A Moment of Recognition
Several weeks ago I caught the tail end of a discussion with Kevin Wright on The Story, a nationally syndicated talk show that usually airs on public radio stations. As with so many events that later seem significant, it didn’t cause me to pause. I was late for picking up
150 Years and Still Evolving
We cannot allow this profound anniversary to pass without comment. This month marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, a book that simultaneously thrilled and scandalized the Christian world even as it failed to deliver on the promise its title made. (The
Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush, Warren..!
This year for Christmas we decided to leave the less than cozy confines of Montreal in order to head south to visit family in Kentucky and Texas. Given the ease of flying with a small child and the famous courtesy of airport security we opted to rent a car and
Dinosaurs in the Nativity!
Is there anything new to be said about Christmas? I’m not the only one asking this question this week. Trust me; your ministers are desperately seeking an answer to this question themselves as they prepare Advent sermons, Christmas eve sermons, Christmas eve early service children’s talks, Christmas day sermons and,
Post-Election Lessons for Liberal Evangelicals
I walk down my front stairs, do some quick stretches, and then start my warm-up walk. Over the last few months this has been my opportunity to scroll through my podcast options and pick a few that I’ll listen to while I run – an admittedly generous interpretation of what
Evangelicals, Palin and Politics
With the 2008 election just around the corner Evangelicals are wrestling with many issues, but the very fact that we are wrestling with issues and thinking seriously about candidates is a sign of growing complexity among Evangelical voters. This week at Le Blog we offer a short bit of commentary
Bill Maher’s Religulous: I can’t get over it.
Just saw Religulous… ok, I admit that I laughed. To say otherwise would be like Clinton claiming to have smoked it but not inhaled. I laughed a bunch because frankly we religious people are a funny lot and do many things that are worthy of ridicule and laughter. One of
Horse Manure, Ice Cream, and Pulpit Endorsements
Matthew 7: 9-11 “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your
Oddity of the Month: Conservative Evangelicals Want Catholic Politicians to be More Catholic
Senator and current VP nominee Joseph Biden is supposed to be helping Senator and Presidential nominee Barack Obama with the Catholic vote, except Biden has a Catholic problem. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the woman who is only two heartbeats away from the Presidency, occupies the highest post ever held by a
“Energize the Base?” Why not call it what it is…appeasement.
When the original Peter, Paul and Mary and the rest of the gang gathered in Jerusalem sometime in the decades immediately following the ministry of Jesus Christ we know that there was tension. We know that there were different factions within the Jesus movement advocating for either the inclusion or
No “Red Meat” for Moderates
I watched Teddy and Hillary, Bill and Joe, and even Barack and Michelle and while I liked much of what I heard and was impressed with the production values and dramatic flair demonstrated by the producers of the DNC convention, I was left thinking to myself, “This is why liberals
The Anglican “Disneyfication” of Moderation
The last several weeks have been – well – disheartening if you are paying much attention to what is going on in the World Anglican Communion and their Lambeth Conference. As a liberal evangelical my sympathies lie with the liberals who are working more fully to include gay and lesbian
Does God Take Summer Vacation?
Maybe it’s not a good policy to make light of hell, but it seems plausible that the inspiration for Jonathan Edwards’ sermon, “Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God” may have come less from the biblical text and more from his experiences of a New England sanctuary in high
Jesus of Nazareth, Feeder of the 5000 and Mega-Church Leader
In a ceremony calculated to gain maximum exposure in both the local, national, and imperial press Jesus of Nazareth publicly endorsed Gaius Aelius Agrippa in his run for Provincial Quaestor. This comes as something of a surprise since observers expected Jesus to remain neutral in the race. Pundits are speculating
Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid…but not of Moderates.
First, an observation from Brian McLaren in Jim Wallis’s blog, God’s Politics,(May 16, 2008). “First, there are the fearsome — those who like to make others afraid. Second, there are the fearless — those who refuse to be intimidated by the fearsome. Then in the middle are the fearful —