I have a simple question for my Complimentarian friends. The debate about women in ministry is well-worn and most of us know the key texts to discuss, the key theological paradigms that are debated, etc. The two camps are not entirely monolithic however, and there is plenty of room for nuanced positions and even some differing approaches to exegetical, theological, and practical issues on both sides. I’m sure we can all agree that there are good...
Part of what comes with moving across the world is the acquiring of new traditions. For instance, just as the language is slightly different, so are the holidays. There is certainly no Independence Day on 4th of July, but England does have its own “Bonfire Night” or “Guy Fawkes day” which conversely memorializes the failure of the Gunpowder plot (It’s very British of them to celebrate keeping things as usual). I also had to find...
Lent always seems to sneak up on me. As someone who really tries to intentionally observe the Lenten season, I hate feeling rushed to come up with “what I’m doing for Lent.” Furthermore, it has been my general observation that those hurried Lenten commitments made without prayer or much reflection tend to be a bit more… well, superficial. I’m giving up sweets for Lent. I’m giving up soda for Lent. I’m giving up chocolate for...
It’s funny to think about how expensive education is. These repositories of knowledge called Universities that provide the key to a better future. First, they require you to leverage that future in the form of student loans. 30k later and half a Masters degree (the 1st 20k was from those good old undergrad years) and I am just now figuring that out. By the time I am done with my education I could possibly spend...
This conversation is, for the most part, generally toxic. It often results in two events: 1) The experience and input of women is generally ignored, disregarded, or chalked up to “merely anecdotal evidence”. 2) There are generally men who get defensive in the conversation. Perhaps a closer look at these three issues are necessary as most of the conversations I have been a part of, especially this past semester, have been nothing short of a...
We all hold to a worldview. Depending on our personal convictions, we are free to express it however we want. The Two Cities is a collaboration of my evangelical Christian colleagues who freely write about anything related to theology and culture. This isn’t to bring down those who may disagree, but the hope is to begin positive and constructive dialogue amongst peers or those with opposing views. The Statement Not too long ago, CBMW released...
I left my Church this week, and it was the most painful and beautiful thing I have ever done. For many people, Church can be a great source of pain, for others, it is a building or a place to gather. For some, Church can be a crutch, a community that supports them. As for me, my Church has become my family. I don’t even know where to begin my story, as I feel like...
One of my latest antics in life happens to be pursuing another degree in biomedical diagnostics. Now, as a pastor, it’s obvious that there’s really no purpose for me to do so, but I’ve been finding this program quite unique and challenging, maybe not necessarily in content but in my personal walk with the Lord. To give a little bit more context, my undergraduate studies were in biomedical engineering. Then after some industry experience,...
LEITHART, Peter J. The End of Protestantism: Pursuing Unity in a Fragmented Church. Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2016. pp. 225. $21.99 (Hardback). ISBN: 978-1-58743-377-1. As of 2003,[1] there are roughly one thousand distinct Christian denominations in the United States. It was the prayer of Jesus that his children will join together as “one” as God is one (John 17:21). What’s wrong with this picture? Peter Leithart’s The End of Protestantism takes aim squarely at evangelical...
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28 If we imagine Paul writing this to the churches in America today, we might add: “Neither Republican, nor Democrat.” At a time when the church appears to divide along political, social, and racial lines in painfully visible ways, Paul’s appeal to unity is profoundly...
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