We don’t have to always be doing something useful. I’m standing in the fourth fairway, addressing the ball. It’s over 100 degrees in central California and the course has been freshly watered, making the air unbearably humid. But here I am, standing over the ball and completely focused, sweat pouring off my brow and onto …
What really keeps us engaged with the discipline of studying Scripture. This summer, churches everywhere are weighing which Bible studies to offer in the fall. With all the busyness typical of our lives, churches face the question: What gets people to commit to faithful participation in a weekly Bible study? Though many may start, few …
His sympathetic treatment of faith made him a rock star among Christ-following academics. In 1966, a Viennese-born sociologist, not quite 40 years old, produced a scholarly work that changed the world. Or more precisely, it changed the way we see and shape the world. The Social Construction of Reality, named one of the top five …
Why a faith that transcends all nations leaves room for patriotic devotion. Back in college, I belonged to a campus Christian fellowship. One night, at our weekly Bible study, a regular group member arrived looking frazzled. Evidently, it had been a hectic day. When we went around the room sharing prayer requests, she volunteered, in …
Two books shine a long-overdue spotlight on the Christian convictions of the man who broke baseball’s color barrier. There is a God-shaped hole in the heart of 42, the 2013 film that depicts the inspiring story of Jackie Robinson. Observers noticed it at the time, pointing out that the film mostly ignored the role that …
Why ‘Erasing Hell’ was his most difficult book, how ‘Love Wins’ prompted repentance, and whether ‘Believe in Jesus or you’ll go to hell’ is good news. Few books have generated as much theological conversation as Rob Bell’s Love Wins—and fewer still have sparked several response books within months of their appearance. Francis Chan, whose books …
The classic Pixar franchise returns with a refreshing look at what it means to pass the torch onward. Cars 3 opens in the same way as the original Cars, with Lightning McQueen, the central character, sitting in his trailer before a big race. As usual, McQueen is prepping for the race with a little motivational …
Let’s get unchurched evangelicals back into church, and prejudiced evangelicals back to the Bible. Every week, we are treated to another revelation about the alarming attitudes of white evangelical Christians. You would think that a people steeped in the Bible—which commands and exemplifies concern for refugees and others in dire straits—would find President Trump’s closing …
Amid persecution and a travel ban, Iran’s youth want community and transformation from within. When I first met Hormoz Shariat in 2016, I expected the president and founder of Iran Alive Ministries to be a larger-than-life figure who matched the legendary stories of his sacrificial and protective love for Iran’s underground church. I was instead …
Gerald McDermott challenges simplistic thinking about Israel’s past, present, and future. Christians have never been certain about what to do with Israel. This is certainly the case today. On the one hand, many mainline Protestants treat the nation of Israel as an international pariah. They pass resolutions urging boycotts and international sanctions, all while calling …