Christian Nationalism presents an existential threat to both Christ’s church and American democracy. Now is the time — before it is too late — to reckon with all the places its pernicious influence arises. On full display in recent elections, Christian Nationalism also exists in sanctuaries where an American flag has been displayed for decades, when we pledge allegiance to one nation “Under God” or when the U.S. is called a Christian nation.
Abandoning Vengeance and Embracing True Justice
Once an Assistant Attorney General in Tennessee, Preston Shipp found his convictions challenged after teaching criminal justice courses to inmates from the Tennessee Prison for Women. He resigned from prosecuting and continued teaching.
Abundant Lives: A Progressive Christian Ethic of Flourishing invites sociologically informed engagement in human well-being based on Jesus’ command to love God, our neighbors, ourselves, and our enemies.
From The Collective with Rick Gregory
Watch Episode 20 of The Awakened Collective with Rick Gregory as he interviews Special Guest Rev. Dr. Caleb J. Lines, author of The Great Digital Commission.
Sermon: Rev. Dr. Mark Sandlin Presbyterian Church of the Covenant
Jesus was not crucified for telling people to love God and our neighbors. He was killed for challenging the authorities of that time. He challenged the Jewish authorities, and he challenged the Roman authorities.
(Moving from “Ought” to “How To”)
So what about loving our enemies? What do we normally feel, what do others who have modeled destructive behavior and attitudes expect us to feel and what can we possibly feel? Why should we choose not to feel what virtually everyone expects us to feel?
When the intellectual history of the 20th century is written, a few achievements will tower overall. Einstein’s theory of general relativity will be one; the laws of quantum mechanics will be another. The Big Bang Theory of the origin of the universe will be a third.
We face several world crises that could kill us all and end the human story. We also endure the immediate rise of a fascistic religious nationalism spearheaded by Donald Trump, which wants to destroy our American democracy.
I’m not sure why we can be so idealistic about human love when human love is profoundly imperfect and so often unreliable.
What I know is that I need to not beat myself up for having a hard time when I’m having a hard time.
A paradigm-shifting journey into God as Self and the World as Heaven on Earth.
When they sang together, you could hear the harmony that should define this country’s relationships across race.
at Intensive Journal Workshops
The Intensive Journal method is a series of integrated writing exercises about different areas of your life (i.e. personal relationships, body and health, life history, dreams and imagery, meaning in life, etc.) that are designed to help you get to know yourself better.
At a party, when a woman, without giving notice, anointed Jesus with perfumed oil,
Fierce love pursues peace through nonviolence
If we want peace, it has to start with us. We must uproot violence from our language, in the ways we relate to one another.
The cross, the symbol of the Christian faith, has been the subject of much theological discussion through the ages.
To what extent do churches accommodate the values of their worshippers and merely give them a sense of comfort, and to what extent do churches set high standards and encourage Christian growth and social commitment?
If we want peace, it has to start with us. We must uproot violence from our language, in the ways we relate to one another.
"We transgenders here feel a bit more human because the fact that Pope Francis brings us closer to the Church is a beautiful thing," Carla Segovia, 46, a sex worker, told Reuters. "Because we need some love."
At the heart of the Christian tradition, we say there is “faith (πίστις, ‘pistis’ Gr. - trust), hope (ἐλπίς, Gr. elpis = meaning expectation, in a positive sense), and love ( ἀγάπη Gr. ‘agapé’ ‘love’ or φιλανθρωπία Gr. ‘caritas’ = charity).
So why do we persist in comparing ourselves to others? And suffering the frustration that results?
Every parent and educator will welcome the blend of multicultural tales, biographies, universal spirituality, and original fun adventures of children who could live on your street. Expansive, respectful, real, and warm with kindness, these stories offer possibilities for life to children and adults who feel in their heart that they belong to a larger reality.
There are a few words I have had “allergies” to over the years. Words like discipline, obedience, and accountability. Some have a more intense allergic reaction than others, such as difficulty breathing, maybe getting itchy or nauseous. Of course I jest, yet they are words that have produced some measure of tension in my body because of previous life experiences.
The world is full of people promising ‘instant enlightenment’ or writing self-help books on ‘Happiness Now!’ Some claim to have a hotline to God which no one else possesses, or a special insight which no one else has received. Anyone who claims to know it all, probably knows very little.
A rock star, atheist, Marxist, world-class theologian, African missionary, and a Greek Orthodox Bishop all in one lifetime? Bishop Themi is a beacon of hope and inspiration to millions of Christians.
Omnipotence is dead. At least it should be. It has no biblical support. And it dies a death of a thousand qualifications in philosophy.
Is it "Christianity meets Burning Man," "Richard Rohr meets Russell Brand," or "Communion Wafers meet Psychedelic Spirituality"? Yes! This and more.
I am writing this because I have an uncommon employment history that has provided me with a very unique skill-set and perspective when it comes to making difficult and challenging hospital, hospice or nursing facility visits.