n the Roman Empire, sexual abuse was rampant.  Male slave owners regularly raped their male and female slaves.  “Homosexuality” did not exist as a distinct social category at the time:  it was common for otherwise heterosexual men to engage occasionally in homosexual acts. 

A Progressive and Poetic Prayer in the Spirit of Christ (sic, Lord's Prayer)

The Gospel of John has long fascinated readers with its poetic language, theological depth, and enigmatic characters. Among these, the "Beloved Disciple" stands out as a figure shrouded in mystery. Who was this disciple? What was their relationship with Jesus? And why does their identity remain anonymous?

The authentic Paul is the Paul of his "authentic" letters, the letters he actually wrote. While Paul has always been viewed--after Jesus--as the major personality in the shaping of the early Christian Church, at the same time, he has been widely criticized--mostly for what people assume to be his views on women, slavery, and hierarchy in the church-- based on letters Paul did not write. Paul's detractors have also accused him of distorting the message of Jesus with their lofty teachings in the Sermon on the Mount and with Jesus' personal commitment to social justice. One of the theses of this book is that, in fact, Paul and Jesus have much in common. Indeed, more than distorting the message of Jesus, Paul's teachings appear to complement Jesus' message. Having said this, it is the author's thesis that Paul has been largely misunderstood and is deserving of a fresh hearing. Simply put, he deserves to be understood and evaluated based on the letters he actually wrote and distinctly not on letters attributed to him but which he did not write.

The first Sunday in October was World Communion Sunday, except it didn’t include most of the people of the world, including the Roman Catholic church, the Eastern Orthodox church, the Episcopal church, and the Lutherans.

There, he stood—the golden head of an empire that stretched across the horizon, with the rivers of Babylon winding

Women are center-stage in this election, but we seem to forget they’ve been center-stage throughout history, including the foundations of Christian history. It’s true the Bible is filled with patriarchy and in ancient times, women were often seen as not much more than possessions.

The fifth part of a seven-part series that looks at the life of Jesus.

The anti-LGBT mindset in the U.S. is, unfortunately, rooted in Christianity. It’s also not the easiest topic to dig into. But it’s darn fascinating. And context is key.

We Christians are good at a lot of things. Potluck dinners. Taking care of church members. Dressing up on Sundays. Weddings. Funerals. Worship. Quoting scripture. And we’re persistently exceptional at misinterpreting that scripture, then running amuck in the world because of it.

Christians have an obligation to talk about the Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v Wade. Not because this decision was not based on best practice and law. Not because it was not based on scientific or medical consensus. But because it was based on Christian misinterpretations of biblical text.

As a man, I recognize that eliminates me from being a fully authoritative voice on the question of abortion. However, when I look at restrictive abortion laws which now make it more difficult to get an abortion in the U.S. in the year 2024, than in the year 1650, I think as ministers, even male ministers, we have to address the matter publicly.

Have you ever felt that your faith could use a fresh perspective? Dr. Peter Lewis, a prominent figure in progressive Christianity, provides an engaging approach that challenges traditional beliefs and deepens your connection with Jesus.

Step back a bit and think about it.  Neither you nor I, as believers in law and order, want to see an innocent man put to death.  Let’s put the blame for this miscarriage of justice where it belongs – on people’s belief in God!  Let the people deal with the consequences of their primitive ideas. 

Why did God make it so difficult? There is no answer to this question. In the book of Job, God inflicts pain and suffering but refuses to explain why. God is a profound mystery, transcendent, beyond human comprehension. So what does God give us? Instead of the big experience described by Paul, we get brief glimpses into a reality of goodness and love.

The fourth part of a seven-part series that looks at the life of Jesus.

Several accounts envision Jesus himself as divine light: so, in the Gospel of John, he declares that “I am the light of the world,” and, in Thomas, “I am the light of the world, the light that is before all things; I am all things; all things come forth from me; all things return to me. Split a piece of wood and I am there; lift up a rock and you will find me.” 

The third part of a seven-part series that looks at the life of Jesus.

The little community of 25 that Jesus gathered had equal numbers of women and men, had no slaves, shared what they possessed, and cared for one another.

As early Christianity began to grow and spread in Europe, in Rome, (interestingly enough) much of it was coined in Egypt where a lot of the origins of the New Testament are centered.

All atonement theories get it wrong by substituting beliefs about Jesus for the way (his virtues, values, and practices) of Jesus that he taught us by word and deed. 

It is widely known among biblical scholars that The Book of Job is an outlier among other biblical books in that it provides overt criticism of established Ancient Hebrew beliefs and doctrines.

This RBTL resource follows the Revised Common Lectionary with text selections for Year B - Set 1. There are 52 lessons the year.

This RBTL resource follows the Revised Common Lectionary with text selections for Year C - Set 1. There are 52 lessons for each volume/year.

This RBTL resource follows the Revised Common Lectionary with text selections for Years A, B and C - Set 1. There are 52 lessons for each volume/year.

This RBTL resource follows the Revised Common Lectionary with text selections for Year B - Set 2. There are 52 lessons the year.

This RBTL resource follows the Revised Common Lectionary with text selections for Year C - Set 2. There are 52 lessons for each volume/year.

The Superbowl Commercial "He Gets Us" misses the mark by presenting a narrow view of Christianity where narcissism is disguised as altruism.

I’m not sure why we can be so idealistic about human love when human love is profoundly imperfect and so often unreliable.

Patriarchy probably started about 12,000 years ago. If you google the word, there’s a good chance that you will be more confused than before you started.