In an interesting story made more intriguing by its setting, last year a church in the Bible belt joyfully agreed to host Ramadan. The Memphis Islamic Center was closed for renovations, sending the leaders of the mosque looking for an alternate venue with relatively little notice. Having a hard time finding a place that could host nightly prayer events during the month-long festival, Muslim leaders turned to their next-door neighbor, Heartsong Church. They asked pastor […]
A collection of links worth checking out. Carl Trueman says reactionary ex-evangelicals should stop projecting their individual experiences onto a universal level. (JD) Michael Horton uncovers theological problems with Rick Perry’s and Michelle Bachmann’s respective views of government. (JD) Philip Leclerc has made a documentary exploring the methods and effectiveness of modern youth ministry. His conclusion is rather bold. You can watch it online for free. (TG) Princeton law professor Robert P. George on losing marriage to […]
The minister’s depression is a fascinating phenomenon. Though he’s the man who communes with God in private, sings of his praises from the pulpit, and counsels the flock through all of life’s difficulties, this same man is often the one who also wrestles with God in darkness, can barely muster the strength to preach, and often struggles to counsel his own soul in times of debilitating depression. Why is this so often the case? As […]
During August of 2010 Mark Driscoll wrote an article entitled, “The World is Filled With Boys Who Can Shave.” In his article, Driscoll laments the fact that men today are simply not growing up. Among the more memorable lines, Driscoll states, “So, we are left with indefinite adolescence and a Peter Pan Syndrome epidemic where men want to remain boys forever.” What makes this intriguing is not so much Driscoll’s article itself (apologies to Mark) […]
For those of you who enjoy the melodies and music of Broadway’s classic musicals, there is one that is surely near the top of your list, especially if you find your ear longing for a minor key – Fiddler on the Roof. It’s a favorite of mine, and when you look at its place as the 14th most performed in history, I think other’s would have it high on their list as well. But, for those […]
Miley Cyrus, in an April 2009 interview for USA Today, called herself “an intense Christian.” That statement came about a year after her infamous Vanity Fair photo shoot in which the then-15-year-old pop star appeared topless, partially wrapped in a blanket, her exposed back to the camera. The Vanity Fair scandal was followed up with a series of self-shot sexually suggestive photos that found their way to the internet. In another 2009 interview, trying to […]
“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” This quote, uttered by Benjamin Franklin, is closer to the mark than most Christians may realize. Growing up in a fairly conservative evangelical tradition (albeit in Las Vegas!), I was basically raised to believe that alcohol was evil. Period. The Bible was clear on the issue, I was told. Yet, as the grip of dispensational fundamentalism began to loosen on my thinking […]
I’ve recently been thumbing around in All Things Shining: Reading the Western Classics to Find Meaning in a Secular Age (Free Press, 2011). It is a middlebrow book written by two eminent philosophy professors, Hubert Dreyfus and Sean Dorrance Kelly. It is essentially an interpretation of contemporary society inspired by the works of existentialist philosopher Martin Heidegger, with an attendant Heideggerean prescription for overcoming “our contemporary nihilism.” So though you will not find it in […]
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