I sometimes bend over backward to find ways in which faith can still be relevant in our secular post-Christian society (just as I bend over backward to understand why I...
Capitalism as Divine Necessity: Toward A Political Theology of the Cross
I’ve been looking for ways to describe the current politico-economic order of Western capitalism in religious terms. The task of political theology is to bring theological thought and analysis to...
The Hollywood Evangelicalism of Pratt and Bieber: Same Old, Same Old.
A reasonably friendly article appeared on Vox: The rise of the star-studded, Instagram-friendly evangelical church: Chris Pratt, Justin Bieber, and the “cool” Christian celebrity. The article mainly discusses Pratt and...
“I Love Jesus But Not the Church” Means You’re On To Something
An article appeared a few days ago in the evangelical section of Patheos that really irked me. It has the rather nasty title: ‘I Love Jesus But Not the Church’...
The Theology of Bonhoeffer As a Theology of the Cross
In anticipation of the publication of my dissertation this summer, here is a brief, albeit nerdy, summary of the argument. I set out to argue that Bonhoeffer’s “Act and Being”...
Immanuel and the Immigrants: Thoughts on the Absence of God in Western Society
Anyone who’s been reading my recent musings on theology must have noticed how I struggle creatively with the idea of atheism. Especially now that we are at that time of...
OMG! I’m an Atheist Who Follows Christ.
The above line is not me talking. It could have been, but I decided to not become an atheist. No, it sounds more like one of my colleagues and future theological collaborators....
Martyrs, Madmen, and Marauders: Six Ways Christian Missions Needs to Change
There has been much talk about missions lately in the wake of the death of a young missionary, John Chau, who, against government regulation and common sense, went on a...
Evangelical Theology and Justice: Strange Bedfellows In the Kingdom of God
One big reason why Christianity has gotten a bad rap in post-world WWII Europe is that increasingly it began to be seen as hypocritical and disingenuous. Partly, as a result,...
Seven Ways to Overcome Religious Trauma Syndrome
Religious Trauma is a real thing. I know it. I feel it. I see it in others. And there is official recognition these days! A few years ago, I interviewed...
Pwayse Tyeesis: The Apotheosis of the Fundamentalist Apocalypse
I’m not a fundie watchdog. So when I hear Fundamentalists say something weird it always comes to through leftwing or liberal media. And, yes, today was when I heard about...
Ethical Ambiguities in Bonhoeffer’s Theology and How to Solve Them
Bonhoeffer’s theology is multifaceted. It can be approached from many different sides and applied for different purposes. In part, this is because Bonhoeffer developed such a rich theological narrative, in...
Theocracy: Somebody’s Heaven is Someone Else’s Hell
Theocracy, that form of government in which God governs a nation directly through divine command, is hot again. Think for instance of Iran, al-Qaeda or ISIS. Closer to home, American...
A God in the Hands of Angry Sinners: How the Evangelical Misconstrual of God and Politics Spells Doom
Many people in the United States are familiar with the famous sermon Jonathan Edwards, the Puritan preacher and scholar in the Massachusetts of the 1700s, preached on the 8th of...
Interview On the MindShift Podcast: Deconstruction and the Theology of the Cross
I recently got interviewed by Clint Heacock from the MindShift Podcast about the deconstruction of my evangelical faith. Clint also asked me about the theological process involved and if there...