A Second Shift In the previous 3 parts we established that a significant shift took place in the late 19th and early 20th century. This initial shift in modernity has subsequently created the possibility of a second, more contemporary, move that I want to explore. Taylor provides the context of … Read more about Jihad v. McWorld: How We Imagine A Nation part 4
How We Imagine A Nation part 3
In the shadow of the Sochi Olympics and the unfolding tension in the Ukraine, we are exploring the theme/thesis that: 'Nation' is both sovereign and transcendent. 'Nation' is both a social imaginary and an emergent reality. Benedict Anderson explains that the notion of imagined communities … Read more about How We Imagine A Nation part 3
How We Imagine A Nation part 2
In part 1 I introduced a theme/thesis for this series of posts: ‘Nation’ is both sovereign and transcendent. ‘Nation’ is both a social imaginary and an emergent reality. Charles Taylor utilizes the term ‘social imaginary’ to refer to god-like capacity described by Anderson. The term … Read more about How We Imagine A Nation part 2
How We Imagine A Nation part 1
Watching the Olympics was different for me this time. During the past four years I have been in a PhD program and have burrowed down into topics that have deeply impacted me. Within one of my cognate fields (non-core studies) I addressed the issue of nationalism and the modern imaginary. The … Read more about How We Imagine A Nation part 1
Go Heretical – in the good way
American Christianity needs to let therapeutic ‘believing’ die in order to move forward and impact the world. A therapeutic form of ‘believing’ is not about individual doctrines or particular answers to any of those age-old questions of existence or the faith. In fact one could be a therapeutic … Read more about Go Heretical – in the good way
Randy Woodley on Race [MLK Bonus Trac]
In this bonus trac I ask my mentor Randy Woodley why it seems like over the last 30 years it seems like we are going backwards in some important areas of equality and liberation. I have been saving this for Martin Luther King day because just before this question Randy and I were talking about … Read more about Randy Woodley on Race [MLK Bonus Trac]
Mormons in America, the White House & on Evangelical Radio with Jana Riess [podcast 170]
What would a PhD in American Religious History who converted to Christianity as a teen and then to Mormonism while at Princeton Seminary have to say about Romney's run for the White House? Well guess what? Jana Riess is here to chat about it. We discuss much more than the election including a … Read more about Mormons in America, the White House & on Evangelical Radio with Jana Riess [podcast 170]
I Might Vote For The First Time Next Month
I’m thinking about voting for the first time next month. I mean, seriously thinking about it. But I’m not sure I want to break the seal - cross that threshold - and break my long string of abstaining. Here is the background on why I have never voted: In High-school my family moved from … Read more about I Might Vote For The First Time Next Month
What God doesn’t say and how not to read the Bible
The unpleasant topic of what God doesn’t say has shown up in three different conversations this week (and its only Tuesday!) : Tony Jones gave a little pushback to Daniel Kirk (a recent guest on Homebrewed) about homosexuality and the Apostle Paul. Both Paul and homosexuality are hot topics right … Read more about What God doesn’t say and how not to read the Bible
The 99 and Tim Tebow: Canada, Success, Billy Graham and God
Several weeks ago I had fun looking at the difference between Tim Tebow’s* faith and what his zealous (mostly evangelical & charismatic) fans do with it. I took some flack from asserting that Jesus was not intervening to help him win close games. Since then he has lost 3 games. The choir has … Read more about The 99 and Tim Tebow: Canada, Success, Billy Graham and God
9/11 Special: Graham E. Fuller and a world without Islam
On the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, we talk to Graham E. Fuller about the world we live in and geo-political roots of our contemporary conflicts. We talk about Israel, Turkey, Russia, Bosnia, Malaysia, Indonesia and America. We also go back in history - past the Crusades - to … Read more about 9/11 Special: Graham E. Fuller and a world without Islam
Sound Off: American Grace and Islam
In his interview for Homebrewed Christianity (episode 103), David Campbell covers just about every aspect of American Christianity that one could hope for. Recounting his book American Grace, written with Robert Putnam, he addresses generational differences, cultural shifts of the 20th century and … Read more about Sound Off: American Grace and Islam