In recent years Ryan Burge has increasingly become known as the guy who effectively communicates the story of religious decline in America through accessible articles filled with charts and graphs. He currently serves as Associate Professor at Eastern Illinois University and as the founder of Graphs about Religion, which is a website focused on religion and politics. Burge is also the author of four books, including one of So What Faith's Top Books of 2022: 20 Myths About Religion and Politics Read More …
Baptist
Learning from 9 Congregations & 10 Denominations – Update #11 (#2067)
In this series on my journey to ordination in the United Church of Christ, I've been sharing some of the specifics of what my life has been like in recent months as a Member in Discernment. In this post, I explore how my current theology has been informed by lessons I've learned from 10 denominations or traditions. As I engage in this reflection I'm mindful of the nine congregations I've served, which are shown below: (1) First Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) - Duncanville, TX; (2) Central Read More …
Saying Goodbye to Hardin-Simmons University (#2001)
Seminary is an important formation experience for those called to vocational ministry, and in many traditions a seminary degree (often a M.Div.) is a requirement for ordination. For many years, I was proud to tell the story of my experience at Logsdon Seminary at Hardin-Simmons University, and was glad to let others know I was a graduate (M.Diiv., 2001). Sadly, with the University's decisions to move in a very different direction theologically, I'm now at a place where I'm forced to say Read More …
Mourning the Loss of Logsdon, Direction of HSU (#1996)
A little over two years ago I was stunned to learn that Hardin-Simmons University suddenly decided to close the school's seminary. While the school's official explanation focused on a financial necessity, it quickly became clear that the primary reason was theological. More specifically, University administration had a vision for a much more theologically conservative future than was possible with the seminary in place, especially given the views of its tenured faculty. In February of 2020, Read More …
Pandemic Worship: 10 Sacred Spaces (#1955)
A year before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, I wrote "Visiting 50+ Churches in Dallas-Fort Worth," highlighting congregations I had worshipped with since relocating to Texas from Florida. When the pandemic started, I stopped attending worship in person. After experiencing a full year of life without attending corporate worship, I gradually reentered that world. March 7 - I attended my first outdoor worship serviceMarch 14 - I attended my first indoor worship service Now, seven Read More …
My Seminary is Closing – The Bigger Picture (#1852)
A week ago today I shared the news that my seminary was closing. When I wrote that blog post the news had been official for less than 24 hours. I was stunned. I relied heavily on the official statement provided by the University. In short, Hardin-Simmons University (est. 1891) determined that it was necessary to close Logsdon Seminary was based on its recent financial performance relative to other schools and programs in the University. Since writing that post, I've learned that the Read More …
My Seminary is Closing (#1851)
Last night I received "A Message from HSU President Eric Bruntmyer." Given Hardin-Simmons University's recent restructuring I opened the e-mail and read the message in its entirety. After an opening paragraph about serving students for 129 years and preparing for the next 129 years and a paragraph sharing that the 2019 freshman class is the second largest ever, the message contained these words: Today, February 7, the Hardin-Simmons University Board of Trustees concluded the first of three Read More …
Christianity is Always Political (#1676)
If your preferred version of Christianity isn't political, then you have likely misunderstood the religion. Willimon on Politics and Christianity Popular author and long-time United Methodist Bishop William H. Willimon delivered the T. B. Maston Lectures in Christian Ethics last year at Hardin-Simmons University. One address - "Say Something Polictical: A Christian Vision of Engaging the World" - appeared in print in the Winter 2016-2017 edition of the Window (a publication of the Read More …
Jimmy Carter On Equality (#0682)
Former US President Jimmy Carter is a Baptist who spent many years teaching Sunday School and who takes his faith seriously. To help promote his new book, NIV Lessons from Life Bible: Personal Reflections with Jimmy Carter, he recently answered several challenging questions posed by Paul Brandeis Raushenbush for a Huffington Post article. When asked about what the Bible has to say about gay people's role in church and society Carter responded: Homosexuality Read More …
Why Your Ministry Should Have a Blog (#0444)
Guy Chmieleski has served in campus ministry at four institutions of higher education associated with three different denominations (Baptist, United Methodist and Church of Christ). On his blog, he shared his own experiences as a blogger, a bit about a presentation on why blogging is important that he made recently to the United Methodist Campus Ministry Association, and four reasons why he will be integrating a blog into his campus ministry work and thinks other Read More …