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March 2023

March 26, 2023

When Opinions Are Facts: the Dumbing Down of American Christianity

I was seventeen in 1988, and Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ had just landed...

March 20, 2023

Is Christianity Delivering on Its Promise to Change People?

For years I’ve convinced myself that I based my faith on a dogged pursuit of...

October 2020

October 17, 2020

Judging Others Isn’t Wrong. It’s Required.

Christian historians will be studying evangelical support for Trump for hundreds of years. How...

September 2020

September 19, 2020

The Social Dilemma: Is Christian Community Even Possible Anymore?

I watched The Social Dilemma the other day—mostly because I saw everyone talking about it...

August 2020

August 10, 2020

Things Christians Think and Do Not Say: Why Evangelicalism Needs to Change or Die

At the beginning of Jerry Maguire, Tom Cruise’s character has a breakthrough (or, depending on...

June 2020

June 15, 2020

What Happens When “Good” Pastors Refuse to Get Political

In many faith spaces, you'll hear the following refrain: "Let's not get too political. We...

January 2020

January 03, 2020

Are American Christians too Quick to Embrace War?

Yesterday the United States launched a drone strike against Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head...

November 2018

November 08, 2018

Love or Fear: What’s the Defining Characteristic of a Christian?

"Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold"—Jesus (Matt. 24:12)...

June 2018

June 12, 2018

Resolved: 20 Decisions for Surviving the Church with Your Faith Intact

Jesus famously said that the road that leads to life is narrow and only a...

June 02, 2018

God’s Antidote for Patriotism: the Kingdom of God

It's not necessarily a hot take to point to 380 AD as a pivotal moment...

April 2018

April 24, 2018

How Wild Wild Country Made Me Hungry for a Healthier Christianity

I’m always late to the party. I was watching a recent SNL featuring John Mulaney/Jack White, and they...

April 05, 2018

Three Fibs We Keep Telling about the New Testament

It’s time we shook off some of the myths that we’re regularly taught in the...

January 2018

January 29, 2018

Only the Mystics Can Save Christianity Now

For the 25 years that I've been a Christian, the "God-shaped vacuum" is one of...

January 25, 2018

How “Support the Troops” Aids the Military-Industrial Complex

In October of 1968, Johnson called a halt to North Vietnamese bombings to fuel peace...

January 17, 2018

Stop Telling Me about the “Lazy” and “Entitled” Poor

Years ago I led my small-group discussion on Christ's troubling parable about Lazarus and the rich man...

January 14, 2018

When the Church Is the Reason You Struggle with Doubt

I have a lot of atheist friends, and I'm never defensive when they talk about their...

December 2017

December 23, 2017

The Gospel Has Got to Be More Than Forgiveness for Sinners

If you ever watch someone like Ray Comfort do street evangelism, you see a perfect picture...

December 08, 2017

Can You Trust the Story You’re Telling Yourself?

If you think about it, every one of us is trapped in our own mind and...

November 2017

November 18, 2017

Are Religious People More Inclined to Believe Nonsense?

There's been a lot of discussions lately about who's more susceptible to "fake news." In...

November 14, 2017

5 Things Jesus Would Say to Conservative American Evangelicals

There's a growing polarization in America. As the gulf between the partisan left and the...

August 2017

August 14, 2017

Pastors: If You’re Not Speaking Up, It’s Time to Hand Off the Mic

I fear that churches in America are being run like corporations. And like many companies,...

April 2017

April 19, 2017

Sarcasm, Generation X, and Our Ironic Savior

It always strikes me as funny when I hear Gen. Xers bad mouth Millennials (which...

February 2017

February 18, 2017

Rethinking Church Authority with the Iroquois

The first church I attended went through a huge split just before I arrived. Many...

February 15, 2017

Church or Government: Whose Job Is It to Take Care of the Poor?

Whenever you see a left-leaning Christian talking to a conservative about poverty, it turns into...

December 2015

December 17, 2015

Does Your Church Have a Shooter Policy?

It's crazy that I need to ask you this question, but for the sake of...

August 2015

August 05, 2015

The Spiritual Toll of American Consumerism

“Am I my brother's keeper?” With this casual question, Cain shrugs off responsibility for the brother he's...

August 03, 2015

Do Singles Need More Christian Dating Advice?

Writing Christian dating advice is quite the cottage industry. More than a few online personalities have built...

July 2015

July 28, 2015

3 Reasons Trump’s the Ideal Evangelical Candidate

It's with horror and fascination that I watch Donald Trump jockey to be the Republican...

July 14, 2015

Hey Sinner, Listen to Me — I’m Right!

One reoccurring element in most debates with Christians is the “I'm sorry you don't like...

July 09, 2015

Christianity, Russell Wilson, and Celebrity Culture

For the last couple of days an interview Russell Wilson did with San Diego's Rock...