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…
By: Tim Clark on October 2, 2023
While in Oxford we heard Dr. Martyn Percy give a lecture that included calling into question the use of the word discipleship. This word, he pointed out, is not in the Bible, and furthermore, he stated the definition of a disciple was not, as many in today’s church believe, synonymous with a follower, but that…
By: Jenny Dooley on October 2, 2023
In Evangelicalism in Modern Britain: A history from the 1730s to the 1980s D.W. Bebbington examined the four qualities of Evangelicalism: conversionism, activism, biblicism, and crucicentrism.[1] The book placed my experience of coming to faith in perspective and illuminated my understanding of the Christian and theological world into which I was born. Raised in the…
By: John Fehlen on October 2, 2023
I distinctly remember when Ted Haggard had his very public “fall” from the evangelical heights, especially having served as president of the National Association of Evangelicals(NAE) from 2003 until November 2006. Haggard resigned from that role as well as his senior pastorate after making headlines for engaging in sex with a male prostitute and buying…
By: Kally Elliott on October 2, 2023
In reading Jason Clark’s Evangelicalism and Capitalism: A Reparative Account and Diagnosis of Pathogeneses in the Relationship, I was immediately taken back to September 11, 2001 when after the shock of the terrorist attacks I found myself sitting in a seminary class taught by Dr. Walter Brueggemann. While he frequently ranted about the woes of a…
By: Kim Sanford on October 2, 2023
I first heard of Bebbington at a ministry conference just a few months ago. Usha Reifsnider, who serves the Lausanne Movement as Co-Regional Director for Europe, gave the plenary address about the changing face of Evangelicalism. She shared Bebbington’s quadrilateral to define Evangelicalism and I thought, “I need to know about this guy.” Fast forward…
By: Kim Sanford on October 2, 2023
Type A Personality. Enneagram 7. Myers-Briggs ESFJ. The temptation when reading a book like Simon Walker’s Leading with Nothing to Lose is to understand it almost like a personality test. Where do I see myself in his descriptions? What’s my natural style? Is there an online quiz I can take to determine my leadership type?…
