Category: Church

The Gospel in “Hamilton”?

My wife and I joined thousands (perhaps millions) of others across the country this summer in watching the musical, "Hamilton," for the first time when it was released on the streaming platform, Disney+. Having grown up in the rural Midwest and the Bible-belt, I was pretty familiar with much of the story, including Hamilton's ill-fated … Continue reading The Gospel in “Hamilton”? →

Social Justice: A Worthy Cause and a Terrible God

On Wednesday this past week, a theology professor at Fuller Seminary tweeted the following: "I tried organized religion... too preachy/ too conformist/ too much 'us vs them'..." Yet instead of pasty white middle-aged men with tucked in, button-down shirts and women with dresses down to their ankles, the picture below featured an angry mob of … Continue reading Social Justice: A Worthy Cause and a Terrible God →

The “United Methodists” Are No Longer United

What's Going On? Yesterday, the United Methodist Church made headlines by announcing that a taskforce of both conservative and liberal factions within the UMC have reached a settlement to part ways, with a new theologically conservative denomination branching off. For the past several years, the country's largest mainline denomination and second-largest Protestant denomination (second only … Continue reading The “United Methodists” Are No Longer United →

The Both/And of Christian Witness (Part II)

This past Christmas, popular conservative commentator Allie Beth Stuckey revisted an old debate on her Twitter page, retorting: “Does the person claiming Jesus was a poor refugee also believe Jesus is the Way, the Truth & the Life and that no one comes to the Father except through Him? Do they hold the Word of God … Continue reading The Both/And of Christian Witness (Part II) →

Ode to Kierkegaard

I have entered what you could call a distinctly "Kierkegaardian" season of my life. What do I mean by that? Well, first, let me introduce the object of today's spotlight: 19th century Danish existential philosopher and theologian Søren Kierkegaard, who constantly challenged the status quo of his day. If you want to get your mental … Continue reading Ode to Kierkegaard →