As I have written on issues related to the life and calling of pastors that are women, I’ve been quite surprised by the depth of the pain that many of these women carry. Though I’ve long thought that theologies that limited the ministry of women were misguided, I didn’t fully understand the damage that they cause (and I still don’t “fully” understand, but more now than before).
World Vision And The Failure Of Christian Ethics
If your social media feeds are full of Christian leaders then you already know about the fiasco inflicted upon all of us by World Vision’s board. After declaring that they would permit hiring of those with legal same sex marriages for their US offices, they reversed their position claiming that their constituents had helped them see that this position was an affront to biblical ethics.
The Greatest Martyr That Evangelicals Don’t Know: Oscar Romero
The Day That I Started To Understand Racism
It was a hot June day in 2011. My wife and I had been parents for just four days.
St. Patrick Was Not A Heretic, But His Analogies Are Another Story
This is a great and cheeky little introduction to the doctrine of the Trinity at the expense of our friend, St. Patrick. (As far as I know, the only of these analogies that St. Patrick ever used was that of the clover…and even that is historically questionable.) The doctrine of the Trinity is difficult. I often tell my students that every attempt to make an analogy to the Trinity will result in heresy. St. Patrick was no better.
University of Indianapolis Student Lenten Devotional
I’m glad to offer a free devotional created by the students and for the students of McCleary Chapel Ministries at the University of Indianapolis. I hope that you too will enjoy taking the Lenten journey with them. I’m so proud of these students, their love for Jesus Christ, and their heart to share that love with others. [Read more…]
The Problem: You Just Aren’t Religious Enough
An increasing number of people, and especially the young adults that I work with each day, have come to identify with the malleable phrase “spiritual, but not religious.” There is good reason to believe that all kinds of people identify with the phrase, including some of the most highly religious people in the country, those conservative Evangelicals that proclaim “it’s not religion, it’s a relationship.” Even setting this ambiguity aside, it’s undeniable that many folks today are pleased to find “god” without the trappings of associating with a traditional religious community.
Dr. Jeremiah Gibbs 