Last week, at the Phyllis Tickle event, the ‘authority question’ came up, as it will/should whenever someone starts talking about ‘the Spirit’. I was sitting out in the audience for the Fuller Seminary part of the evening. A little debate/concern arose about the issue of authority - especially … Read more about The Authority Question – Pentecostals & Methodists
Hold God Loosely – Like A Lover
Fun title ... but I’m serious. Yesterday, when I suggested dropping the ‘the’ as a litmus test, I mentioned that we need to revisit the way that we hold our faith. Convictions about God and our religious experiences can be very powerful. As both a minister and an academic theologian I have given … Read more about Hold God Loosely – Like A Lover
Drop ‘The’
It has happened again. The word ‘the’ has become a stumbling block. The first incident occurred on TNT when I spoke up about my friendship with ‘Al’ - as in incarnational, etc. - and Tripp professed his love for the word ‘the’. ?Tripp wants to talk about the incarnation and the resurrection. ?I … Read more about Drop ‘The’
Jesus (movies) On My Mind
I have Jesus on my mind a lot these days. The 'Son of God' movie was released last weekend. I was semi-interested in the conversation surrounding its release but with a trip to the East coast for family stuff and being off the internet most of time, I watched it all from a distance. The … Read more about Jesus (movies) On My Mind
Add an ‘S’ as a test
I started doing this several years ago. It is surprising how often it reveals something that significantly alters the perception of the topic. When a complex topic is overly simplified it actually makes it more confusing and becomes less helpful. Topics that are appropriately complex and … Read more about Add an ‘S’ as a test
The Meat and Potatoes of Theology
Have you ever overheard two doctors talking to each in medical speak? Ever had a plumber try to explain to you why this or that fixture/joint is not compatible with this or that coping/fitting? Ever gone to a ‘do it yourself’ weekend-warrior class at the hardware store, then tried to … Read more about The Meat and Potatoes of Theology
This Pope is even good for Protestants
I love this new Pope! Not because I agree with everything he says or does - nor should I. I'm not even Catholic. Not a week goes by without someone asking me about the new Pope. Every time he reaches out to some unexpected soul, I am going to get asked about it. A kid in a wheelchair - did … Read more about This Pope is even good for Protestants
HomeGrown Christianity Begins Today
As promised, 2014 has brought a new Eco-Theology series called "HomeBrewed Grown Christianity" all about-earth care and lovin' God. It has grown into an 8 part series including a TNT follow-up to the initial run of interviews that begin today. Episode 1: Leah Kostamo Planted: A Story of Creation, … Read more about HomeGrown Christianity Begins Today
The 2013 Homebrewed Christianity Podcast Awards!
2013 was an amazing year on the Homebrewed Christianity Podcast network. So Bo and I decided that we would do a little year-end review show. You will get to hear some of our favorite clips, hear what was going through our heads during some of the online scuffles, and find out just who won the … Read more about The 2013 Homebrewed Christianity Podcast Awards!
Seductive Statistics and Evangelical Persecution Complex
An intriguing aspect of cultural conceptions has to do with importance of numbers. Empires have historically (and colonial projects more recently) have trusted in the power of quantification for both influence in shaping narrative and to fuel the imagination of the population. The ability to take a … Read more about Seductive Statistics and Evangelical Persecution Complex
4 Attempts at Approaching God
Over Christmas my brother-in-law, who is a fellow pastor, wanted to have a conversation about approaches to God - specifically as it related to epistemology. Although we both went to the same Bible college more then 20 years ago, our paths have headed in different directions and our hope was to … Read more about 4 Attempts at Approaching God
A Process Response To Tony Jones’ 5 Questions
By Austin Roberts - follow Austin's blog imago*futura here Tony Jones’ love of Jürgen Moltmann’s theology is absolutely contagious. His status as a ‘Moltmanniac’ strongly influenced my master’s thesis topic that I wrote at Claremont with Philip Clayton a couple of years ago, which was a … Read more about A Process Response To Tony Jones’ 5 Questions