“Many religious workers assume that parenthood motivates people to return to their spiritual traditions and to church attendance. This perspective is especially common when it comes to justifying the frequent disengagement among young adults. Sometimes faith leaders go so far as to simply wait for parenthood to occur, when they figure the ‘real work’ of [...]
Archive for the 'Western Christianity' Category
Barna - Does Having Children Make Parents More Active Churchgoers?
Published by May 24th, 2010 in Church and Western Christianity. 0 CommentsiFeedReaders
In the Spirit of (Red) Friday…
Published by December 2nd, 2008 in Global Christianity, Global Issues, Justice, Poverty, Social Issues, Spiritual Practices and Western Christianity. 2 CommentsiFeedReaders
Shane Claiborne and co. push “buy nothing day” in Philly
Shane Blogs about it here…
Enough to the myth that happiness must be purchased. Enough to an economy that is awarding CEOs salaries 500 times that of their workers and still manages to seduce people in poverty and wealth alike to give more money to these predatorial [...]
Waiting for Heaven or Joining in the Adventure?
Published by February 15th, 2008 in Global Christianity, Kingdom, Spiritual Dynamics, Uncategorized and Western Christianity. 5 CommentsiFeedReaders
Christians Wrong About Heaven, Says Bishop- TIME
H.T. Jon Reid
Wright: The New Testament is deeply, deeply Jewish, and the Jews had for some time been intuiting a final, physical resurrection. They believed that the world of space and time and matter is messed up, but remains basically good, and God will eventually sort it out and [...]
The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative by Christopher J. H. Wright
Published by January 24th, 2008 in Bible, Books, Missiology, Social Issues, Spiritual Dynamics, Spiritual Practices, Theology and Western Christianity. 1 CommentiFeedReaders
The Rev. Dr. Chris Wright is the President of the Langham Partnership International, a position held previously by John Stott, and is an ordained Anglican minister. Raised by missionaries, Wright has held numerous mission related roles throughout the years including a professorship at Union Biblical Seminary in Pune, India, and a professorship at All Nations [...]
New Testament and Mission: Historical and Hermeneutical Perspectives by Johannes Nissen
Published by October 25th, 2007 in Books, Missiology, Theology and Western Christianity. 2 CommentsiFeedReaders
INITIAL OBSERVATIONS
Johannes Nissen is Associate Professor of New Testament Exegesis at the Department of Biblical Studies, University of Aarhus, Denmark. Nissen’s areas of research emphasis and the majority of his publications focus on faith, ethics, the Bible, (the Bible and ethics, New Testament, research methods) and the Church (diaconal work, ecumenical work, liturgy, and [...]
Rick Warren “out of context”
Published by October 11th, 2007 in Church, Global Issues, Justice, Poverty, Social Issues and Western Christianity. 4 CommentsiFeedReaders
Out of Context: Rick Warren | Out of Ur | Following Gods Call in a New World
“The American church as a whole needs to move from selfish consumerism to unselfish contribution. Those are poles apart. To start with a woman whos most interested in how many diamonds shes got in her tennis bracelet, and move [...]
The (Future) Church in the American Political Landscape
Published by September 9th, 2007 in Justice, Kingdom, Politics, Social Issues and Western Christianity. 6 CommentsiFeedReaders
This past week I came across a couple of thoughtful and well informed perspectives on the church and political engagement in the United States. First, in an article called New evangelicals: Green, not liberal Jim Jewell offers an astute observation about the political viewpoints of younger evangelicals. I think he gets it…
The new [...]
Teaching Theology from a Missional Perspective
Published by September 7th, 2007 in Church, Global Christianity, Missiology, Theology and Western Christianity. 2 CommentsiFeedReaders
The conclusion of article by John R. Frank called Teaching Theology from a Missional Perspective. The article offers a brief overview of missional theology and then moves to suggest pedagogical implications:
“Christian theology is an ongoing, second-order, contextual discipline that engages in the task of critical and constructive reflection on the beliefs and practices of [...]
Christian Witness and the Internet
Published by August 28th, 2007 in Scripture, Spiritual Dynamics, Spiritual Practices and Western Christianity. 6 CommentsiFeedReaders
The following article really stood out to me especially against the backdrop of some of my previous posts dealing with christian community as hermenuetic of the gospel (Newbigin) the church as contrast-society (Lohfink) the intelligibility and truthfulness of Christian convictions residing in their practical force including their ability to shape a community of character (Hauerwas) [...]
Is our Gospel Credible?
Published by August 24th, 2007 in Church, Spiritual Dynamics and Western Christianity. 5 CommentsiFeedReaders
“How is it possible that the gospel should be credible, that people should come to believe that the power which has the last word in human affairs is represented by a man hanging on a cross? I am suggesting that the only answer, the only hermeneutic of the gospel, is a congregation of men [...]
Improvisation and Experiment
Published by August 23rd, 2007 in Church and Western Christianity. 2 CommentsiFeedReaders
A church which pitches its tents without constantly looking out for new horizons, which does not continually strike camp, is being untrue to its calling… [We must] play down our longing for certainty, accept what is risky, live by improvisation and experiment.”
-Hans Kung
This quote from Kung got me thinking about how hard it is [...]
Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard
Published by August 19th, 2007 in Books, Church, Kingdom, Spiritual Dynamics, Spiritual Practices, Theology and Western Christianity. 1 CommentiFeedReaders
SUMMARY OF INITIAL OBSERVATIONS
Dallas Willard is professor and former director of the School of Philosophy at the University of Southern California. Willard’s work in the field of philosophy has been mostly in phenomenology, exploring the work of Edmund Husserl. He also writes extensively about Christian spiritual formation. Influences in this work include John [...]
Jesus and Community: The Social Dimension of Christian Faith: by Gerhard Lohfink
Published by August 14th, 2007 in Books, Church, Global Christianity, Kingdom, Spiritual Dynamics, Spiritual Practices, Theology and Western Christianity. 4 CommentsiFeedReaders
SUMMARY OF INITIAL OBSERVATIONS
Reflecting on experiences of his childhood, German Catholic Theologian and Scholar Gerhard Lohfink once wrote: “I saw men and women who were forced to sew a yellow star of David on their garments; then one day I didn’t see them any more.” This memory would bring about a reconsideration of faith [...]
Book Review: A Community of Character: Toward a Constructive Christian Social Ethic by Stanley Hauerwas
Published by July 31st, 2007 in Books, Church, Faith and Politics, Philosophy, Social Issues, Spiritual Dynamics, Theology and Western Christianity. 5 CommentsiFeedReaders
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stanley Hauerwas is a renowned theologian, ethicist and professor. His educational background includes a Ph.D. from Yale and a D.D. from the University of Edinburg. He is the Gilbert T. Rowe Professor of Theological Ethics at Duke University. He was named “America’s Best Theologian” by Time Magazine in 2001. [...]
Book Review: LeadershipNext: Changing Leaders in a Changing Culture by Eddie Gibbs -Part 4
Published by July 31st, 2007 in Books, Church, Leadership and Western Christianity. 1 CommentiFeedReaders
What are some of the unique strengths and weaknesses of younger leaders?
As a relatively young leader in an emerging church context who desires to be more effective, I paid special attention to Gibbs assessment of characteristic strengths and weaknesses in younger church leaders. According to Gibbs, younger leaders have a distinct advantage over older [...]
Book Review: LeadershipNext: Changing Leaders in a Changing Culture by Eddie Gibbs -Part 3
Published by July 29th, 2007 in Books, Church, Leadership and Western Christianity. 0 CommentsiFeedReaders
What cultural changes are occurring that require a change in our understanding of leadership?
Through my experiences as the pastor of an emerging church, I have felt that tremendous cultural change is rendering previous modes of leadership largely ineffective in many church contexts. I noted that Gibbs shares this view and I was interested to [...]
Book Review: LeadershipNext: Changing Leaders in a Changing Culture by Eddie Gibbs -Part 1
Published by July 25th, 2007 in Books, Church, Leadership and Western Christianity. 5 CommentsiFeedReaders
Rapid cultural change is occurring globally, especially in developed nations and cities where technological innovation is taking place. The church finds itself in the midst of this change, struggling to maintain any kind of influence and rapidly losing its connection to people ages thirty-five and younger. For church leaders to engage the emerging [...]
Cultivating Kindness in the Midst of Self-Sufficiency
Published by June 28th, 2007 in Books, Kingdom, Spiritual Dynamics, Spiritual Practices and Western Christianity. 4 CommentsiFeedReaders
“Christians are moved by the Spirit to reach out and help others because their own identity is intimately tied to the help they have received at God’s hand.” “…we regard people as kind because they go out of their way, often quietly and without fanfare, to engage in kind actions. Nitty-gritty, concrete, everyday kinds [...]
“The L Word,” and my anxiety over it
Published by June 26th, 2007 in Leadership, Spiritual Dynamics and Western Christianity. 8 CommentsiFeedReaders
“Leadership.” Through the lenses of my own personal history with various expressions of Christianty, this word has picked up good deal of baggage and has become something of a source of anxiety to me.
The worst images that come to mind have to do with authoritarian males who exhibit cultish tendencies while claiming [...]
Cultivating Peace in the Midst of Fragmentation - Life on the Vine Pt. 4
Published by June 24th, 2007 in Books, Kingdom, Scripture, Spiritual Dynamics, Spiritual Practices and Western Christianity. 0 CommentsiFeedReaders
The biblical definition of peace or “shalom” carries the connotation of wholeness or even salvation, including the state of well being, wholeness and harmony that infuses all of one’s relationships. It is a condition that is inherently social and not a mental serenity confined within ones psyche. This theme of peace—peace and wholeness [...]
Cultivating Joy in the Midst of Manufactured Desire - Life on the Vine Pt. 3
Published by June 22nd, 2007 in Books, Kingdom, Spiritual Dynamics, Spiritual Practices and Western Christianity. 0 CommentsiFeedReaders
: Kenneson tries to illuminate the true nature of biblical joy by contrasting it with mere pleasure: “The more that we are drawn out of our selves, the more we likely characterize our delight as joy rather than simply pleasure.” The words used for joy in the New Testament “both imply the [...]
Pray for our friends at The Simple Way
Published by June 21st, 2007 in Family and Friends and Western Christianity. 2 CommentsiFeedReaders
Some of this blog’s readers are familiar with Shane Claiborne and other members of the Simple Way, a community in Philidelphia. I received information this morning about a fire that destroyed the Simple Way community center and the homes of many people in the area. Tony Jones posts an update here.
This [...]
Life on the Vine Pt. 2 - Cultivating Love in the Midst of Market-Style Exchanges
Published by June 21st, 2007 in Books, Kingdom, Spiritual Dynamics, Spiritual Practices and Western Christianity. 0 CommentsiFeedReaders
Kenneson uses the bulk of this book to offer a biblical exposition of each fruit of the Spirit, “followed by an explanation of some of the ways in which the dominant [North American] culture inhibits its cultivation.” He begins by discussing: Cultivating Love in the Midst of Market-Style Exchanges: “How do we cultivate [...]
Book Review: Life on the Vine, Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit in Christian Community
Published by June 12th, 2007 in Books, Spiritual Dynamics, Spiritual Practices and Western Christianity. 5 CommentsiFeedReaders
Of all of the books I’ve read in past two or three years, few have impacted me as much as this one. I look forward to generating some conversation here based on Phillip D. Kenneson’s work. Kenneson writes from “the conviction that the church in the United States is seriously ill.†His [...]
What “Gospel” are we preaching?
Published by June 12th, 2007 in Kingdom, Scripture, Spiritual Dynamics, Spiritual Practices, Theology and Western Christianity. 3 CommentsiFeedReaders
The post from which the below experpt is taken is a great example of why I consistently read Scot McKnight. I grew up hearing an awful lot of what McKnight describes here as a “standard” gospel presentation. At one point, if you asked me what it meant for me to share the gospel [...]
Comments on the Death of Jerry Falwell
Published by May 16th, 2007 in Faith and Politics and Western Christianity. 0 CommentsiFeedReaders
Notwithstanding my disagreement on numerous issues with the late Rev. Falwell, (Some of you recall my flossing diatribe awhile back…) I find it interesting how a very wide variety of people named him as a friend at his passing. Not the least of these is Hustler magizine publisher Larry Flynt. (Yes, you [...]
Are our Church Practices Actually Bringing Fruit to Harvest?
Published by May 15th, 2007 in Spiritual Dynamics, Spiritual Practices and Western Christianity. 1 CommentiFeedReaders
Much of our energy and many of our resources are being used to sustain practices, conviction, institutions and narratives that do not necessarily lead to the bearing of good fruit. We have heard hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of sermons and Bible lessons, read countless books, attended numerous seminars. Although there is nothing wrong [...]
“The Death of the Pastor” - Taking Paulo Freire to Church
Published by May 12th, 2007 in Leadership and Western Christianity. 2 CommentsiFeedReaders
Through the writtings of Jane Vella, I have been introduced to Paulo Freire, influential educational theorist from Brazil perhaps best known for his “Pedagogy of the Oppressed.” Freire, who was a Christian socialist heavily influenced by liberation theology, deconstructed traditional educational paradigms and student teacher relationships:
Freire is best-known for his attack on what he [...]
Pastors and Blogging Interview –Part 3
Published by May 11th, 2007 in My Story and Western Christianity. 0 CommentsiFeedReaders
What do you see as the positives of pastors’ blogging?
I think that blogging could potentially “de-mystify” the pastor and allow a forum for ideas to be shared that represent the spiritual, emotional and intellectual journey that we pastors are all undertaking. I think that blogging also expands the area of influence pastors can have. [...]
Pastors and Blogging Interview –Part 2
Published by May 9th, 2007 in My Story and Western Christianity. 0 CommentsiFeedReaders
If I read correctly, you are a supporter of the Emerging Church movement. Can you explain what the essence of that movement is?
The Emerging Church movement is a very loosely defined conversation and exploration of church in emerging culture. Within this “big tent,” a number of generalizations could be made at the risk [...]
Pastors and Blogging Interview –Part 1
Published by May 8th, 2007 in My Story and Western Christianity. 0 CommentsiFeedReaders
I was recently contacted by Leslie, a graduate student at the University of Kansas who is doing research on pastor’s blogs. In her interview, she asked some really good questions that really made me think so I posted responses here.
Questions Specifically About Your Blog:
You state on your blog that it’s about “present and [...]
Ethnocentric Prayer?
Published by April 27th, 2007 in Global Christianity, Global Issues, Prayer and Western Christianity. 3 CommentsiFeedReaders
Last week, I recieved an urgent update from our denomination asking for prayer for our Foursquare work near Virginia Tech, the site of last weeks tragic killing. Many students and university employees attend this church. I was greatful to recieve the update and to be in prayer. As I began to learn [...]
Prayers for my colleagues in Turkey
Published by April 27th, 2007 in Foursquare, Global Christianity, Global Issues, Kingdom, Prayer, Spiritual Dynamics, Spiritual Practices and Western Christianity. 0 CommentsiFeedReaders
I have been following with great interest the story of the Christian Church in Turkey as they respond to the brutal torture and murder of three of my colleages there. 5 young turkish nationalists ages 19 to 20 murdered one german missionary and two turkish christians working to distribute Bibles.
WORLD Magazine | [...]
Five Streams of the Emerging Church
Published by April 26th, 2007 in Western Christianity. 0 CommentsiFeedReaders
Long time reader Sarah and I used to joke about writting a post called “the emerging church for dummies” since there is so much urban legend out there. Thankfully, some one else already did a great job! Some time ago Scot Mcknight wrote the best short introduction to the emerging church that I [...]
It’s the end of the “rapture” as we know it…
Published by April 26th, 2007 in Theology and Western Christianity. 0 CommentsiFeedReaders
In a previous post I highlighted Tim Lahaye’s very high view his escatological assumptions. Here is another perpsptective. Farewell to the Rapture by N.T. Wright
The American obsession with the second coming of Jesus — especially with distorted interpretations of it — continues unabated. Seen from my side of the Atlantic, the phenomenal success of [...]
Giving the young people what they want? A perspective on mega-church and consumerism
Published by April 25th, 2007 in Western Christianity. 2 CommentsiFeedReaders
Dancing with Consumerism
The emerging church used to say mega-churches are going away. They’re not going away. They’re predicated on the metaphor of consumerism. And as long as consumerism is the dominant mode of our culture mega-churches will always thrive. Some are saying that this next generation hates that. They don’t. They love it.
-Shane Hipps
—Ouch…
God’s Hands are in the Mud
Published by April 20th, 2007 in Faith and Politics, Global Christianity, Global Issues, Justice, Kingdom, Poverty, Social Issues, Spiritual Dynamics, Spiritual Practices, Theology and Western Christianity. 0 CommentsiFeedReaders
The second chapter of Ray Bakke’s “A Theology as Big as the City” is titled “God’s hand are in the mud.” He takes this language from William Temple’s “Christianity and the Social Order” in which Temple unpacks the theological significance of the creation snapshot in which Gods hands form the human out of clay. [...]
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