Research highlights radical giving of poor and unpaid labor of women. My brother and I grew up lower-middle income on or near military bases, where the needs of young service members and their families can be seen pretty acutely. Our family relied on the generosity of others, but my mom also involved our family in …
Pastor Todd Wilson wants to recover the deeper theological and moral meaning of being made male and female. Sexuality is one of the touchiest subjects in the church today. From same-sex marriage to the transgender phenomenon, the issues can threaten to overwhelm our pastoral and theological resources. In the midst of this turbulence, Todd Wilson, …
Hundreds pledge lives to missions at ‘Chinese Urbana’ as red tape rises. When 1,200 youth gathered for the first Chinese “Urbana-style” missions conference this fall, 300 pledged to become full-time missionaries. “This is one of those historic moments,” said David Ro, director of the Wilson Center for World Missions at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. “There are …
Brad Gregory follows the bouncing balls of post-Reformation history—but loses sight of who set them in motion. Everyone likes a good villain. It makes a better story, and, in the real world, scratches our universal human itch of being able to name and blame the source of the evils that afflict us. And plenty of …
Teens should take Bible study as seriously as school and sports practice. I’m frequently asked what discipleship resources I recommend for teens. My answer is simple: Give them the Bible itself. Ask students to be students of the Scriptures. When addressing biblical illiteracy among adults, Bible teachers must start by getting them to recall what …
Why some Christian poverty experts believe we should give cash to the poor, no strings attached. One year, instead of buying my dad the usual unattractive necktie for Christmas, we bought him a goat. He loved the goat, mainly because it was not for him but given in his name to an impoverished family in …
Our culture has produced plenty of fine remakes, but nothing beats the Old Testament prequel. The problem with well-known stories is that they grow dull through familiarity. When narratives become part of the cultural fabric—think Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, or Hamlet—they may retain their charm, but they will usually lose their edge. So creative people …
DC’s answer to the MCU wants to show that surrounding darkness can only strengthen heroic light. It only kind of succeeds. This article contains light spoilers for Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Justice League. DC’s superhero team-up film Justice League unites Batman, Wonder Woman, and new heroes onscreen. With relative …
Why overcoming the Scrooge in all of us begins with gratitude. One of my not-so-winsome Christmas traditions involves complaining to family members about the relentlessness of The Christmas Carol. Every year it seems there is another spin-off or remake of Charles Dickens’s classic. While I love the story, I am fatigued by the repetition. Ebenezer …
Why a centuries-old reform movement might hold the key to transforming our world, one renewed heart at a time. Given reports of declining religious affiliation and rising social tension, it’s no surprise that 2017 has offered up a catalog of books charting the future of the Western church. How can we not only survive this …