By: John Fehlen on November 4, 2024
What is a summary of your most deeply held convictions before the readings? To answer this question, I need to quote myself from a recent blog post: “I grew up in a small town in Wisconsin. By small, I mean less than 1500 people. We were an hour from Minneapolis, Minnesota. I mention that because…
By: Tim Clark on November 4, 2024
My most deeply held convictions about slavery were probably formed from a combination of my upbringing, my understanding of history, my grasp of the Bible, God’s heart for people, and my exposure to a global community. The brief one-sentence version of that conviction would go like this: “Slavery is always bad.” To unpack that a…
By: Kally Elliott on November 4, 2024
My most deeply held convictions before the readings were that both, colonialism and slavery were and are harmful, and frankly, evil systems that continue to cause immense suffering for those they oppress. I believe we need to take a hard look at our history, owning up to our collective and personal failings, and roll up…
By: Jenny Dooley on November 4, 2024
My Current Beliefs and Convictions Slavery I believe slavery is a dehumanizing evil because it deprives human beings created in the image of God of their basic human and universal legal rights that restrict their freedom of movement, self-determination, and dignity. I know slavery comes in many forms, including sexual, chattel, bonded, and forced labor.…
By: Travis Vaughn on November 4, 2024
I will first unpack the why and what of my beliefs about colonialism and slavery, primarily from a theological standpoint. Then, after I look at the two texts, I will summarize why and how my beliefs were both affirmed and challenged. Before reading Nigel Biggar’s Colonialism and Jeremy Black’s A Brief History of Slavery First,…
By: Russell Chun on November 4, 2024
Cyrillic: Большинство всегда угнетает меньшинство. Romanized: Bol’shinstvo vsegda ugnetayet men’shinstvo. The Majority always victimizes the minority. Part 1, Summary Part 2 What I learned Epilogue Part 1, Summary – The majority ALWAYS victimizes the minority in EVERY country. The sin of Pride in the majority looking down on the minority who look, act, and…
By: Jana Dluehosh on November 1, 2024
Let me start this week first by apologizing. I am 20 hours late in getting this blog done. I am sorry. I know where I am sorry, which is that it decreases my chance to interact with you all, but perseverance is the word of the semester for me. I make choices each semester on…
By: Dinka Utomo on October 31, 2024
Last June, I attended the International Reformed Theological Institute Conference at our alma mater in Yogyakarta. In a conversation with one of the participants from the Netherlands, we turned to the state of the church in our respective countries. The person showed me data showing that in his country, 51% of people aged 15 and…
By: Jonita Fair-Payton on October 31, 2024
“Only when something is lost can it be found. Only when something dies can it be born again.” [1] I have lamented over the past week about the current state of the United States. It has been an extremely challenging time for me, so difficult that I have had to protect my peace by…
By: Adam Harris on October 31, 2024
It’s the season for chili here in Tennessee. It’s getting cool; the leaves are changing, and chili recipe videos are now a part of my algorithms. Last week, I ran across a chili recipe that looked amazing and had great reviews. It inspired me! I got all the ingredients and made it for the family.…
By: Todd E Henley on October 30, 2024
Hunting in the harsh winter of Alaska presents significant challenges, and for an Eskimo, the risks can be life-threatening. In these extreme conditions, the threat of frostbite or freezing can become a reality in less than thirty minutes. This is why it’s crucial for hunters to be innovative and resourceful. One such practice involves coating…
By: Jennifer Vernam on October 30, 2024
It is hard to challenge the tribe in which you have been raised and built your career. Doing so without whitewashing your own contribution to the dysfunction requires hard deconstructive work. Take, for example, Russell Moore’s critical self-assessment when reviewing the Southern Baptist Convention’s policies regarding Women’s leading in the Church: “A new generation of…
By: Russell Chun on October 29, 2024
Part 1: Introduction Russell Moore in Losing OurReligion: An Altar Call in Evangelical America [1] has sparked active discussion in our class. Pastors from different denominations have waded in and grabbed Moore’s book to evaluate and critique themselves and the churches in this highly politicized presidential year. Part 2: What my peers are saying.…
By: Esther Edwards on October 29, 2024
As I read Losing Our Religion by Russell Moore, I was once again saddened by yet another book that broadcasts the state of the Evangelical Church at large. Moore speaks to those wounded and disillusioned evangelicals who have walked away or are thinking of walking away. One critique calls it “not only a memoir, but…
By: Kim Sanford on October 29, 2024
On the first day of my first class in my master’s program, I learned an important lesson, namely what it feels like to cross cultural boundaries. The professor of this Intercultural Communication class ran a simulation. Students were divided into groups to play a silent card game. At the end of each round the winner…
By: Scott Dickie on October 28, 2024
I think I’d like Russell Moore if we hung out. Although he’s theologically conservative (some of which I appreciate and some of which I’d respectfully disagree with), he seems to land closer to the ‘middle’ in his expression of faith—drawing critique from the progressives and criticism from the conservatives—which I appreciate. His book, Losing our…
By: Pam Lau on October 28, 2024
“Facts in isolation are false . . . A fact is true in the absolute sense only in association with all facts.” -Wendell Berry[1] The Japanese railway system is regarded as one of the best in the world. If you ever find yourself riding a train in Tokyo, you’ll notice that the conductors have a…
By: John Fehlen on October 28, 2024
I love giving people the opportunity to commit their hearts and lives to Jesus. It’s safe to say that over the last 30+ years of pastoral ministry, I have had the great honor of leading thousands of people into a public profession of trust in the Lord. Those “altar calls” have happened in a myriad…
By: Tim Clark on October 28, 2024
As a teenager and young adult, I was an avid fan of the post-punk/alternative rock genre, and I discovered REM in the mid eighties. I used to blast them in my car on my morning drive to High School, and then again on my drive home. Radio Free Europe. The One I Love. It’s the…
By: Cathy Glei on October 28, 2024
Wow, there is so much to chew on from this week’s reading Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America by Russel Moore. I am a little fired up so I apologize in advance for any leakage of pain and passion. Not only did this book spark something deep within, but I am sitting…
