Tag Archives: IFTTT

How a friend’s tragic death gave me a new perspective on hope. When I was young and single, I moved to Southern California to work at a church. I didn’t know many people in the area, but eventually I became friends with a couple of guys from the church, and the three of us rentedContinue reading “The Day I Fervently Asked Jesus to Come Back”

On questions of race, religious liberty, and political power, the Baptist preacher should be our guiding light. Isaac Backus may be the most interesting and influential American you’ve never heard of. At the peak of his career, Backus (1724–1806) rode thousands of miles per year to preach to and encourage Baptist congregations throughout New England.Continue reading “Isaac Backus: An 18th-Century Evangelical with 21st-Century Wisdom”

Exploring the multiple meanings behind a New Testament “political cartoon.” In one of the strangest stories in the Gospels, Jesus delivers a demon-oppressed man, only to send the demon(s) into a herd of pigs, which promptly charges down a cliff and drowns in the sea. You can read it in Mark 5:1–20, and it’s justContinue reading “Heard the One About the Jewish Man, the Roman Demon, and the Gentile Pigs?”

An excerpt from “In His Image.” This morning, before I sat down to write, I took some time to respond to emails. This is a classic pattern of procrastination for me on a writing day. In my inbox was an invitation to an event that I did not want to attend. The host, sensing theContinue reading “Don’t Roll Your Eyes at Lies”

Why a Scriptural imagination is essential to the making and enjoying of art. Recent years have witnessed fruitful conversations about the interplay between Christian theology and the arts. But what these dialogues need most, according to Duke Divinity School theologian Jeremy Begbie, is a firmer grounding in Scripture, the classic creeds, and a Trinitarian imagination.Continue reading “Interview: Christian Artists: Don’t Leave the Bible Behind”

Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove’s necessary rebuke on race rests on a sadly truncated gospel. In 1846, the abolitionist Samuel Brooke published a book called Slavery, and the Slaveholder’s Religion; as Opposed to Christianity, in which he condemned human bondage as “the violation of every principle of human brotherhood, of natural right, of justice, of humanity, of Christianity,Continue reading “You Can’t Have Racial Justice Without a Bloody Cross”

We settle for less because there is a challenge that comes with seeking more. Ed: When you write about being marked by God for more, what kind of more are we talking about here? Pastor Choco: The more that I'm talking about is not materialism. The more I'm talking about is what the Bible saysContinue reading “One-on-One with Pastor Choco DeJesus on ‘Move into More: Limitless Surprises of a Faithful God’”

We’re rendering unto Caesar too much time and attention. Back in the day, the evangelical fantasy went something like this: As you get settled into your airplane seat, you casually remove your Bible from your carry-on. A few moments of solemn reading later, your neighbor taps you on your shoulder. “Pardon me,” he says. “ButContinue reading “Jesus Is Lord. Period.”

How Christian discipleship affects household income. Before World War I, German sociologist Max Weber famously linked the work ethic of Protestant Christians to the economic development of Europe. The “spirit of capitalism,” he argued, was sparked by Martin Luther’s emphasis on calling and his argument that “worldly” labor was no less holy than the asceticContinue reading “The ‘Protestant Work Ethic’ Really Does Fight Poverty”

Instructions for publishers. Each year, Christianity Today honors outstanding books of special interest to the Christian community. In the January/February 2019 issue, CT will feature the best books published between November 1, 2017 and October 31, 2018, divided into categories according to subject and genre. We will also announce the winner of our "Beautiful Orthodoxy"Continue reading “Nominate a Book for the 2019 Christianity Today Book Awards”