Red Letter Christianity claims It’s time for a Christianity that looks like Jesus again. It’s time for gospel preaching and prophetic witness. It’s time to return to the things Jesus said. It’s revival time! From Lynchburg to Dallas In April the first ever Red Letter revival was held over two days in Lynchburg, VA. The second - and to date only other scheduled revival - occurred this past weekend in Dallas, TX. Each day workshops covering a wide range of justice focused Read More …
Diana Butler Bass
My Top 5 Tweets of 2018 (Jan. – May) (#1736)
Five months into the year, I decided to spend some time reviewing analytics for my Twitter account (@SoWhatFaith). According to Twitter's analytics my top five tweets so far this year appear below in chronological order.* Jan. 24 - Delighted to meet so many people doing such good work #Adese #SocialEnterprise #Boston Feb. 17 - When I contemplate the meaning of Jesus, I come back again and again to his image as the ultimate boundary-breaker, in whom what it means to Read More …
Book Recommendations – May 2018 (#1733)
During the month of April 2018, I read quite a few books that warrant recommendation. My top rated books from that reading list that were published in 2018 appear below. (5.0) Grateful: The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks by Diana Butler Bass (HarperOne, 2018) (5.0) The War on Normal People: The Truth About America's Disappearing Jobs and Why Universal Basic Income is Our Future by Andrew Yang (Hachette Books, 2018) (4.5) New Power: How Read More …
Christian Alternative Facts (#1671)
The term "alternative facts" is one of the most popular phrases of 2017. On Friday evening I found that it was being applied to Christianity on Twitter with the hashtag #ChristianAltFacts. I was quickly drawn in by a few remarks by academics and lingered to appreciate the wisdom of a wide range of tweeters. "Jesus thinks your gun is awesome. #ChristianAltFacts" --@evandeneykel (Eric Vanden Eykel, Assistant Professor of Religion, Ferrum College) "Nothing important happened after Read More …
Top 10 Books of 2015 (#1600)
Welcome to the sixth annual edition of my top books of the year. To qualify for the list, the book must be published in 2015, I must have read the book, and the content of the book resonated with and significantly enriched me and/or my understanding of the subject. Diana Butler Bass Grounded: Finding God in the World - A Spiritual Revolution Ron Clark Move Your Bus: An Extraordinary New Approach to Accelerating Success in Work and Life John Dominic Crossan How to Read the Read More …
October Book Recommendations (#1596)
After years of writing hundreds of book reviews, I shifted to monthly book recommendation lists some time ago when my life responsibilities made the work of full length book reviews difficult. In response to a more recent life shift, I present this month's list as the final edition in this format. (5+) Grounded: Finding God in the World-A Spiritual Revolution by Diana Butler Bass (HarperOne, 2015) (5.0) Post-Traumatic Church Syndrome: A Memoir of Humor and Healing by Reba Riley Read More …
Sermon: A Sin Problem? (#1587)
Sermon Text: Mark 2:16-17 Sermon Excerpt A few years ago Stephen Prothero, a bestselling author and professor of religion at Boston University, wrote a fascinating book titled God is Not One. In this text he explores the eight world religions he thinks are currently the most important. For each religion he presents the problem that religion is trying to solve, the solution to that problem, and techniques that can be used to move toward the solution. Professor Prothero proposes that Read More …
A “So What” Faith (#1520)
We are blessed to live in the Information Age – an era when any one can access an incredible amount of information. We are also stressed by this abundance knowing that simple Google searches yield millions of results, televisions feature hundreds of channels, phones and tablets often have dozens of apps, and previously one-way media communications have now branched out in every direction imaginable through something we call social media. Everything is the same; everything is Read More …
Top 10 Faith Enriching Books (#1511)
Since launching this blog in 2009, I have reviewed over 150 books and recommended nearly 100 more. Starting in 2010, I have published annual lists of my top books published each year (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014). Each year, I have concluded alphabetical top ten lists with the two books that had the greatest impact on my own faith journey during that year. Together these ten volumes create a list of my Top 10 Recently Published Faith Enriching Read More …
Celebrating 1,500 Posts (#1499)
This is my 1,500th blog post here at So What Faith, which offers an appropriate reason to to reflect. As I do so, I want to thank my readers. While you come from all over the world, the vast majority reside in the United States. Most Visits Originate Florida California Texas New York Illinois After nearly 5 1/2 years of writing, I recognize just how unpredictable popularity can be. In fact only a few of the posts I would have guessed would be among my Read More …