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Americans increasingly identify as “spiritual but not religious.” Radical faith goes beyond both. We hear a good deal today about “the triumph of the human spirit.” Books and movies about disasters are frequently marketed as triumphs of the human spirit, even though they often portray examples of human depravity. This emphasis on the human spiritContinue reading “Fleming Rutledge: Why Being ‘Spiritual’ Is Never Enough”

The “soulcraft” found in religious education is just what higher ed needs right now. High school graduation is a season of joy as we witness a sea of smiling young graduates, ready for anything. However, those smiles far too often mask the years of anxiety over getting into the right college that led up toContinue reading “College Board CEO: How Christian Values Could Solve the College Admissions Craze”

It is time for the church to be more engaged in criminal justice reform As we think about criminal justice reform, I am reminded of something Jesus said in Matthew 25:40: "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” DidContinue reading “The Least of These: Ministry with and to the Incarcerated”

Allegations lead to former seminary president losing his benefits. A week after trustees voted to immediately shift Paige Patterson to “president emeritus” at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS), the board’s executive committee has voted to strip the denominational leader of all “benefits, rights and privileges.” The executive committee stated today that it had confirmed informationContinue reading “Paige Patterson Fired from Southwestern Following Early Retirement”

Ministry is serious business. These 9 steps are key to pursuing your training. Shortly after making my calling public to my local church at age 15, I told my parents I wanted to go to seminary eventually. That’s what my father, a pastor, had done after college, and I wanted to follow in his footsteps.Continue reading “A Woman’s Guide to Seminary”

In reality, rural America is in a perilous position — perhaps in greater danger of decay and decline than many cities. Misconception #2: Idyllic Life The second misconception is that rural America is doing fine, while the inner cities alone are in decline. Though the general population of rural communities is diverse, there are challengesContinue reading “Reaching and Revitalizing Rural America: Overcoming Misconceptions, and Answering the Call (Part 2)”

Bible scholars have been waiting for the Gospel fragment’s publication for years. The Egypt Exploration Society has recently published a Greek papyrus that is likely the earliest fragment of the Gospel of Mark, dating it from between A.D. 150–250. One might expect happiness at such a publication, but this important fragment actually disappointed many observers.Continue reading “Despite Disappointing Some, New Mark Manuscript Is Earliest Yet”

However, Pew researchers find Christianity across 15 countries is “not just a ‘nominal’ identity devoid of practical importance.” Religiously unaffiliated Americans are, unsurprisingly, less likely than their Christian countrymen to attend church regularly or say religion is important in their lives. However, on several common measures, “nones” in the United States exhibit nearly equal levelsContinue reading “Western Europe’s Christians Are As Religious As America’s ‘Nones’”

A dozen “hidden Christian” sites on verge of gaining UNESCO World Heritage status. This month, a dozen Christian landmarks in Japan—where just 1 percent of the population claims Christ—have been officially recommended to be named World Heritage sites. Spanning across the Nagasaki and Amakusa region, these sites represent places where believers during the Tokugawa shogunateContinue reading “Why Japan Wants Its Past Persecution of Christians to Be World Renowned”

Evangelism is not just convincing people the gospel is true but also that it is better. Christians who shine the light of the gospel on the myths of our world do not simply say, “This is right and this is wrong,” but “This is better.” The gospel tells a better story. Yes, the gospel exposesContinue reading “20 Truths from Trevin Wax’s This Is Our Time”