My wife recently pointed out to me that demon talk seems to be on the upswing in conservative circles in the United States. Recently on a conservative podcast, JD Vance casually tossed off the notion that UFOs and aliens are actually demons. Joel Webbon, an extremely right-wing pastor, posted on Twitter, “I genuinely believe Trump… Continue reading Demon Talk
Artemis II and Biblical Literacy
Have you seen the Artemis II photos of the Earth from space? The entire mission is a glorious return to space exploration and an assertion of human creativity, ingenuity and intelligence. But instead of celebrating, I’m going to take this opportunity to once again point out the hypocrisies of certain “biblical,” Christians. The high-res images… Continue reading Artemis II and Biblical Literacy
War in Light of Faith in the Resurrection
There is nothing in the creeds that explicitly calls for pacifism. It doesn’t take a conspiracy theory to consider that once our faith became a state religion, warfare was back on the menu. Early Christians were perhaps less complicated in their views on governance and held strong pacifist beliefs as one might after watching one’s… Continue reading War in Light of Faith in the Resurrection
Christ is How it All Works
We tend to think a lot about the person of Jesus Christ. What would Jesus do? Do these things to represent me. Jesus said to welcome the stranger. Jesus was a pacifist. There’s nothing wrong with that, as certainly Jesus is our model for faith. But the concept of Christ isn’t simply Jesus, though Jesus… Continue reading Christ is How it All Works
John Calvin’s Shift on Usury
You may think that I’m totally at home reading the Bible. If you spend any time reading my articles here, you know I spend a lot of time inside the Bible. I’m not often comfortable when I’m reading it. I have a difficult time understanding it and I need help from many people who are… Continue reading John Calvin’s Shift on Usury
Everything Is As It Must Be
Breaking news: everything is bad, it’s just as terrible as you imagined and probably worse. Or so it might seem. The beginning of my year has been exceptionally disappointing. I had a health scare that I’ll touch on later, but the truth is all my friends feel trapped between melancholy and outright woe. Inflation, unemployment,… Continue reading Everything Is As It Must Be
The Myth of Redemptive Violence
If your religion is Christian Nationalism, then one of your holiest sacraments is redemptive violence. This was fully on display this weekend as the United States, led by an adjudicated sexual predator who is also likely mentally impaired, led us into yet another interventionalist war in the Middle East. The brilliant Walter Wink, American theologian… Continue reading The Myth of Redemptive Violence
The Problem is not Religion, the Problem is Power
I have many atheists among my friends and family. Disproportionately so because according to recent Pew Research Center findings, 83% of Americans believe in a higher power. That’s not too surprising as my friends and family tend to be artists, musicians and creatives in one way or another who see it as a part of… Continue reading The Problem is not Religion, the Problem is Power
Invisible Privilege
I recently received a comment on my blog post about the murder of Renee Good asking about some of the more subtle ways we are influenced by privilege. I’m very aware that my privilege has provided many more opportunities for education and advancement in my own life than that of other friends. As a married,… Continue reading Invisible Privilege
Justin Martyr, Prophecy and the Christological Lens
I received some unusually studied and historical feedback from a reader about my recent article, “Did Jesus Fulfill Prophecy?” involving writing by Justin Martyr. Until this feedback, I was largely unfamiliar with Justin Martyr beyond hearing the name. Justin Martyr was an early church philosopher, and by early, I mean quite early, most estimates of… Continue reading Justin Martyr, Prophecy and the Christological Lens