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James Wellman on American Religion

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Progressive Christian

2017-02-21T22:07:24-07:00

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.

Do Black Lives Matter to the Church?

Last updated on: February 21, 2017 at 10:07 pm By Dr. James Wellman

Guest Blogger: Brooke Anne Wellman As a white person, it is difficult to write about racism claiming any sort of moral high ground, but not to talk about it is a deep moral error. I have heard people of color say that in these kinds of conversations, they often find themselves doing most of the work to educate white people. Either that, or feeling like they have to lighten the mood and keep their real thoughts shut up inside so... Read more

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2017-02-21T20:08:25-07:00

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.

Guest Blogger: Brooke Anne Wellman

Last updated on: February 21, 2017 at 8:08 pm By Dr. James Wellman

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2017-02-06T11:27:26-07:00

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.

Sometimes Goodness Triumphs

Last updated on: February 6, 2017 at 11:27 am By Dr. James Wellman

“Some believe it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. It is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love.” Gandalf. The Lord of the Rings. J.R.R. Tolkein We need some good news these days. And some just came from my corner of the world, a Republican Federal Judge in Washington State. In our politicized world a manichean... Read more

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2017-01-30T12:42:16-07:00

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.

Time for a New Confessing Church

Last updated on: January 30, 2017 at 12:42 pm By Dr. James Wellman

For the last three years I’ve moderated the Veritas Forum at my University. And each time we’ve had 500 to 700 university students come to these sessions and the recent event was no different. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed these sessions, which give our students ample time to ask questions and to experience informed and responsible interlocutors that include Christians, agnostics and atheists. The year’s Veritas theme was “In _____ we trust.” It’s a great question in these troubling times. We had... Read more

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2016-11-15T20:43:06-07:00

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.

I Saw this Coming

Last updated on: November 15, 2016 at 8:43 pm By Dr. James Wellman

One of my favorite authors, Sherman Alexie, had a wonderful tweet after the election: “Anyone else feel like a bird who just flew into a window? I’m shaking off the hit & ready to fly and fight again.” Well I must say I’m still on the ground, wiggling around back and forth trying to figure out what just happened. This is not to say I didn’t see this coming. I didn’t want to see what was coming, but there were... Read more

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2016-11-11T15:11:04-07:00

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.

Resilient Peace in the Time of Crisis

Last updated on: November 11, 2016 at 3:11 pm By Dr. James Wellman

Leonard Cohen, who died the day after Trump’s victory in the presidential election, introduced his song, “If It Be Your Will” with these words, which I found very powerful in this time of tears, pain and disappointment for so many of us. “I don’t know which side anyone is on anymore I don’t really care. There is a moment when we have to transcend the side we’re on and understand that we are creatures of a higher order. That doesn’t... Read more

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2016-11-08T16:00:48-07:00

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.

I’m with the Nasty Women

Last updated on: November 8, 2016 at 4:00 pm By Dr. James Wellman

I’m with the nasty women for lots of reasons! I’m reading John Caputo’s The Weakness of God. I love this: “Suppose, in addition, Jesus said that the sinners would get priority seating in the kingdom, that there was some kind of preferential priority, not just for the poor, which in a way is “fair,” but for the wicked, which is not fair. If he did indeed say, “the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God... Read more

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2016-10-28T12:33:48-06:00

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.

Religion is for Lovers

Last updated on: October 28, 2016 at 12:33 pm By Dr. James Wellman

These are dark days folks. Everyone is just a bit down. (Thank God for the Cubbies!) Cynicism, as they say, is intellectual depression. There are no innocents in this political election season, there is very little hope and so I think we need a good and kind and loving word to be sung, to belt it out with all our hearts! Hey, what is the good news? Is there any good news of hope out there? It is not often... Read more

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2016-10-15T19:14:55-06:00

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 a Trump-like Culture Nearly Killed Me and May Destroy America

Last updated on: October 15, 2016 at 7:14 pm By Dr. James Wellman

Words can heal and they can kill. These days we are in a word storm. It’s no secret that it’s becoming chic among Trump followers to suggest that pc culture is destroying America. They even say, “Donald Trump is no Boy Scout, but the women around him should know better; it’s men being men.” They argue that the kind of talk we heard on the video of Trump wanting to “f….” women, wanting to “kiss” them without consent, and wanting... Read more

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2016-10-05T17:32:54-06:00

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.

Edgeman: Rob Bell in LA

Last updated on: October 5, 2016 at 5:32 pm By Dr. James Wellman

I just watched a beautiful film piece on Rob Bell in The New Yorker Presents, Amazon Series, #8 (the part on Bell starts at around 15 minutes into the film). It interviews Bell and describes the building of his ministry, his leaving the church, and the continuing progress of his ministry in LA. I loved it. I have described Bell as an “Edgeman.” In my book, Rob Bell and a New American Christianity, I wrote: The quality of Bell’s consciousness... Read more

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