By: Mathieu Yuill on October 9, 2023
Recently, the pastor at our church, along with a pastor from another church began discussing amalgamating the two churches. I actually learned of this while we were on our Oxford advance and as I have learned more, I made the decision to view this through the lens of both David Bebbigton’s, Evangelicalism in Modern Britain,…
By: Dinka Utomo on October 9, 2023
In my encounters and conversations with Evangelical pastors in Indonesia, one significant thing that I’ve come to admire is their unwavering dedication to spreading the Gospel message. Through these encounters, I can feel the fervent spirit within them, driven by their deep love for God and unwavering obedience to His word. This devotion is particularly…
By: Laura Fleetwood on October 8, 2023
Much has been made of the ubiquitous rise of artificial intelligence (AI) over the past year. In fact, it’s difficult to believe that it’s been less than a year since “OpenAI released an early demo of ChatGPT on November 30, 2022, and the chatbot quickly went viral on social media as users shared examples of…
By: Michael O'Neill on October 7, 2023
Introduction In a world marked by increasing polarization and identity-driven conflicts, the quest for dignity and the role of identity politics has become central to our understanding of modern society. Well-known political scientist Francis Fukuyama has explored these themes extensively in his book Identity, shedding light on the complex relationship between identity, politics, and human…
By: Jean de Dieu Ndahiriwe on October 7, 2023
Introduction Marcus Warner and Jim Wilder did amazing work in Rare Leadership. “RARE” is an acronym for what they call the four essential qualities of a mature Leader: Remaining relational, Act like Yourself, Return to Joy, and Endure Hardship. I can’t agree more with the statement below in the praise of the work of Marcus…
By: Greg McMullen on October 6, 2023
What Is Postmodernism? The terms “postmodern,” “postmodernism,” and “postmodernist” are associated with literary criticism, architecture, painting, and philosophy and have come into use at different times and for different purposes. Postmodernism, is best described as an historical period stretching from the 1960s to the present. Simplifying Hick’s Book The six chapters that make up Explaining…
By: Audrey Robinson on October 6, 2023
Introduction Francis Fukuyama’s book “Identity: The Demand for Dignity and the Politics of Resentment” delves into the complex interplay of identity politics, anger, and fear that has become increasingly prominent in contemporary society. Fukuyama argues that the politics of resentment, fueled by feelings of exclusion and frustration, has played a significant role in shaping modern…
By: Jana Dluehosh on October 6, 2023
While perusing David Bebbington’s Evangelicalism in Modern Britain, I went not much further than his first chapter called, “Preaching the Gospel; The Nature of Evangelical Religion”. In my experience, this makes so much sense to start by addressing the essence and birth of a movement. What I’ve come to ponder is that the nature of…
By: Daron George on October 6, 2023
Francis Fukuyama’s “Identity” is a thought-provoking exploration of the complex concept of identity and its profound impact on contemporary society and politics. It is very interesting to look at the book in light of everything that has taken place to shape our identities since the pandemic in 2020. “The modern concept of identity unites three…
By: Jonita Fair-Payton on October 6, 2023
I must admit that I felt a little intimidated by the thought of reading Dr. Jason Swan Clark’s Dissertation. It felt weird to read his work and write about it, not sure why but it was not a task that I was anxious to complete. Perhaps it’s his over 6-foot stature or maybe the English…
By: Jenny Steinbrenner Hale on October 5, 2023
Our pastor mentioned this week in her sermon entitled “Visible Words” that, according to a national survey some years ago, when people were asked, “What words do you most want to hear said to you?” the three phrases at the top of the list were, in order of popularity: “I love you.” “I forgive you.”…
By: Shonell Dillon on October 5, 2023
Where is your dignity Black Woman? Politics and Dignity being mentioned in the same title seemed interesting to me. I found that I enjoyed reading what the author had to say about it. I especially paid lots of attention to his mentions of the treatment of women in the workplace. I also thought that the…
By: Sara Taylor Lattimore on October 5, 2023
My Identity I am an only child who was adopted. I have had a wide range of life experiences. I double majored in political science and sociology in undergrad. I worked for the state of Texas as a legal caseworker for Child Protective Services. I have worked in church ministry and gotten a Masters of…
By: Adam Harris on October 5, 2023
David Bebbington’s, Evangelicalism in Modern Britain, is an honest analysis of Evangelicalism’s evolution in Britain’s recent history. Although this stream of Christianity did morph, develop, and adapt to the culture over time he argues that it maintained four specific characteristics and emphasis throughout its journey (conversions, activism, biblicism, and Jesus’ work on the cross). However,…
By: Todd E Henley on October 5, 2023
As a child I had the privilege of not growing up in a religious home. In fact we never went to church, not even on Easter of during the Christmas season. There were no religious paintings on our walls and God, the bible, church, or religious words were never mentioned in our home. God miraculously…
By: Russell Chun on October 5, 2023
Highlights Part 1: Bebbington Part 2: Clark Chapter 2, a bridge between Bebbington and Weber Part 3: Summary and a world note Part 1: Bebbington David W. Bebbington’s Evangelicalism in Modern Britain: A History from the 1730s to The 1980s[1], Is more than a walk-through history. During a peer group meeting, Jenny Dooley shared…
By: Kristy Newport on October 4, 2023
Francis Fukuyama articulates the roots of political tension in his book Identity: The Demand for Dignity and the Politics of Resentment. He gives a raw analysis as he states, “Resentment over lost dignity or invisibility often has economic roots, but fights over identity often distract us from focusing on policies that could concretely remedy those…
By: Cathy Glei on October 4, 2023
In a recent conversation with a volunteer in one of my buildings, the word evangelical was tossed into the conversation. The person was commenting on a former leader of the United States using uncensored language and many expletives to describe the leader and her overall disgust at the person’s leadership style. We shared similar disappointments. …
By: David Beavis on October 4, 2023
As a pastor, I have the privilege of weekly opening up the Scriptures and teaching a congregation about the present reality of the Kingdom of God and the implications the Kingdom has for us right here, right now. These duties of pastoring – “preaching and peopling” as I heard it once described – fill me…
By: Pam Lau on October 3, 2023
In Luke’s Gospel, a story is told that marks a turning point in the account of Jesus’ ministry. Up to this point, Jesus has dealt exclusively with the Jews. In chapter 7, when Jesus returns to Capernaum, he begins to include the Gentiles. You may recall the story of a Roman officer (also called a…
