hits–this year is no exception. This Sunday’s reading contains John’s account of two of Jesus’ most notable miracles–feeding the five thousand and walking on water. The feeding of the five thousand is the only pre-resurrection miracle that is recorded in all four of the canonical gospels; Jesus walking on the Sea of Galilee is in all of the gospels except Luke (maybe Luke wasn’t there?). What makes the walking... Read more

belief

Bible

Christianity

Development of Western Civilization

2021-07-21T11:42:32-04:00

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.

A Philosopher Who Happens to Be a Christian

Last updated on: July 21, 2021 at 11:42 am By Vance Morgan

Who gets to call themselves “Christian”? A few months ago on this blog, I suggested that Christianity might be thought of as a large circus tent, within which dozens of various groups stake out various areas, fortify these areas with doctrines of exclusivity, then claim that only those within those narrow boundaries are real Christians. Living On the Edges of the Christian Circus Tent I ran into this phenomenon just the other day. In the middle of a mostly unfruitful... Read more

2021-07-20T06:34:46-04:00

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.

Dear Evangelical Christians: You’re Ruining the Brand

Last updated on: July 20, 2021 at 6:34 am By Vance Morgan

In “Slander,” from her latest collection of essays, What Are We Doing Here?, Marilynne Robinson writes that when she applied for the faculty position at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa where she spent her teaching career until her retirement in 2016, the job description said that candidates should be able to teach the Bible as literature. And so she did—something that I also have the privilege of doing as a professor at Providence College. She notes, though,... Read more

2021-07-17T14:40:52-04:00

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.

Of Introverts and Sheep

Last updated on: July 17, 2021 at 2:40 pm By Vance Morgan

I have the privilege of giving the sermone at Trinity Episcopal Church in Pawtuxet, RI this morning. Here’s what I will say. If you are able, everyone stand up! Really—good to get a bit of exercise at the beginning of a sermon! If you suspect or know for sure that you are an extrovert, sit down. Now, if you suspect or know that you are an introvert, sit down. Those of you still standing are part of the balanced few.... Read more

2021-07-16T13:20:26-04:00

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.

How to Defund the Police

Last updated on: July 16, 2021 at 1:20 pm By Vance Morgan

I don’t often post an essay on this blog that has no discernable connection to either philosophy or the life of faith. Today’s essay is an exception. Every once in a while, I find myself compelled to weigh in on a pressing contemporary social/political issue–this is one of those times. As you’ll read, there’s a personal connection here. I also believe that there are plenty of philosophy and faith connections to be made; I’ll leave it to you to let... Read more

2021-07-14T14:27:14-04:00

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 Tongue of a Teacher

Last updated on: July 14, 2021 at 2:27 pm By Vance Morgan

One of the many positive things that happened to me during the months of pandemic shutdown was discovering podcasts. I began listening to them as I rode my bike in the basement during the winter months when I couldn’t ride outside–I now have at least twenty podcasts in my Spotify “favorites.” One of the best is a podcast called “Renegades,” a series of seven or eight hour-long conversations between Barack Obama and Bruce Stringsteen. In one of the episodes, Springsteen... Read more

2021-07-12T20:33:05-04:00

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.

A Portly Angel with a Boston Accent

Last updated on: July 12, 2021 at 8:33 pm By Vance Morgan

Some have entertained angels unawares Hebrews 11:2 I’ve never known what to make of angels. I was bombarded with stories involving them as a youngster, from the angel chasing Adam and Eve out of Eden, to the one who wrestles with Jacob, to the one who brings bizarre news to Zechariah and Mary and the one who sits having a morning coffee on top of the stone that’s been rolled away from the empty tomb on Easter morning. But my favorite... Read more

2021-07-09T14:19:15-04:00

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.

Getting Real: A Conversation Between Jesus and John the Baptist

Last updated on: July 9, 2021 at 2:19 pm By Vance Morgan

In a recent episode of “The Chosen,” a multi-year cinematic treatment of the life of Jesus that is almost finished with its second season, Jesus has a private conversation with his relative John the Baptist (known to Jesus’ disciples as “Creepy John”). They clearly have known each other since they were boys; they not only are friends, but also have a strong sense of each other’s calling. John, appropriately scraggly as one would expect a guy who eats locusts and... Read more

2021-06-30T13:28:00-04:00

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 There Anyone Home Up There?

Last updated on: June 30, 2021 at 1:28 pm By Vance Morgan

This week, my preliminary work on my next book project–a teaching memoir tentatively entitled Nice Work If You Can Get It–takes me to an essay from four years ago that begins with my attendance at one of my least favorite events in the academic life: an academic conference. Before long, the main question of the essay, a question that all persons of faith eventually ask, is clear. Is there anyone home up there? God would have us know that we... Read more

2021-07-07T17:41:51-04:00

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.

What an Ancient Greek Puzzle Can Teach Us About the Life of Faith

Last updated on: July 7, 2021 at 5:41 pm By Vance Morgan

After several years at sea rescuing besieged towns from monsters, slaying the Minotaur, and doing the things that mythical Greek heroes do, Theseus has decided that it’s time for he and his crew to take some well-deserved R and R. The name of the famous hero’s ship has been lost in antiquity—let’s call it the “Tachus,” after the ancient Greek word for “swift.” The Tachus has served Theseus and his entourage well over the years, but the ship is badly... Read more

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does Proverbs 23:4-5 warn against pursuing too much?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Power Status Knowledge Wealth

Books by This Author Books by Vance G. Morgan

See All Titles »

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category abortion Advent AI Angels Artificial intelligence atheism attention baptism Baptists beauty belief Benedictines Bible bicycling Big Bird books Bovina Camaldoli hermitage Canada Catholicism cats certainty change Christianity Christmas Collegeville Covid-19 creativity Development of Western Civilization dogs doubt Easter Enneagram Epiphany Episcopal ethics Eucharist evil extroverts Facebook faith family fear flowers forgiveness freedom friends God goodness grace happiness heaven hell history Holy Spirit Holy Week hope human nature humility humor idolatry incarnation introverts irreverence Islam Jeanne Jesus Joe Biden joy Judaism justice Kamala Harris knowledge Lent listen literature liturgy love Marsue Memorial Day miracles movies music mystery mythology NPR Old Testament optimism paradox peace Penguins philosophy piano podcast politics power prayer Protestantism Providence College Religion Rhode Island sabbatical sacrament science seeing silence Simone Weil Socrates soul sports St. John's College stories suffering tattoo teaching technology television theology thinking time tolerance transcendence travel trees trust truth Uncategorized Vermont wisdom wonder writing

Select a Month May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012

TRENDING AT PATHEOS Progressive Christian