Cynthia Rigby, professor of theology at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, recently contributed to Bill McKenzie's Texas Faith Blog on the topic of whether or not religion has lost its bite. Rigby's words are appropriately challenging for those who follow the way of Jesus: The point of true religion is not to notarize our behaviors, but to challenge us to change. The Gospel pulls the rug out from under us and our ways by telling us we should do radical things such as Read More …
Jesus
Bread for the Journey (#0725)
I have been privileged to be a part of Christian communities that celebrate Communion differently. Among these differences: Name: Holy Communion, Lord's Supper, or Eucharist Frequency: weekly, monthly, or periodically Who Presides: only ordained clergy or only lay leaders or both groups are welcome in this role Presence: a complex continuum of understanding how Jesus is present Elements: (1) bread - a single shared loaf or multiple loaves - single option for all or for Read More …
Differing Standards for Eternity? (#0721)
Last month megachurch pastor and best-selling author Rick Warren was interviewed by ABC News about the spiritual state of the union. During that conversation he gave very different answers about how people and dogs get to heaven. In his view, people get to heaven only through faith in Jesus Christ but dogs (as well as cats and other pets) are guaranteed admission into heaven. So What? According to recent research Heaven is a more popular notion than Hell. Nearly two-thirds of Read More …
Review of The Jesus We Missed (#0716)
Meet the Author Patrick Henry Reardon is pastor of All Saints' Orthodox Church (Chicago, IL) and a senior editor of Touchstone magazine. Father Reardon was educated at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, KY), St. Anselm's College (Rome), The Pontifical Biblical Institute (Rome), and St. Tikhon's Orthodox Seminary (South Canaan, PA). He is a prolific writer who has published over a thousand articles, editorials, and reviews. Additionally he has Read More …
Future Church – More Jesus-Centered (#0702)
Church v.2020 - Ten Changes: #6 More Jesus-Centered – Less Focused on Tradition When compared with the American church of 2012, the future church (v.2020) will be more Jesus-centered and less focused on tradition. This shift offers considerable hope for renewal within the church and growth from those who find its new emphasis appealing. While past efforts have tended toward extremes (e.g., Restoration movements on the right and the Jesus Seminar on the left) new quests will be Read More …
Future Church – More About Questions (#0701)
Church v.2020 - Ten Changes: #7 More About Questions – Less About Answers When compared with the American church of 2012, the future church (v.2020) will be a community that is more open to questions and less about providing black and white answers. This change in philosophy will be evidenced in many ways, including: Increased focus on both the content and style of Jesus’ teaching with a particular emphasis on parable. When teaching with parables Jesus invited his followers Read More …
What Was Truly Original About Jesus? (#0693)
In the April 2012 edition of Christianity Today, David Neff interviewed Amy-Jill Levine on the topic of "Jesus Through Jewish Eyes." Levine is one of three dozen Jewish scholars who contributed to The Jewish Annotated New Testament (2011). In addition to co-editing that work, she has written numerous volumes and teaches New Testament at Vanderbilt University. Her response to the question, "So, what was truly original about Jesus?" follows. He's the only person I can find Read More …
Review of The Best of Will Willimon (#0690)
Meet the Author Since 2004, William H. Willimon has served as a Bishop in the United Methodist Church responsible for overseeing 57,000 members and 792 pastors in North Alabama. Previously, he served for twenty years as Dean of the Chapel and Professor of Christian Ministry at Duke University. Willimon is the author of over sixty books including two best sellers: Sinning Like a Christian: A New Look at the Seven Deadly Sins and Thank God It’s Read More …
Review of the Power of Parable (#0683)
Meet the Author John Dominic Crossan "is generally regarded as the leading historical Jesus scholar in the world." He has been a professor of religious studies at DePaul University since 1969 and currently serves that institution as professor emeritus. Over the last forty years Crossan has written over twenty-five books on the historical Jesus, earliest Christianity, and the historical Paul. Some of his best-sellers include God and Empire: Jesus Against Read More …
Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus (#0610)
In less than a week a 4 minute video, Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus, by spoken word artist Jefferson Bethke has received over 10 million hits. It is a video with an important message that is worth watching, sharing, and discussing. So What? Organized religion has many strengths, but must not be blinded by its weaknesses. In listening to the poets words over and over again, I hear a prophetic call to put Jesus first in all contexts (including that of institutional Read More …