Why your identity isn’t rooted in possessions and appearances. There is only one question: Who are you? Everything else in life flows from that one question. That is true whether you are a person of faith or not; the identity question is the question. In fact, every religion, every denial of religion, and every philosophy …
How theological differences over sex have fueled some of the bitterest political fights of the past century and more. If we want to understand the challenge of disintegrating sexual norms and the culture wars surrounding them, one of the most important things we need is history. This crisis did not just explode out of nowhere …
We emulate Jesus when we expose abuse. But dividing it into special categories may do more harm than good. For the first time, the Church of England has formally found one of its leaders guilty of “spiritual abuse.” The bishop’s disciplinary tribunal decided this past week that Timothy Davis, vicar of a large evangelical parish …
Christians can expand their compassion by looking at the deeper story of development and immigration. Yesterday in a meeting about immigration reform, President Donald Trump questioned why he should accept immigrants from “s—hole countries” like Haiti, El Salvador, and nations in Africa, instead of places like Norway. Even in the constant onslaught of news and …
Why evangelicals give pride of place to penal substitutionary understandings of the Cross. I was sitting outside the library at the University of California at Santa Cruz when two other students walked by complaining about Christian faith in the crucifixion of Jesus. As a young Christian with an interest in working with my cohorts to …
With a congregation of 22 million viewers, Oprah Winfrey has become one of the most influential spiritual leaders in America. This article was originally published in 2002. On September 23, thousands of people filed into New York City's Yankee Stadium, waving American flags and clutching photos of missing loved ones presumed dead 12 days after …
In God there is no darkness, but in the darkness of the South Pole I found God everywhere. The Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station sits upon two miles of glacial ice at the bottom of the world. It is one of the remotest places on the planet, more than 800 miles from the nearest human beings. …
How terminal cancer gave a young historian greater sympathy with those seeking after “health and wealth.” In its most populist form, the prosperity gospel conjures up images of Houston megachurches, multi-million-dollar mansions, and pastors with perfect teeth making promises they can’t keep. Beyond the stereotypes, however, we find something far more human and universal: a …
A New Year’s resolution that could make a big difference. In his superb biography of Francis Schaeffer, An Authentic Life, Colin Duriez tells us that Schaeffer was known for his kindness. In Escape from Reason, Schaeffer recounts meeting a young man who attended one of his lectures. He lovingly describes him as having a “good-looking, …
A 21st-century global movement sets the Word on fire with gospel preaching and powerful spiritual gifts. The rollicking worship pulsed for nearly an hour in the humid Sanctuary: energetic singing, hundreds of hands raised, prophetic words referencing the Spirit’s flames, and sparks of spontaneous prayer among strangers from different states and nations. When the worship …