Modern Christians may know that their ideal is having faith without any need for proof, but in their hearts they want good reasons to believe. For evangelicals, that tension is particularly intense: Their version of Christianity involves a very active, involved deity—but our world doesn’t show any signs of that Read more
In Alpha Course #12, its creators share how newly-converted Christians can make the most of the rest of their lives. But they’re not actually that great at it. Today, let’s check out their suggestions—and wonder together if, indeed, one could build a meaningful life out of them. (This post and Read more
On April 13, 2026, Baptist Press announced that Evan Lenow would be the new president of their beleaguered Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC). They’ve struggled for years to find one that seems to satisfy them, but this time the candidate might last more than a few years. That’s because Read more
As the decline of Christianity continues ever onward, let’s visit some beloved evangelical myths about how and why a small church grows—or withers on the vine. This goes far past what we talked about recently regarding church economics! The reality is far more pedestrian, of course, but it’s also something Read more
Churches have long been mainstays of American culture, particularly in smaller towns. But of late, churches have become a losing proposition for pastors. More and more of them are struggling to handle rising operational costs, not to mention dwindling membership. The worse Christianity’s decline gets, the more obvious it becomes Read more
Even before evangelicals realized they were in a full decline, they pushed hard on the idea of the offense of the gospel. This is the idea that somehow, their religion’s message massively offends normies. But ‘the gospel’ isn’t offensive at all. It’s evangelism that is offensive, and evangelicals have no Read more
Big-name Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) leader Richard Land had some sad news to share with the flocks last month: Jerry Johnson, a die-hard SBC culture warrior who held important leadership roles within the denomination, had converted to Catholicism. More than that, though, Richard Land had some opinions about this conversion. Read more
A long time ago, I noticed right-wing Christians’ love for what I called ‘zingers‘: insulting retorts that they think totally own their enemies. Their zingers may mystify their targets, and definitely don’t accomplish what right-wing Christians think they should, but they just can’t stop deploying them. Today, let’s explore this Read more
Last week, while researching the post about the gap between behavior and ideals, I ran across a whole slew of stuff online about costly worship. Evangelicals sell this kind of sacrificial giving as a necessity for Jesusing perfectly. But it’s anything but. It’s just another adaptation to their ongoing decline, Read more
In the past few weeks, I’ve had a lot of time to think about this entire Shawn Bolz hypocrisy and harassment scandal. For years, I’ve known that dysfunctional authoritarian religious groups sprout way more hypocrisy than more functional groups can manage. I’ve also known that they tend to be way Read more