Hyperbole aside, this is ridiculous. It's called the gospel. Marketing is not a negative phrase or concept that churches or religious orgs should shy away from. "Navel-gazing" and "not spreading the word," however, are according to the Gospels. The marketing of the church is an invention of the Antichrist. If you have to 'sell' your … Continue reading An observation on “Church ‘Marketing’”
Category: Religion
Response to “America’s Empty-Church Problem”
Maybe it’s the values of hierarchy, authority, and tradition that churches instill. Maybe religion builds habits and networks that help people better weather national traumas, and thus retain their faith that the system works. For whatever reason, secularization isn’t easing political conflict. It’s making American politics even more convulsive and zero-sum. Source: America’s Empty-Church Problem … Continue reading Response to “America’s Empty-Church Problem”
Church Marketing and Political Issues
Six-in-ten religiously unaffiliated Americans – adults who describe their religious identity as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular” – say the questioning of religious teachings is a very important reason for their lack of affiliation. The second-most-common reason is opposition to the positions taken by churches on social and political issues, cited by 49% of … Continue reading Church Marketing and Political Issues
Why People Do or Don’t Go To Church
Interesting stats about the reasons Americans attend or do not attend church regularly... "For instance, two-thirds of people who cite logistical reasons or that they “practice their faith in other ways” as very important factors in keeping them away from religious services identify with a religion (primarily Christianity), as do 56% of those who dislike … Continue reading Why People Do or Don’t Go To Church
“God said to Abraham give me a son…”
In Genesis, God prevented Abraham from carrying out the act. However, the papyrus text tells the story differently, suggesting that Isaac was indeed killed. This echoes the way the story is told in a number of other ancient texts, Zellmann-Rohrer said. — Read on www.newsweek.com/1500-year-old-ancient-egyptian-papyrus-contains-stories-biblical-human-891667
Romans 13 and American Appeals to Authority of the Government
Good read on the historical uses of Romans 13 in American history to justify obedience to the government in light of our Attorney General's use of that text today to defend the deplorable and immoral and utterly un-Christian internment camps we're setting up along the Mexican border for children that we're forcibly separating children from … Continue reading Romans 13 and American Appeals to Authority of the Government
“Where did Angels come from?”
I got asked that question during a Sunday School class on Old Testament conceptions of the divine a few years back. I struggled to gather my thoughts quickly and do that Middle School Teacher "Well, actually... it's very interesting you see..." thing. But it is a long and interesting history to process how we went … Continue reading “Where did Angels come from?”
Fear and Preaching in Sin City
It is possible — even essential — to take a stand against things that are morally wrong without taking sides between Republicans and Democrats. We are currently hamstrung by the myth that to work against things like racism and sexism and mistreatment of refugees is to take sides on politics. There are some things to … Continue reading Fear and Preaching in Sin City
What the Foreskin of Jesus Can Teach Us All
The long-standing popularity of relics can also be understood in terms of today’s two big cultural obsessions — professional sports and celebrities — where fans often seek out a connection with their favorite teams or stars (including their discarded jerseys and other possessions). The relic system, says Farley, also “acted as an instrument of tribalism” … Continue reading What the Foreskin of Jesus Can Teach Us All
“Catholic in nature”
In a letter dated May 10, 2018 to Baker, church leaders say the congregation voted 131 to 40 to take down the work because community members view it as "Catholic in nature." "We understand that this is not a Catholic icon, however, people perceive it in these terms," the letter said, "As a result, it is … Continue reading “Catholic in nature”
We need to have a conversation about what “godly” means, y’all
A majority of S.C. Republicans — 52 percent — said Trump was "godly." — Read on www.thestate.com/news/politics-government/article208990104.html
What is real? Forking universes, equalities, and religion
When scientists search for meaning in quantum physics, they may be straying into a no-man’s-land between philosophy and religion. But they can’t help themselves. They’re only human. “If you were to watch me by day, you would see me sitting at my desk solving Schrödinger’s equation...exactly like my colleagues,” says Sir Anthony Leggett, a Nobel … Continue reading What is real? Forking universes, equalities, and religion
Siri and Incarnation
The theological lens through which we might view these questions is incarnation. In an age of increased engagement with disembodied digital assistants, what might it mean for the church to counterweight this with insisting on and facilitating in-person fellowship? In an era of disembodied conversation, my prayer is that the church might be a contrast … Continue reading Siri and Incarnation
The Fable of the Dragon-Tyrant
CGP Grey has produced a thought-provoking adaptation of Nick Bostrom's 2005 paper (available here Journal of Medical Ethics, 2005, Vol. 31, No. 5, pp 273-277). There are themes and ideas presented here that are deeper than they first appear, especially in regards to concepts such as ethics and mortality.
Bible Domains
When the society — which lists several conservative Christian “founding partners” on the get.bible website — first applied for the rights to .bible, it pledged to provide wide access to “all qualified parties” interested in Bible issues. Soon after acquiring the domain name, though, ABS barred publication of material it defined as “antithetical to New Testament … Continue reading Bible Domains
Thinking Religion 145: Thinking About the Term “Partners”
Dr. Thomas Whitley and The Rev. Sam Harrelson discuss the term "partners" in its modern context and whether or not it is performative for certain couples. That leads to a discussion about the role of social media in our lives if we could, in fact, delete Facebook. Source: Thinking Religion Episode 145: Thinking About the … Continue reading Thinking Religion 145: Thinking About the Term “Partners”
What did Jesus look like?
I've taught a series on depictions of Jesus numerous times at churches and for Sunday Schools of all flavors. This is one of the best pieces I've ever read on the subject. Thorough, but approachable. Plus, there's a connection to my beloved Dura Europos... However, there is one other place to look: to the synagogue … Continue reading What did Jesus look like?
Changing Conceptions of Marriage and Church Marketing
Fascinating stats here for same-sex and different-sex marriages. To think of marriage as a trophy or celebration of what two people have accomplished in life that come together into a new stage directly flies in the face of so much of what churches of all stripes and sizes (but especially my beloved Baptist tradition) have … Continue reading Changing Conceptions of Marriage and Church Marketing
“to queer the prophetic body”
Rather, she is interested in how queerness, in all of its polysemy, “works” in the prophetic texts. Her aim is to “trace the prophetic body as a queer object and to queer the prophetic body” (p. 7)—a project that is both queer and feminist. The result is an imaginative, illuminating investigation into the bodies of … Continue reading “to queer the prophetic body”
Churches Should Turn and Face the Strange
The "America" that Baby Boomers and my fellow Gen X'ers grew up with is rapidly changing, and Protestant churches are an example of community institutions that will be most affected... and made irrelevant or obsolete if they continue to operate as if it's still 1985. Of course, whites are a smaller share of the post-millennial … Continue reading Churches Should Turn and Face the Strange