Church / Society

“12 Years a Slave”: Thoughts on America’s Darkest Chapter

An examination of some of the issues raised by director Steve McQueen’s newest film, including its historical, cultural, and spiritual implications. I did not go to see 12 Years a …

Church

Happy Reformation Day!

It is October 31st, a day which in the United States is associated with Halloween, a celebration that mostly involves dressing up, pigging out on candy, and covering the neighbor’s …

Church

Two Overlooked Biblical Heroes

  Both Martha and Thomas are often viewed negatively by Christians, but when we look at their lives more comprehensively, there is a lot to be admired. For those of …

Church / Society

Thank God Heaven Is Not Like America

Right now, you are probably attempting to guess just how I am going to favorably compare Heaven to America.  Which aspect of American society am I going to say is …

Church

Why Did Jesus Live?

On January 24, 2012, the noted British theologian N.T. Wright spoke at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan as part of the “January Series”.  The title of his lecture was …

Church / Society

Gluttons for Punishment?

What comes to mind when you hear the word “gluttony”?  My immediate mental image is of a rotund man sitting at a banquet table, turkey leg in one hand and …

Church / Society

Ain’t it Swell to Finish Well

What can we learn from Martin Luther King Jr., George Costanza, Barack Obama, and King Jehoshaphat? Yesterday was the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” Speech.  …

Church

The Endangered Female Bible Major

Today, we turn our attention to that rarest of species, the female Bible major at an evangelical or otherwise conservative Christian university.  While male Bible majors have always been plentiful, …

Church / State

Ironic Prophets

Sometimes the wrong person says the right thing – and humanity is better for it. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they …