Many years ago, just before the whole David Koresh cult exploded into news in April 1993, I almost joined a cult in Waco just down the road from those guys. That entire period of my life feels almost like a Read more
Last week, a remarkable story unfolded at the New York Times about the growing absence of women in evangelical churches. This in itself is not too surprising. Just a few months ago, we covered the beginning of that story. Women Read more
In Christianese, fallen pastors are pastors who have lost their pastoring jobs after causing a scandal. But even good, rules-abiding pastors have a tough time finding employment after leaving pastoring behind. The ones trailing scandals behind in their wake have Read more
Reformed theology is an add-on to evangelicalism that amps up its already existing dysfunctional authoritarianism and power disparities. The people who belong to Reformed groups think that their ideology is far superior to base-model evangelicalism—that it produces Christians whose Jesusing Read more
Because this is a day ending in Y, evangelicals have recently sprouted a bunch more sex scandals. Yet again, these scandals involve the loudest-braying leaders of the tribe. And yet again, evangelicals were the ones to elevate these newest abusers Read more
Last week, a bunch of evangelical leaders agreed that what their religion needs is a bunch of revivals. Yes, revivals will totally and completely end evangelicals’ increasing right-wing extremism and entanglement with ultraconservative politics! They have no doubts about this Read more
It’s a parable for the ages, really, what happened with Jimmy Carter. Once upon a time, what people knew about Jimmy Carter likely went along these lines: First, he was a one-term Democratic President of the United States, presiding over Read more
For one brief, shining moment, evangelicals and atheists went toe-to-toe in the form of debates. It lasted about ten years all told, this war of ideas. And then, abruptly, the entire squabble fizzled out and ended. Since then, evangelicals have Read more
Today’s story concerns the mostly-legal but entirely-sketchy money-making engine that undergirds evangelicalism these days. Even I had no idea how deep the rot goes—and I’m the one who began using that phrase to describe this exact bunch of conjobs! Come Read more
In the midst of Christianity’s decline, evangelicals continue to argue about why it’s happening—and more than that, what could end it. Today, we’ll explore their completely contradictory ideas both past and present, then match their ideas with the ‘casual dechurching’ Read more