In his famous work, The Idea of a Christian Society, T.S. Eliot characterizes the secular turn of the 20th century as a version of “modern paganism.” Many others have pick up this thesis and made similar comparisons. In my new book, Cultural Sanctification: Engaging.
In our current public discourse, there are growing concerns about the relationship between church and state.
The post-conversion challenges facing Christians arose when they reentered society as baptized people and navigated the conflicts raised by their new convictions. This process demanded a culturally discerning spiritual life.
The early church did not simply think in terms of distinctiveness and purity; it also turned outward in active mercy and compassion. The very work of social reform and positive social change amounted to a positive good.
The secular turn in the modern age is often compared with the ancient pagan world. In my recent book:, I consider these parallels and how ancient Christians responded. In the following except, I discuss one of the key features that distinguished the Christians from their pagan neighbors: the theological virtue of hope.
There is no question that we live in a world that is changing rapidly, and many have noted the similarities with the ancient pagan world.
How did the early church grow from a ragtag group of apostles in the first century to become the primary religion of the Roman Empire? This question has puzzled scholars for centuries, but given recent cultural changes, it is more relevant now than ever.
A biography of Timothy J. Keller paints a picture of a man of many influences, many successes, many critics, and who will continue to influence the evangelical world for many years to come.
If our modern world resembles the ancient one, perhaps we could glean some wisdom from the ways the early church navigated these murky waters.
But now all these ecclesial structures are fragmenting and collapsing, either by the nones walking out the back door, or the nons walking down the street to the non-denominational church. At this point, it is best to consider what we are losing and gaining from this ecclesial transformation...
A new year has begun. But the passing of this holiday season also marks over one year since the initial release of ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence initiatives. The internet continues to be abuzz about all the ways AI is revolutionizing our lives — ministry included...
On November 10, 1942, following a British victory in Egypt during World War II, Winston Churchill famously quipped, “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” I thought about those words as I opened The End of Interpretation: Reclaiming the Priority of Ecclesial Exegesis, a recent book from Catholic theologian and First Things editor R. R. Reno...
Last year, I wrote about the troubling findings from American Bible Society’s annual “State of the Bible” report. Every study since 2011 has shown that Bible users accounted for around 50% of American adults. However, in 2022, things changed..
It all started as a hunt for a simple classroom illustration. I was teaching a seminary course on Christian history and preparing a lecture on the events of the famous council of Nicaea....
Church attendance continues to decline, despite bright spots such as Ali’s conversion and fewer people see religion as a public good. Amid all this mostly bad news, Christmas comes around. Yule is always a season that unifies society and promotes the virtues of love, peace, and joy...
It’s been another tough year for Christian ministry... But 2023 there were several books released that can help ministers think through these challenges...
In a world where education modes and methods are changing rapidly, the prison forced me to think deeply about teaching pedagogy for seminary students. It cut through the dross, exposing some essential features of teaching..
Late last year, the American Bible Society published its annual “State of the Bible” report, and the results signal a dramatic decline in Bible reading. It seems clear that we are cultivating a society that does not care to make Bible reading a regular habit.
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