Is Spanking Christlike?
Parenting is hard. If you are a parent, you probably understand how difficult it truly is to care for a child. Lack of sleep, constant chores, and the financial burden it brings are just the …
Faith
Trumpamentalism: The Dangerous Faith of MAGA and Why It’s So Hard to Break
I’ve spent much of my life thinking about faith, belief, and the stories we tell ourselves to make sense of the world. Growing up in a religious tradition that prized certainty above all else, I …
Fighting Correction Fatigue
I call it correction fatigue. It appears in all seasons, but especially during this time of final exams and papers. Correction fatigue strikes when you are in the middle of grading students’ papers and you …
They Both Prayed to the Same God: Faith and the American Civil War
“Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God’s assistance in …
What Can the Battle of Jericho Teach Us?
Recently, I had the opportunity to lead a Bible study with a group of college students on Indigenous Peoples Day. That day seemed to be an excellent day to study Joshua 6 – the taking …
A God Big Enough for Bacteria
The railway forest is changing with the seasons. I recently took a walk through it, now that the bugs have died down enough that I probably won’t get West Nile Virus. Most of the forest …
The American Idol of Freedom
During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a lot of talk about freedom in the United States. This was especially true when protesters called for the government to lift shelter-at-home orders. In one thread about this …
Make Christianity Powerless Again
There are few things as detrimental to a person’s faith as a popular minister “falling from grace.” We enjoy putting our favorite preachers on a pedestal, identifying ourselves with their beliefs, charisma, and conviction. But …
Dear Starving Artist: Create as an Act of Love for God
The conversation stung. I know what was said was stated in a well-meaning way, but it still hurt. After an opening night of a gallery show I was a part of, I sat at a …
Is the Next Moses on Capitol Hill?
Is the Speaker of the House the next Moses? It’s a silly question, I know, but some teachers in Louisiana may be involuntarily pushing exactly that message soon. Louisiana is currently in the process of …