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Mercy Not Sacrifice

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June 2016

June 24, 2016

My most contentious chapter: outsiders not insiders

Several recent reviews have expressed ambivalence about my book, particularly the 10th chapter Outsiders Not...

June 20, 2016

Why I still believe in hell

My dear friend and podcast-mate Jason Micheli just wrote a very kind review of my...

June 15, 2016

A poem for wounded bodies

I came across a poem today in Cynthia Bourgeault's Wisdom Jesus. It is attributed to...

June 14, 2016

This is why I’m right (reflections of a toxic Christian)

A wicked thought came into my mind when I learned about the shootings in Orlando:...

June 08, 2016

Does God ordain suffering to save people from being Calvinist?

My title is intended to troll my Calvinist friend Derek and distract him from working...

June 06, 2016

What if Christian salvation means becoming divine?

Becoming divine. It sounds like new age drivel one might hear from a spiritual guru...

June 04, 2016

Does it glorify God?

I've been reading Emily Heath's excellent new book Glorify: Reclaiming the Heart of Progressive Christianity. One...

May 2016

May 31, 2016

Two different ways to define orthodoxy

What does it mean to be orthodox? It depends on which definition of the Greek...

May 27, 2016

Survey shows Christians prefer making fun of people to sharing the gospel

A recent survey shows that Christians today prefer making fun of people to sharing the...

May 26, 2016

What would it look like for love to win in the United Methodist Church?

Love wins. Ever since Rob Bell wrote the book in 2011, it's been the battle...

May 20, 2016

When United Methodists behave like Galatians

My fellow Patheos blogger Eric Smith has a provocative blog post pairing the May 29th...

May 19, 2016

The three essentials of the Wesleyan gospel

I came across an article by a woman named Carolyn Moore that puts forward "three non-negotiables for...

May 17, 2016

Three options for the United Methodist Church moving forward

As expected, the conservative evangelicals at General Conference have a solid majority. It is likely that...

May 13, 2016

Maybe it’s time to plant a new denomination

I became United Methodist because of Central Avenue United Methodist Church in Toledo, Ohio. I...

May 12, 2016

Why we’re ethically incomprehensible to each other

A recent commenter brought up an important point that provides a different angle for understanding...

May 06, 2016

What Romans 1 teaches about sin and why it ironically exonerates LGBT identity

Romans 1:18-32 is one of the most important passages in scripture, because it describes the...

May 05, 2016

No, you’re not toxic just because you’re conservative

I was going to write a nanny-nanny boo-boo post about Donald Trump becoming the Republican...

May 02, 2016

On making Jesus answer questions he wasn’t asked

Conservative United Methodist scholar Ben Witherington's recent rant in the United Methodist Clergy group was...

April 2016

April 30, 2016

Religion is the only hope for the American church

I just finished breakfast with a man who has been one of my most important...

April 28, 2016

Should the United Methodist Church be more like McDonald’s?

Last night, I went to a screening of the film "Act of Love" about the trial of...

April 22, 2016

Responses to a thoughtful book critic

Edwin Tait is one of my most thoughtful internet conversation partners. We disagree on some...

April 21, 2016

The great spiritual battle of the 21st century

One of the most poignant ironies of the great spiritual battle of the 20th century...

April 20, 2016

No, heaven and hell are not about afterlife insurance

I was handed a tract last night on Tulane's campus that gave me the answer...

April 15, 2016

The 12 scriptures that inspired my book

When I was a Southern Baptist, we used to believe that Methodists didn't read the...

April 14, 2016

That time the apostle Paul actually gave direct instructions about sex

I've been having the usual never-ending social media conversation about sexuality, so I thought it...

April 07, 2016

Can Jesus save us from our gated communities? #EmptyNotClean

From now until the release of my book How Jesus Saves the World From Us,...

April 06, 2016

Queerness, the idolatry of norms, and the “new” morality

I wish that United Theological Seminary president David Watson could have been at lunch with...

April 05, 2016

Can Jesus save us from keeping score? #MercyNotSacrifice

From now until the release of my book How Jesus Saves the World From Us,...

March 2016

March 08, 2016

Pre-order How Jesus Saves The World From Us!!!

I'm excited to announce that my first book, How Jesus Saves the World From Us:...

February 2016

February 09, 2016

Ash Wednesday: repentance and solidarity with the crucified

Ashes to Go. It's the latest trend in the mainline Protestant church for celebrating Ash...