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Progressive Christian
Relationships and Religion

2024-02-06T05:18:23-06:00

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.

God Doesn’t Write Sins nor Tragedies

Last updated on: February 6, 2024 at 5:18 am By James Travis Young

Because the church doesn’t understand sin very well, we don’t forgive very well. It’s actually worse than it sounds. The church has become a self-appointed gatekeeper, denying grace to individuals and groups who act, identify, or feel in ways we label “sinful.” Under misguided attempts to establish orthodoxy (right ideas) and orthopraxy (right practices), we have sometimes failed at orthocardia (right-heartedness). When the church decides what is and isn’t sinful, we become legalists. And since the church has made sin... Read more

General Christian

Education and Religion

2024-01-28T21:57:12-06:00

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.

Faith on Film: “First Reformed”

Last updated on: January 28, 2024 at 9:57 pm By James Travis Young

Faith on Film is a monthly feature that is published on the last Sunday of every month, starting with this article. I ran across the film First Reformed again while I was browsing around for a movie to watch, and after five years of abstaining, I decided to watch it again. It is truly one of my favorites, in my personal top three alongside Paris, Texas and Five Easy Pieces. Though the plots and characters of each of these films... Read more

General Christian

Religious Music and Entertainment

Depression

Evangelicals

Faith and Mental Health

2024-01-18T00:39:37-06:00

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.

God Is Not Powerful

Last updated on: January 18, 2024 at 12:39 am By James Travis Young

Yes, you read that title correctly: God is not powerful. I don’t write such words lightly. I realize that many will not actually read beyond the title, so for those of you still with me, thank you. Of course, some might call it semantics, or perhaps perspective. I believe our expectations of “power” differ in ways both small and great from who God actually is, how God relates to us, and how we ourselves function in this universe. By the... Read more

General Christian

Education and Religion

2024-01-11T04:55:26-06:00

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.

What Is Holiness (And What It’s Not)

Last updated on: January 11, 2024 at 4:55 am By James Travis Young

Many people, especially Christians, consider God strictly in terms of power. This is a mistake. Not that God isn’t powerful (a topic I explored last year while reviewing one of the most insightful books I have ever read). But when we choose to approach our relationship with God primarily in terms of power and abilities, it can lead us to distort our understanding of who God is. I mean, how good is your relationship with someone you don’t really understand?... Read more

General Christian

Education and Religion

2023-12-30T14:49:05-06:00

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.

Why Our New Year Must Include One Another

Last updated on: December 30, 2023 at 2:49 pm By James Travis Young

The novelist John Irving once wrote, “An epilogue, in the disguise of wrapping up the past, is really a way of warning us about the future.” I found myself reflecting upon this as I considered everything that has impacted my relationship with God and others over the past calendar year. There are critics who I am positive would rush to comment that God is unchanging. Without immediately addressing that digression, I will simply maintain that there will never be a... Read more

General Christian

Politics and Religion

2023-12-24T10:18:12-06:00

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.

When the Church Attacks Its Own: Part 2

Last updated on: December 24, 2023 at 10:18 am By James Travis Young

MISSED PART 1? CLICK HERE TO START FROM THE BEGINNING. When popular pastor Rev. Selden Dee Kelley suggested that the church should engage in dialogue with the LGBTQ+ community, leaders in his denomination set out to revoke his ministerial credentials and have him fired by placing him on trial. As the turmoil surrounding his controversial prosecution and its aftermath continues to intensify, both church members and clergy have grown increasingly polarized. Disagreements over LGBTQ+ affirmation, essential doctrine, and limitations of... Read more

General Christian

Religion News

Church of the Nazarene

Dee Kelley

Legalism

Politics

2023-12-22T04:11:47-06:00

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.

When the Church Attacks Its Own: Part 1

Last updated on: December 22, 2023 at 4:11 am By James Travis Young

A highly-respected pastor suggested that the church should encourage conversation rather than conflict when considering LGBTQ+ affirmation. In response, his denomination demanded he resign immediately, surrender his credentials, and then charged him with teaching doctrine out of harmony with the church and conduct unbecoming a minister. His prosecution and trial are ground zero not just for LGBTQ+ inclusion, but what should or shouldn’t be considered essential doctrine, and how church judicial policies can be corrupted to silence dissent and expel... Read more

General Christian

Religion News

Church of the Nazarene

Dee Kelley

Legalism

Politics

2023-12-14T17:25:45-06:00

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.

Real Gender Equality Must Start Now in the Church

Last updated on: December 14, 2023 at 5:25 pm By James Travis Young

The following is Part 2 of an ongoing series exploring gender roles in the Church. In my previous article, I shared how roughly three out of every four American churches have beliefs and policies that restrict women from taking on certain leadership roles reserved for men. Oppressive complementarianism remains so prevalent only one in every seven U.S. clergy members is a woman, and in nine out of ten Evangelical households men are the ultimate authority. I also detailed how relying... Read more

General Christian

Women in Religion

Complementarianism

Egalitarian

Faith and Mental Health

2023-12-08T18:19:16-06:00

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.

Yes, Most American Churches Oppress Women, and It’s Not Okay

Last updated on: December 8, 2023 at 6:19 pm By James Travis Young

The following is Part 1 of an ongoing series exploring gender roles in the Church. A recent study by Church Clarity showed that in the United States, 76% of the 100 largest churches believe in ideas like complementarianism, a doctrine that assumes women are less equipped to serve in leadership roles than men. That also means that in these churches, women are not allowed to preach. Ideas such as these are widespread in the church at large. A landmark 2018... Read more

General Christian

Women in Religion

2023-12-03T08:14:10-06:00

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.

Christlike Discipleship Means Sharing Your Life

Last updated on: December 3, 2023 at 8:14 am By James Travis Young

The Sermon on the Mount in the gospel of Matthew reveals not only Jesus’ teachings, but how he modeled discipleship. By simply observing how he interacted with those closest to him, we can gain powerful insights into how we can share our lives to transform the world around us one relationship at a time. It’s Not Complicated I remember going through the Sermon on the Mount from the perspective of discipleship with the last congregation I pastored. It was a... Read more

General Christian

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