Service evangelism is a recruitment tactic focusing on helping others somehow, thus impressing them, and then making the impressed people think that being helpful is just how Christians are. It’s supposed to make the impressed people want to join Christianity. However, you can likely already spot some problems with the Read more
The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) might be the most public-facing and visible group within the entire Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). For about a decade and a half now, hyperconservative SBC leaders have publicly bristled at the ERLC and its leaders’ decisions. This week, though, the friction between the Read more
In Christianity, visions are supposedly divinely-granted peeks into the secrets of both the present and the future. But in reality, they work very differently. Let’s explore this exciting Christianese concept, see where it originates, and rightly divide the truth between what evangelicals in particular claim is the party line and Read more
Especially when evangelicals like Matt Chandler get their grubby hands on real power, I really wish that they had some real accountability in their broken system. It’s hard even to imagine how this schmuck has a job still, after all the terrible things he’s done to his congregation. And yet Read more
For some years now, Carlo Viganò (pronounced veegan-oh) has been pushing against Pope Francis’ authority over all of Catholicism. But recently, Viganò tipped over into fomenting actual schism against his leader. Let’s see what happened here—and learn, as Viganò himself did, why it’s such a drastic mistake for Catholics at Read more
As the weather heats up, the concept of pilgrimages enters my mind. Somehow long ago, Protestants lost this custom. But it’s never really died out. I can see why, too. Something about a long walk along ancient paths sparks something within the human heart. Today, let’s explore where pilgrimages originated Read more
An April headline announced that ‘Young Women Are Leaving Church in Unprecedented Numbers.” After many years of right-wing Christian men’s complaints about the ‘feminization’ of Christianity, one would think they’d be happy to hear this news. After all, that means their pastors now have a lot more time to cater Read more
On June 7th, Paul Pressler died (archive). For many decades, he’d functioned as the Kingmaker of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). But he died in near-obscurity. Nobody quite seemed sure of what to do about his so-called legacy: the Conservative Resurgence of the SBC that turned it forevermore ultraconservative. You Read more
Paul Pressler, possibly the most influential evangelical in modern times, recently died. As evangelicals are wont to do when their leaders die, they are already hard at work analyzing his legacy. Well, sort of. One official Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) site seems eager to forget he ever existed. But they Read more
It isn’t easy to assess miracles when someone lives in what Carl Sagan once called a demon-haunted world. That kind of world operates with way different rules than our real one does. However, it’s nice to see some Christians trying to analyze miracles for divine meddling. Today, let’s see how Read more