10 Christmas Quotes
For Christmas this year, I decided to gather ten Christmas quotes from some of my favorite ministers and theologians. As I was putting them together, I realized that they were all from different denominations and …
Religion
When the Holy Spirit Convicts Believers of Sin: A Journey Back to Hackensack
Early Success and Hidden Struggles I grew up in Hackensack, New Jersey, a suburb of New York City. I graduated from Hackensack High in 1971, got my B.A. from Cornell University in 1975, a master’s …
What not to say when someone has God beaten out of them
“If being hurt by church causes you to lose faith in God,” so the saying on a popular image macro goes, “then your faith was in people, not in God.” I’ve been seeing this sentiment …
The Holiday Season: The Story That Still Speaks
The holiday season is here, and with it comes that familiar mix of nostalgia and noise. The lights appear in windows, the temperature drops, and suddenly the world feels both tender and frantic. People hold …
Deconstruction or Reimagining Faith?
Deconstruction is all the rage. It seems we are constantly bombarded with news of evangelical celebrities who have deconstructed their faith. Often, this leads, eventually, to news of the celebrity leaving the faith. What is …
Mandates From the Masses and the Call to Courageous Christian Scholarship
I am pausing to reflect on the fickle fate of kings as I prepare to unleash the French Revolution in my undergraduate civilization class next semester. January anniversaries present an interesting study of both the …
Semper Reformanda? The symbiotic legacies of Christian reformation and education
Protestant Christians observe two important anniversaries the last week of October. Protestants recognize October 31 as the anniversary of the formal beginning of the Protestant Reformation or Reformations in Europe. This annual observance commemorates the …
Facts are Stubborn Things
Private Hugh White stamped his feet and rubbed his hands together to warm them in the blistering cold of a March evening in Boston. Snow blanketed the ground around the Custom House he was tasked …
A Reflection on the Life of Esther: For Such a Time as This
The text in the book of Esther may be rarely encountered and unfamiliar to our ears, but the relevance of this book to our modern world should not be overlooked. In the book, we are …
Dear Lee University and the Church of God
Dear Lee University and the Church of God, I remember once in my early twenties having a flashing suicidal thought while going through a rough time. That was the only time in my life, until …